Lachlan Cox

Beef Cheek Ragu

Beef cheek, tomato, red wine. Bronze-cut pasta.

Prep
40 min
Cook
8-12 hr
Serves
6-8

Ingredients

Meat

  • 1 kg beef/ox cheek
  • 100-150 g pancetta or good-quality bacon, small dice
  • to taste salt and black pepper

Soffritto

  • 1 large onion, very finely minced
  • 2-3 carrots, finely minced
  • 3 celery ribs, finely minced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Tomato and Spice

  • 500 g grape tomatoes
  • 1-1.5 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2-1 long red chilli, very finely diced (seeds optional)

Liquids

  • 375 ml (1.5 cups) Shiraz
  • 750 ml - 1 L beef stock (as needed)

Aromatics

  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10-15 sprigs thyme

Finish

  • to taste fresh basil and/or flat-leaf parsley, torn
  • to taste Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
  • optional good olive oil (to finish)

Pasta (bronze die cut preferred)

  • as needed fettuccine
  • as needed rigatoni divini
  • as needed pappardelle

Method

  1. Char the tomatoes

    Toss the grape tomatoes in olive oil and cook in a cast iron pan until blistered and lightly charred. Peel the skins and optionally blend, then set aside.

  2. Render pancetta

    Place the pancetta in a cold pot and bring up to medium heat slowly. Render until the fat is released and the pancetta is lightly golden, leaving the fat in the pot.

  3. Sear the meat

    Remove the pancetta but leave the fat in the pot. Season the meat well and sear until deeply browned on all sides, then remove and set aside.

  4. Build the soffritto

    Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 10-15 minutes until soft, slightly sweet and lightly golden.

  5. Add aromatics

    Add the garlic, smoked paprika and diced long red chilli. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.

  6. Tomato paste

    Add the tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened.

  7. Deglaze and reduce wine

    Add the Shiraz and scrape up the fond. Reduce by 70-80% until slightly syrupy.

  8. Build the braise

    Add the charred (or blended) tomatoes and the beef stock, then return the meat and pancetta to the pot along with the thyme and bay leaves. Liquid should cover approximately 70-80% of the meat - not fully submerged.

  9. Slow cook

    Cover with a lid and cartouche and cook at 140C for around 8 hours, or preferably at 120-130C for 10-12 hours. Top up stock as needed.

  10. Optional overnight rest

    Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. The next day, optionally remove excess fat and reheat gently.

  11. Finish the ragu

    Remove the herbs, shred the meat while keeping some texture, and return it to the sauce. Adjust consistency with stock if needed, then taste and adjust salt.

  12. Cook pasta and emulsify

    Cook the pasta in well-salted water and reserve some pasta water. In a pan, combine the pasta with the ragu and add pasta water while tossing to emulsify.

  13. Final finish

    Add the grated parmesan, torn basil or parsley, and a good grind of black pepper. Optionally drizzle with good olive oil.

Alternatives

For the beef cheek, you can substitute 1-1.2 kg of beef shin (osso buco style, bone-in or boneless) or 1-1.2 kg of oyster blade (blade steak / gravy beef). Look for marbling and connective tissue, not lean meat. For the wine, Cabernet Sauvignon works in place of Shiraz - avoid light reds like Pinot Noir.

Notes

Partial submersion during braising improves flavour concentration. The long cooking time develops collagen into a silky texture, and the wine reduction is critical to avoid harsh acidity. Optional steps like the overnight rest and reusing rendered fat improve results but are not required.

Wine Pairing

Shiraz (Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale preferred) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) are both excellent choices. Choose medium to full-bodied wines with moderate acidity and avoid light reds such as Pinot Noir. Where possible, use the same wine style for cooking and serving.