Slow Cooked Beef Ragu

Equipment: a large pot that is also oven safe (I love a cast-iron pot for this recipe).

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef scotch fillet, cut into large chunks

• 1 brown onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 6 mushrooms, sliced

• 1 × 480 g can crushed tomatoes

• ¼ cup tomato passata

• 1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped (including the stems)

• 2 cups beef bone broth (homemade or your favourite store-bought variety)

• 2 tbsp dried Italian herb blend

• 2 bay leaves

• Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Let’s Make It:

1. Cut the beef into large chunks and season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

2. Heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef in batches if needed, searing on all sides until browned. Remove and set aside if overcrowding the pot.

3. While the beef is browning, dice the onion, carrots, celery and any other vegetables, then finely mince the garlic.

4. Return all the beef to the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.

5. Add the remaining vegetables, chopped parsley, beef stock, crushed tomatoes, passata, Italian herbs and bay leaves. Stir well to combine and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

6. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid and cook over low heat for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced.

8. Transfer the covered casserole to the oven and cook for a further 2 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened beautifully.

9. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Enjoy with creamy mashed potato, crusty sourdough or buttered pasta.