Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu

Ingredients

• beef chuck — or gravy beef1.1 kg
• olive oil — 2 tbsp40 ml
• brown onion — finely chopped; 1 onion150 g
• carrots — finely chopped; 2 carrots240 g
• celery sticks — finely chopped2 ea
• garlic cloves4 ea
• middle bacon — chopped500 g
• passata — or crushed tomatoes700 g
• tomato paste — 2 tbsp40 g
• chicken stock — 2 cup500 ml
• dried oregano — 2 tsp2 g
• dried thyme — 1 tsp1 g
• bay leaves3 ea
• penne — or pasta of choice, to serve500 g
• parmesan — grated, to serve40 g

Method

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5–7 minutes until softened. (Blitzing the vegetables together first hides them from picky eaters.)
2. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then transfer the mixture to your slow cooker or pressure cooker.
3. In the same pan, increase the heat and sear the beef on all sides until browned. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
4. Cook the chopped bacon in the pan until golden and slightly crispy, then add it to the slow cooker.
5. Pour in the passata and chicken stock, then add the tomato paste, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Cook on low for 6–8 hours in a slow cooker, or on the pressure cooker setting for 45–60 minutes, until the beef is very tender and pulls apart easily.
7. Break the beef into smaller pieces with a potato masher.
8. Cook the pasta according to the packet, then toss it through the ragu, adding a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
9. Serve with grated parmesan.