Beef Ragu with Creamy Polenta (Printable)
Tender shredded beef in rich tomato sauce over creamy polenta.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Ragu
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 cup dry red wine
09 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
10 - 1 cup beef broth
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp dried basil
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1 tsp kosher salt
15 - ½ tsp black pepper
16 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
→ Creamy Polenta
18 - 4 cups water
19 - 1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
20 - 1 cup whole milk
21 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
22 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
23 - 1 tsp kosher salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef pieces in batches for 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer browned beef to slow cooker.
02 - Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Pour red wine into the skillet, scraping up browned bits. Transfer vegetable mixture and juices to slow cooker over the beef.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
05 - Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Shred beef with two forks and mix back into sauce. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until thick and creamy.
08 - Stir in milk, butter, and Parmesan cheese until smooth.
09 - Spoon creamy polenta into bowls. Top with beef ragu. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The beef becomes so tender it dissolves on your tongue, and you'll wonder why you ever thought braising was complicated.
- Creamy polenta is nothing like the dense cornmeal you might remember—it's silky and luxurious, the perfect bed for rich sauce.
- Most of the work happens while you're doing something else, so you can actually relax on a dinner party night.
02 -
- Don't skip the searing stage—it's the difference between okay ragu and one people remember. Those browned bits are the whole story.
- If your polenta lumps, strain it through a fine sieve and start over; it takes two minutes and saves you from gritty despair.
- Taste the ragu after four hours and after six hours—slow cookers vary wildly, and you want to catch the moment when beef is tender but not falling apart into nothing.
03 -
- The most common mistake is opening the slow cooker constantly to peek; resist it. Every time you lift the lid, you add 15 minutes to cooking time because heat escapes.
- If you have leftover ragu, it becomes an incredible base for lasagna, pasta, or even a meat pie—nothing goes to waste with this sauce.