Beef Ragu

• high-quality lean ground beef↗800g g
• star anise4
• whole cloves↗4
• olive oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• smoked pancetta, cubed↗200g g

  or bacon lardons

• onion↗2

  finely chopped

• carrot↗2

  finely chopped

• celery stalks↗2

  finely chopped

• garlic cloves↗4

  finely grated

• button mushrooms↗300g g

  thickly sliced

• dried oregano↗2 tbsp tbsp
• bay leaves↗4
• golden sugar↗1 tbsp tbsp
• tomato paste2 tbsp tbsp
• red wine↗200ml ml
• оцет з червоного вина↗75ml
• консервовані подрібнені томати по 400g3
• яловичий бульйонний кубик↗1

  або кубик

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Place the mince in a shallow roasting pan, spread it out and roast for 5 minutes. Remove the mince, stir, then add star anise and cloves (optional, tie them in cheesecloth). Roast for another 10 minutes. Stir again, then roast for 30‑40 minutes until deeply brown and crisp, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan. Set aside.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the pancetta for 8‑10 minutes until crisp and browned on all sides. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, cook 8‑10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the mushrooms, oregano and bay leaves, then sprinkle with sugar and stir in the tomato paste. Mix well, pour in the wine and vinegar, bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the volume reduces by about one‑third.

3. 3

   Add the tomatoes, then a can of water. Add a bouillon cube, stir again and bring to a gentle boil. Add the roasted mince and the spice packet, season, reduce heat to minimum and simmer gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. The sauce is even better if fully cooled and left in the fridge for a day or two before reheating. Serve with pasta and grated Parmesan, if desired. It can be stored in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for three months – before reheating, thaw completely and heat over low‑medium heat until very hot.