Beef Cheek Ragu (Slow Cooker or Oven)

This deliciously cosy beef cheek ragu is rich, hearty and packed with big, bold flavours. It features melt-in-your-mouth tender beef, simmered in a hearty tomato sauce and served over fresh pappardelle pasta (or creamy mashed potatoes). It is so easy to make and freezes well; the perfect make-ahead meal that will be enjoyed by the whole family! Slow cooker, pressure cooker and oven methods below.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• So easy to make – only 20 minutes of hands-on time, then leave everything to simmer together in the slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven.
• Affordable – this recipe makes a cheaper cut of meat the hero. Normally tough, beef cheeks are cooked low and slow until they are fall-apart tender.
• Slow cooker, pressure cooker or conventional – make this recipe in a slow cooker, pressure cooker or Dutch oven.
• So comforting –the perfect cold weather recipe! It is hearty, cosy and the rich tomato and red wine gravy has so much flavour.
• Make ahead –leftovers taste even better the next day! It also freezes well, making it the perfect make-ahead meal.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Beef cheeks – are a cheaper, specialty cut of meat that can be found in supermarkets or at your local butcher. They are generally a tough and sinewy cut of meat, but when braised in liquid they become tender and succulent. If you can’t source beef cheeks, you can use any inexpensive braising or stewing steak like chuck steak, neck or shoulder cuts. They require a long, slow cooking time to become tender.

• Onion, celery and carrot – are sautéed together with a little olive oil and garlic to form the ‘il soffritto’; the vegetable flavour base of the sauce.

• Plain flour – coats the beef cheeks, along with salt and pepper. It is used for both flavour and to thicken the sauce as it cooks.

• Canned tomatoes – the base of the sauce. I recommend using canned pureed or chopped tomatoes with no added flavours. Passata can also be used.

• Brown sugar – to balance the sauce and the acidity of the tomatoes.

• Red wine – for ragu sauce, merlot, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect. The deep, warm flavours add depth to the sauce. You won’t need a whole bottle for this recipe. But if you don’t want to serve the leftover wine with your meal, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray or in individual portions to cook with next time.

• Herbs – a mix of fresh and dried herbs are used to flavour the dish. I use fresh sage, thyme and rosemary along with dried oregano. But you can sub for dried herbs if this is what you have available. Some fresh basil and parsley can also be used for serving.

• Fresh parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese – for serving. I recommend grating your own fresh parmesan, grana padano or pecorino for best results.

• Pappardelle pasta – most pasta types will pair well with slow cooked beef cheeks, but my favourite is fresh pappardelle. Pappardelle are long, flat ribbons of egg pasta that can be found in most supermarkets, or you can make your own. Its thick, wide strands hold on to the thick sauce and meat perfectly. Alternatively, you can serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, crusty bread or polenta.

• Beef stock – try to use a high-quality beef stock or broth. Either store-bought or homemade is fine.

Step by step instructions

This ragu can be made in 3 different ways;

1. Slow cooker,
2. Pressure cooker (the fastest option but it still makes the meat super tender!) or;
3. Stovetop and oven using a Dutch oven (or a frying pan and an alternate oven-safe dish)

All methods result in the same flavour and consistency, only the cooking times vary.

Step 1 – Sear the beef cheeks;

For all three methods, first the beef cheeks are coated in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper and seared until browned on all sides. *If you are using a slow cooker or pressure cooker, the beef can be seared directly in the pot, if you have a searing function available.

They are then placed on a plate to rest while the vegetables cook.

Step 2 – Sauté the vegetables.

The garlic, onion, celery and carrot are sautéed in a little olive oil until soft and fragrant.

Stovetop and oven method;

Once the beef cheeks have been browned and the vegetables sautéed, everything is placed into a Dutch oven or casserole dish with a lid and slow cooked for around 3 ½ hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.

The beef cheeks are then removed from the pot and shredded with forks, before being stirred back through the sauce to serve.

Slow cooker instructions;

Cooking the ragu low and slow is a great option for busy weeknights or cold, wintery days! Having dinner ready and waiting for you at the end of a long day is always appreciated.

Once the beef cheeks are browned and the vegetables sautéed, everything gets thrown into the slow cooker pot to slow cook (on low) for 8 hours.

Once cooked, the beef cheeks are pulled from the pot and shredded with two forks. They are then added back into the sauce before serving.

Pressure cooker instructions;

This is the fastest method, but the beef cheeks will still be fall-apart tender!

Once the beef cheeks are browned and the vegetables sautéed in the pressure cooker pot, everything gets placed into the pot and cook for 45 minutes.

Once cooked, the beef cheeks are pulled from the pot and shredded with two forks. They are then added back into the sauce before serving.

Expert tips

• Cut the beef cheeks to smaller, even-sized pieces to allow it to cook evenly.
• If you don’t have a ‘sear’ function on your slow cooker, the beef cheeks and the vegetables can be seared in a pan before adding everything to the slow cooker pot.
• If oven baking, be sure to use a Dutch oven or oven-proof casserole dish. The Dutch oven can be heated over the stovetop.
• Add more broth, if needed. If the liquid evaporates and the beef still needs a little more time to tenderise, add a little extra stock to the ragu and continue to cook.
• How to serve – serve beef ragu over your favourite base. Pasta, buttery mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or fresh, crusty bread are all great options. A good crusty bread works to mop up the thick sauce. To top, some fresh basil, lashings of fresh parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine are also recommended!
• The ragu can also be used as the meat filling to build a lasagne.
• Choose a red wine that is good enough to drink, rather than ‘cooking wine’. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
• If serving with pasta, reserve a little salted pasta water to toss the pasta and ragu together.
• Storage; store any leftover ragu in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Taste at the end and season with salt and pepper, to if needed.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in August 2022.