The best slow cooker beef ragu

If you’re looking to perfect that classically tender and rich beef ragu flavour, you can’t go past this mouthwatering recipe. With a fairly short list of easy ingredients, this slow cooker version takes all the effort out of cooking the elaborate meal.

Try this with pasta as the base, or if you’re looking to cut down on carbs simply serve it up on its own or with brown rice for something a bit lighter. Make sure you get a piece of crusty bread to go alongside it and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1kg beef chuck steak, cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Cooked pasta, to serve
• Grated parmesan, to serve
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, to serve
• Salt, to season

Method

1. Heat half the oil in large frying pan over high heat. Cook beef, in two batches, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to bowl of a 5.5-litre slow cooker.
2. Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Add wine, tomatoes with liquid from cans, stock, paste and thyme to pan. Bring to the boil. Carefully pour over beef in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover with lid.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours (or on high for 4 hours) or until beef is very tender. Stir with wooden spoon to roughly shred beef. Toss ragu through pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with parmesan and parsley.