Beef shin, red wine, and a few hours of patient cooking come together in a deeply flavored ragù made for wide ribbons of pappardelle and a generous snowfall of Parmesan.
There are dishes that reward precision, and others that reward patience. This slow-cooked beef shin ragù belongs firmly in the latter camp, transforming one of the most flavorful cuts of beef into something meltingly tender, glossy and deeply comforting after several unhurried hours in the oven.
The foundation is deliberately simple: onion, carrot, celery and garlic cooked gently until sweet, followed by tomato purée, beef stock and a generous pour of De Bortoli Regional Reserve Shiraz from Adnams. Rosemary and bay lend an earthy fragrance while the wine brings ripe fruit, spice and enough acidity to balance the richness of the beef.
Beef shin is particularly well suited to this style of cooking. Given time, its connective tissue breaks down into the sauce, creating the kind of texture that cannot be hurried: succulent strands of beef held in a ragù with enough body to cling to every fold of pappardelle.
The result is generous rather than fussy, and all the better for it. Serve it in warmed bowls with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan, ideally with the same Shiraz poured alongside.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 4 hours
Ingredients
- 1kg boneless beef shin, cut into roughly 5cm chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 350ml De Bortoli Regional Reserve Shiraz, available from Adnams
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400ml beef stock, plus extra if needed
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 600g dried pappardelle
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
1. Brown the beef
Heat the oven to 160°C, or 140°C fan. Pat the beef dry, then season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole dish over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, allowing each piece to develop a deep caramelized crust before transferring it to a plate.
2. Build the base
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, carrots and celery to the same casserole. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to sweeten. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for another two minutes to deepen its flavor.
3. Add the wine
Pour in the Shiraz, scraping the bottom of the casserole to release all the browned, flavorful bits left from the beef. Bring the wine to a lively simmer and allow it to reduce for 5 to 8 minutes, or until its volume has decreased by roughly one third.
4. Cook low and slow
Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the casserole. Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, rosemary and bay leaves. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat, so add a little more stock if necessary.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 to 3½ hours, checking occasionally, until the beef yields easily when pressed with a fork. If it still offers resistance, return it to the oven for another 30 minutes.
5. Finish the ragù
Remove and discard the rosemary stalks and bay leaves. Lift the beef from the sauce, shred it with two forks, and return it to the casserole. If the ragù is looser than you would like, simmer it uncovered over medium heat until it becomes rich and glossy enough to coat the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Toss with the pappardelle
Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle until al dente. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining, then add the pasta directly to the ragù and toss thoroughly, adding a splash of the reserved water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the ribbons.
Divide between warmed bowls and finish with a generous grating of Parmesan. Serve immediately, preferably with a glass of Shiraz alongside.
Make Ahead
The ragù is even better when prepared a day in advance, giving the flavors time to deepen overnight. Cool it promptly and refrigerate within two hours, then reheat gently until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water or stock if needed before tossing with freshly cooked pappardelle.
