Slow-Cooker Beef Ragout

Monday, November 05, 2018
Crocktober may be over, but I intend on slow cooking all winter long. When the weather is colder and the nights are shorter I always crave Spaghetti Bolognese. I could have it every single night of the week. I often find myself standing at the stove lifting the lid and staring at it, inhaling the aromas of weeknight comforts (and to also make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pots). The latter part makes it hard for me to do anything else when I’m making this kind of sauce. It’s really easy for it to burn and that’s just the worst! Getting to experiment with the new Crock-pot Lift and Serve slow-cooker couldn’t have come at a better time for us! I wanted ragout, but I also wanted to run errands, make deadlines and let’s face it, sit on the couch without having to check bottoms of pots! Crock-pot has been my saviour in getting back into the swing of life after my honeymoon extravaganza and dealing with the transition back into cold weather. I’ve been able to make healthy, delicious meals and Crock-pot gives me the freedom to what I need to do in and out of the house whilst dinner finishes itself, without compromising the deliciousness of dinner at all.

The Lift and Serve is EXTRA handy because it has a hinged lid, which means you can literally take the bowl of ragout out of the appliance, bring it straight to the table and spoon it right on to your bowl of pasta of choice (or whatever ragout vehicle you choose)! #chefsofconvenience #crocktober #ad

Slow-Cooker Beef Ragout
Serves 5 hungry people 
YOU WILL NEED:
2 CLOVES GARLIC, CHOPPED
2 ONIONS, FINELY CHOPPED
4 LARGE CARROTS, PEELED AND CHOPPED
1 STICK CELERY, FINELY CHOPPED
4 BAY LEAVES
1/4 TSP CHILLI FLAKES 
4 LARGE TOMATOES, CHOPPED
2LB MINCED BEEF (OR MINCED MEAT OF YOUR CHOICE)
50ML RED WINE
3 TBSP WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1/2 TSP GREEN TOBASCO (OPTIONAL)
1 BEEF OR VEG STOCK CUBE (OR 1 TBSP STOCK POWDER)
2 TBSP BROWN SUGAR
3 TBSP TOMATO PASTE
2 400G CANS PLUM OR CHOPPED TOMATOES
OLIVE OIL
SALT AND PEPPER 


BASIL FOR GARNISH

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the garlic, onions, carrots and celery in pan until the onions have softened and browned slightly. Remove from pan and add to the slow-cooker. Add another table spoon of olive oil and add the meat on high heat until it has browned and some of it has a nice golden crust on it. It’s not necessary to have all of it like that. Break the meat apart into small pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the meat to the slow-cooker with the sautéed vegetables. Scrape all of the bits from the bottom of the pan into the slow-cooker. Add the remaining ingredients into the slow-cooker and season with salt and pepper. Set to low heat and cook for 6-7 hours. When it's ready, taste for seasoning and add another pinch of salt, pepper or chilli flakes to taste and sprinkle with fresh basil to serve.


Enjoy!!