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Italian beef cheek ragu with tagliatelle.
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5 from 5 votes

Slow cooked Italian beef cheek ragù with tagliatelle.

This absolutely delicious Italian beef cheek ragù is a must-try for lovers of slow-cooked rich pasta meat sauces. The beef cheeks are braised in a red wine and broth sauce along with a classic Italian soffritto of onions, celery and carrots, plus tomato concentrate, fresh herbs and cloves. Serve over tagliatelle or pappardelle or even soft polenta or potato purée with some crusty bread to mop up the rich sauce. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean, Northern Italy
Keyword: beef cheeks, beef ragu
Servings: 4
Calories: 735kcal
Author: Jacqui

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven or casserole dish with lid
  • 1 skillet
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 chopping board

Ingredients

  • 2.2 pounds beef cheeks
  • 1 large onion or two medium sized. Peeled and chopped
  • 2 large carrots washed and diced
  • 2 stalks celery washed and diced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 7 flozs red wine full-bodied
  • 5 flozs beef broth
  • 14 ounces tagliatelle or pappardelle
  • 1 handful fresh parsley optional
  • 2 ounces grated Parmigiano or Grana optional
  • salt for pasta and to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper. to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

  • If it hasn’t been done by your local butcher, trim any outer layer of fat (fat cap) and remove the shiny silver connective tissue membrane (silver skin) from the beef cheeks. Next peel the onion and cut it into cubes and wash and chop the carrot and celery.

Cook the ragu

  • Heat some of the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook the diced carrot, onion and celery on a low-medium heat until they soften.
  • In the meantime, pat the beef cheeks dry and season with sea salt and black pepper. Heat some more olive oil in a large pot with a lid, a large casserole pan or a Dutch oven ( I used the latter). Sear the seasoned beef cheeks on each side. For faster cooking you can also cut the cheeks in half.  
  • Add the red wine and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Let the wine and cheeks cook together over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the cooked vegetables, herbs, cloves and tomato concentrate to the beef cheeks along with the beef broth. Mix everything together and simmer over a low heat for up to 3 hours with the lid on. You will need to check the braising liquid hasn’t reduced too much and turn the cheeks once every 30 minutes or so. 
  • Once the beef cheeks are fork tender, remove them from the oven dish and shred using two forks. In the meantime, remove the bay leaves and simmer the sauce over a medium heat to reduce and thicken it. About 15 minutes depending on your desired thickness. 
  • Return the shredded beef cheeks to the sauce. If serving later, set aside and reheat while the pasta is cooking. I reheated the sauce in a different pan to make it easier to mix it with the pasta.
  • Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil then cook the pasta al dente according to the packet instructions. I used fresh tagliatelle from Giovanni Rana which only needed 1 minute to cook. Fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than dried.
  • Save some pasta cooking water, then drain the cooked pasta and toss it carefully with the beef cheek ragu. If the sauce seems dry, add some pasta water and mix gain. Serve immediately with some chopped fresh parsley (optional) and grated Parmigiano or grana.

Notes

If using a Dutch oven or casserole pan, you can also cook your Italian beef cheek ragu in the oven (180°c 356°F).
Tips for best results.
  1. Use a good full-bodied red wine for maximum flavor. During the hours of cooking, tannins and acidity work on the meat: they soften the fibers, concentrate the juices, and create a dense base, capable of enveloping every bite. For this reason, braising wines must have body, a distinct aroma, and sufficient alcohol to withstand the long cooking time.
  2. This ragu tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep.
  3. If your beef cheeks aren't easy to shred after 3 hours, continue cooking until they are. Add more broth or some water if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 735kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 1089mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6231IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 6mg