Beef Cheek Ragu with Pappardelle

 

A simple braised beef cheek ragu is the perfect winter warming meal. Made to be cooked low and slow or in a pressure cooker until the meat is literally falling apart, this unbelievably rich and tender slow cooked beef cheek ragu is so easy and super inexpensive to make. And it is seriously the most comforting meal!

 

Let me share with you the most meltingly tender, slow cooked beef cheeks which are shredded through a rich and luscious tomato sauce with red wine. Spooned over fresh pappardelle (or mashed potatoes if you prefer!), sprinkled with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.

This recipe takes a budget cut of beef and transforms it into a showstopping dish that can be served for an easy family meal, or at a fancy dinner party!

Rich and hearty Italian inspired beef cheek ragu is a favourite comfort meal in our home. It is packed full of incredible flavours, easy to prepare and can be served with a number of different sides.

If you have never cooked with beef cheeks before, you need to try them! They are an inexpensive cut of meat because they are generally so tough and sinewy. But, they are also packed with flavour and when cooked properly, they literally fall apart on your fork and become the unsung hero of this dish. Great value for money for maximum flavour!  

Cook it in your slow cooker, or pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

Beef cheeks;

Beef cheeks are the cheek muscle in cows and are a very tough cut of meat. They need to be cooked slow, or in a pressure cooker, to become fall-apart tender. They can be easily found in most supermarkets and butchers. I suggest talking to your butcher or grocer and ordering them ahead. They can be purchased in bulk and frozen for convenience.

While beef cheeks are the best type of slow cooking meat, an alternative in this recipe is beef short ribs or any other slow cooking beef cuts.

Red wine for cooking;

This recipe is made with a tomato and red wine-based braising liquid. For this ragu sauce, an inexpensive merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect. Their deep and warm flavours add depth to the sauce.

You won’t use the whole bottle for this recipe. But if you don’t drink or don’t want to serve the wine with your meal afterwards, you can freeze the wine in individual portions to cook with next time!

Beef cheek ragu sauce recipe

This authentic beef cheek ragu recipe can be made in two ways. Either by cooking low in a slow cooker, or for (almost cheating!) quick beef ragu in less than an hour, the same result can be achieved by cooking the ragu sauce in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

Both methods taste exactly the same, only the cooking times vary.

For beef ragu Instant Pot/pressure cooker;

This is the easiest and fastest method to cook amazingly tender fall-apart beef cheeks!

After coating the beef cheeks in flour, they are browned directly in the pressure cooker pot. Then, all of the ragu sauce ingredients are all placed together in the pressure cooker and cooked for 45 minutes.

The vegetables are added once the sauce is cooked, so they don’t become soggy. Cook the vegetables for a further ten minutes while you shred the beef cheeks with a fork. The pulled beef is returned to the pot before serving.

Serve over your favourite base (pasta, creamy mashed potatoes, polenta; see suggestions below) and top with fresh parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

For slow cooker beef cheek ragu;

Cooking beef cheeks low and slow is a perfect option for busy weeknights or cold, wintery days! Instant dinner when you walk through the door is always welcomed!

Once the beef cheeks are browned, all of the ingredients get thrown in together to slow cook for 8-9 hours. The tender cheeks are pulled out at the end, shredded with a fork and returned to the ragu sauce before serving.

Tip: if you prefer firmer vegetables, keep them out and add them in the last 1-2 hours to cook.

Serve over your favourite base (pasta, creamy mashed potatoes, polenta; see suggestions below) and top with fresh parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

What to serve with beef cheek ragu

What to serve with beef cheeks ragu generally comes down to personal preference. And what mood you are in at the time!

For my hungry tribe, I generally serve ragu meat sauce spooned over the top of pasta.

Generally, most pasta pairs well with slow cooked beef cheeks, like spaghetti, fettucine, large shells, penne or linguine. Any type of pasta will work. But my absolute favourite pasta to serve with this quick beef ragu is pappardelle. It is a large, flat and wide pasta that works well with this recipe. Because the wide pasta strands hold onto the rich ragu meat sauce and shredded beef perfectly.

You can also make a variation of this delicious beef cheek ragu and make a beef cheek lasagne recipe! To do this, simply layer the ragu meat sauce between layers of fresh lasagne sheets, cheese and white sauce. You could also serve beef cheeks ragu over pillows of soft gnocchi.

Or, try serving it over a bed of rich polenta or smooth, creamy and buttery mashed potatoes (generously seasoned, of course!) for the ultimate comfort food. A good crusty bread works well too, to mop up the thick and rich sauce. The possibilities are endless!

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Other affordable and delicious slow cooked meals that you will love;

• Mushroom risotto
• Mexican chicken and vegetable soup
• Chicken with cashews

If you try this beef cheek ragu recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group. 

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