James Martin Lamb Ragout Food

LAMB RAGU WITH MINT

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm the olive oil over high heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the ground lamb, salt, and pepper. Cook until the lamb has browned and the juices have evaporated. Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the marinara sauce and simmer over low heat until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Add the mint and ricotta and stir until mixed. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

BEEF CHEEK RAGù

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Cover the porcini with boiling kettle water and leave to rehydrate. Season the beef cheeks with sea salt and black pepper, then brown them in a large casserole pan on a high heat with a splash of oil, turning until well coloured all over. Meanwhile, slice the pancetta into lardons. Peel the celery, onions and carrots, then chop into rough 1cm dice. In a pestle and mortar, crush the cloves with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then peel and pound in the fresh garlic.
• When brown, push the cheeks to one side of the pan and reduce to a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cinnamon, stirring until the pancetta is lightly golden. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquor, then roughly chop and add to the pan with the veg. Tie the herbs together, then stir in with the garlic mixture. Fry for 15 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the wine, let it reduce by half, then pour in the reserved porcini water (discarding just the last gritty bit) and the passata. Fill the passata bottle with water and pour into the pan. Cover with a scrunched-up sheet of wet greaseproof paper and a lid. Cook in the oven for 4 hours, or until the meat is outrageously tender and the sauce has thickened. Taste the sauce and season, if needed, then serve up however you wish.

RICH RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery and carrot. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring now and then, until softened and starting to colour.
• Stir in the mince and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, until browned.
• Add the tomato purée, garlic and thyme, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Pour in the wine, if using, and increase the heat to boil off most of the alcohol. Reduce the heat, stir in the stock and season. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook gently for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 mins. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and add to the ragu with the Parmesan. Toss well and add a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with a side salad and extra cheese, if you like.

AMAZING SLOW-COOKED ITALIAN LAMB RAGOUT AND PASTA

Steps:

• Begin by heating the olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium high heat. Once heated (oil should be shimmering), add the meat and brown on all sides. You may have to do this in two batches.
• Once the meat is browned, throw in the onions, carrots, celery and herbs. Stir and continue cooking until the veggies are softened (takes about 7-10 minutes for me). Add garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic fragrance is lovely, but don't overcook.
• Next, take a sip of your wine to make sure it still tastes good (optional) and pour in the two glasses of red wine.
• Now, deglaze the bottom of your pan scraping up all those goodies.
• Cook the wine down until it is mostly evaporated. It will take a bit, depending on your stove maybe 20 minutes. It should smell and look terrific by now.
• Carefully add your plum tomatoes and stir slowly and softly so as not to break them up.
• Toss in the pearl barley (if using) and stir.
• Now, cover the pieces of meat with about a 1/2 inch of water.
• Remember that cartouche that you made, wet it and then rub with oil. Place in the pot on the surface, cover and cook on simmer for three hours.
• Next, carefully remove the lid and cartouche (place it on a plate). Give the sauce a stir and check your braised meat. The meat should be "fall apart" tender.
• Also, now is a good time to throw on the pot of pasta water.
• If your meat needs additional cooking time, re-cover with the cartouche and cook another 1/2 hour.
• Now, check your seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper as required.
• Place cooked meat in a bowl and cool slightly. Next, pull the meat apart using two forks until you get it the way you desire.
• While the meat cools, you may need to continue cooking with the ragout with the lid and cartouche off your pot to reduce the sauce to the consistency you wish.
• Stir your pulled meat back into your perfect sauce. Taste! Adjust seasonings if needed.
• Your sauce is ready and the Pasta is cooking, so toss in the butter and stir until the ragout is fully mixed and shiny.
• Then throw in the cheese stir and remove from the heat.
• Drain your pasta* (saving a cup of liquid) and slide it into the ragout, tossing the pasta with the sauce until mixed (add pasta water if needed).
• Finally, garnish with a little finely chopped fresh rosemary and Parmesan. Tuck in!

BRAISED LAMB RAGU WITH PENNE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees.
• Cook the penne in boiling water until JUST firm-tender, drain and transfer to a bowl (do not rinse with water) toss with 2-3 tablespoons oil and set aside, this can be done before, during or after you cook the lamb shanks).
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat.
• Rub oil lightly on the lamb shanks and then season them with salt and pepper.
• Add to the pot and brown evenly on all sides (this should take about 10-12 minutes).
• Transfer the lamb to a platter.
• Add in chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes; saute until the veggies are tender (about 7-9 minutes).
• Return the lamb to the pot.
• Add in wine and bring to a boil; simmer for about 6-8 minutes.
• Add in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and crushed tomatoes and return to a simmer.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
• Cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until meat is desired tenderness.
• At this point you can remove the meat from the bones and return the meat to the sauce, or just serve the bone with the meat on them with the sauce.
• Serve the sauce over cooked pasta, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Delicious!

LAMB RAGOUT

Steps:

• Toss lamb with flour in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a deep, wide skillet or Dutch oven set over high heat. Add lamb, spreading it out to cover the surface of the pan. Don't stir for about 5 minutes, so you can develop a rich brown color on the lamb. Add garlic, stir and cook about 5 minutes more, stirring if it appears the lamb or garlic may burn. Add tomato paste, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove cover and add carrots. Replace the cover ajar so that some of the steam can escape. Simmer 20 minutes more. Season with salt, if needed. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.