Slow Cooker Ragu Food

SLOW COOKER RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for 1 minute just to soften. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper cooking for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and thyme and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Deglaze with the beef broth using a wooden spoon to pull up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carefully transfer mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the canned tomatoes. Mix the pork and sirloin together in a separate bowl, using your hands, until combined. Stir the meat into the slow cooker, spreading out evenly and avoiding any large clumps. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours. During last two hours of cooking, add canned carrots and mushrooms to ragu. Skim the accumulated grease from the top before serving.
• Serve over pasta with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

SLOW COOKER SHORT RIB RAGU

Steps:

• Place a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat an additional minute. Season the short ribs evenly with 2 teaspoons of salt. Add them to the pan in a single layer being careful not to over crowd the pan. This can be done in two batches if needed. Sear the meat until deep golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the meat to a 4 quart slow cooker. To the pan add the red onion, carrot and garlic. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Using a wooden spoon, scape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the tomato paste and the cocoa powder. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Deglaze with the red wine scaping up any remaining bits from the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon. Add the mixture to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes and parmesan rind. Set the slow cooker for high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Using a shallow spoon, remove any oil that may have risen to the surface during cooking and discard.
• When ready to serve, use two forks or a pair of tongs to pull apart and shred the meat. Stir the meat to coat it evenly in the sauce. Serve the ragu tossed with your favorite pasta and parmesan cheese or over creamy polenta. Grate the dark chocolate over the top if desired.

CHICKEN RAGU (SLOW COOKER)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat; brown the chicken pieces on all sides.
• Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
• Decrease skillet heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine and bring it to a simmer.
• Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.
• Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours, or until the chicken pulls away from the bone.
• Remove the chicken and let cool slightly.
• Discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Return the chicken to the sauce.
• Just before serving, reheat the sauce if necessary.
• Serve over hot cooked pasta.

SLOW COOKER BEEF RAGU

Steps:

• Cut beef into 4 pieces. OPTIONAL FOR ADDED FLAVOUR: Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each piece of beef on both sides until browned (about 5 minutes each side). Transfer each piece to your 6qt slow cooker bowl as soon as they are seared.
• You should have left over oil in the pan (or skillet) from the beef. If not, add 1 tablespoon of (extra) oil to the pan. Fry the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the onion and fry until transparent. Add the garlic/onion mixture over the beef in the slow cooker, plus all remaining ingredients (except for the cornstarch/water mixture).
• Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours.The beef is ready if it falls apart easily when pulled apart with two forks.
• NOTE: If you desire a thicker sauce, stir the cornstarch/water mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes and allow to thicken.
• Shred the beef into pieces; mix through the sauce. Serve over pasta, rice, polenta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

CLASSIC RAGù

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• In a large, heavy-based, ovenproof saucepan or casserole, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Season the beef, add to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Add the onion, garlic, celery and rosemary to the pan and cook until soft. Return the meat to the pan, add the red wine and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomato passata and cover the surface of the ragù with a circle of baking paper. Bake for 2½ hours or until the meat is very tender.
• Remove the baking paper and break up the meat using a fork. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• To serve, cook the pappardelle in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, or until al dente.
• In a sauté pan, mix 3 tablespoons of the ragù per portion of pasta with a tablespoon of the pasta water. Cook on a low heat and toss together until the sauce clings to the pasta.
• Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

PAPPARDELLE WITH SLOW-COOKER BEEF RAGù

Steps:

• Whisk the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the rosemary and parmesan rind. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until the meat is very tender, 7 hours. Shred the meat in the slow cooker with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Discard the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot and add the shredded meat and sauce; stir in the reserved cooking water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in half the parsley. Divide among bowls and drizzle with the olive oil; top with shredded parmesan and the remaining parsley.

SLOW-COOKER PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. With slotted spoon, remove bacon to small bowl.
• Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add half of the pork to bacon drippings in Dutch oven, and cook 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. With slotted spoon, remove pork from Dutch oven to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining pork.
• Add onions, carrots, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to Dutch oven; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in garlic and oregano; cook 30 seconds. Add broth; heat to simmering, stirring to remove brown bits on bottom. Transfer mixture to slow cooker with pork. Stir in tomatoes and bacon.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until pork is tender and easily falls apart. Before serving, shred pork with two forks. Serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

SLOW COOKER HEARTY TURKEY RAGU

Steps:

• Pat turkey dry with paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook turkey thighs 8 to 10 minutes or until browned, turning once. Place turkey in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
• Cook onions, carrots, celery, garlic and rosemary in same skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add to slow cooker, along with tomatoes, mushrooms, water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Cook, covered, on low 8 to 9 hours or until turkey is tender and pulls away from bones. Remove turkey, leaving cooker on. Cut into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones. Return turkey to slow cooker; cook 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Serve ragu over pasta.

SLOW-COOKER BEEF RAGU

Steps:

• In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, combine onion, garlic, tomato paste, and oregano. Season roast with salt and pepper and place on top of onion mixture.
• Add 2 cups water, cover, and cook on high until meat is tender and can easily be pulled apart with a fork, 4 1/2 hours (or 9 hours on low). Let cool 10 minutes, then shred meat in slow cooker with 2 forks and stir in vinegar to taste.