The “Ragù Barese” (Apulian meat sauce) is a Southern-Italian typical pasta dressing full of history and tradition. Even though it has improve some changes over the centuries, has maintained an intense and antique flavor. A few weeks ago I ate this dish at Enzo’s caffè in Portland and loved it: For a few minutes I felt myself in Italy, so much that along Alberta Street looked like there were appear olive trees! I’m writing here the recipe, so that a little 'olive trees can grow in your kitchen! As with “Bolognese sauce” or” Neapolitan Genovese”, the secret to this recipe is a long cooking at a low temperature. In Italy we use a traditional crock pot, left on the stove for many hours. Here in America I tried to make the sauce with my slow-cooker and the result was perfect!
- 2 lb (900 gr) pasta rigatoni
- 1 lb (450 gr) beef chuck roast
- 1 lb (450 gr) lamb shoulder
- 1 lb (450 gr) pork loin or spareribs
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lb (450 gr) onions
- 2¼ (1 kg) tomato pulp
- 3 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 chili pepper
- 10 basil leaves
- to taste pecorino cheese
- to taste black pepper
- to taste table salt
First Steps
Wash and dry the meat, then remove the parts of fat more leathery (leave the fat more mellow, will soften the meat during cooking). Cut the meat into pieces of about ½ inch and roast in a pan at medium fire without oil. When the crust of the meat is well browned (but not burned!), add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes over high heat. Now, transfer the meat with the wine in a pot or in a slow-cooker
(set the temperature at 160° F) and cook it covered over low heat.
Tomato sauce
In the same pan where we roasted the meat, add the olive oil, the crushed cloves of garlic and the red chili pepper. When the garlic is golden, fry over medium heat the coarsely chopped onions until them are soft and translucent. Now, add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, then pour the tomato pulp and basil leaves. Continue cooking for a few minutes, then pour it all into the pot containing the meat.
Slow cooked ragù barese
The secret to make a perfect ragù barese is the slow cooking. The meat should be cooked for a long time at low temperature to soften and absorb the flavors of the sauce. For the success of the sauce I recommend a thick-bottomed pot, preferably crock pot and a minimum of 3 hours (or until the meat is extremely tender) . The best alternative is the slow-cooker. With the slow-cooker set at the 160° F you can cook the meat between 7 and 10 hours without danger of stick, just set the timer and temperature and the electric pot does it all. Personally I prefer to use the slow-cooker: It is very practical, the pot is a crock as the tradition wants and is quite cheap!
Finishing
Boil rigatoni in salted water and drain them “al dente”. When the ragù barese is ready, toss the pasta with the sauce: in this way the meat, extremely tender, chop itself into small pieces amalgamating with tomato. Complete with a few leaves of fresh basil and grated pecorino cheese.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
ITALIAN RESTAURANTS: ENZO CAFFè ITALIANO, PORTLAND OREGON
PRINTABLE VERSION
- 2 lb (900 gr) pasta rigatoni
- 1 lb (450 gr) beef chuck roast
- 1 lb (450 gr) lamb shoulder
- 1 lb (450 gr) pork loin or spareribs
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lb (450 gr) onions
- 21/4 (1 kg) tomato pulp
- 3 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 chili pepper
- 10 basil leaves
- to taste pecorino cheese
- to taste black pepper
- to taste coking salt
- First Steps
Wash and dry the meat, then remove the parts of fat more leathery (leave the fat more mellow, will soften the meat during cooking). Cut the meat into pieces of about ½ inch and roast in a pan at medium fire without oil. When the crust of the meat is well browned (but not burned!), add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes over high heat. Now, transfer the meat with the wine in a pot or in a slow-cooker (set the temperature at 160° F) and cook it covered over low heat. - Tomato sauce
In the same pan where we roasted the meat, add the olive oil, the crushed cloves of garlic and the red chili pepper. When the garlic is golden, fry over medium heat the coarsely chopped onions until them are soft and translucent. Now, add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, then pour the tomato pulp and basil leaves. Continue cooking for a few minutes, then pour it all into the pot containing the meat. - Slow cooked ragù barese
The secret to make a perfect ragù barese is the slow cooking. The meat should be cooked for a long time at low temperature to soften and absorb the flavors of the sauce. For the success of the sauce I recommend a thick-bottomed pot, preferably crock pot and a minimum of 3 hours (or until the meat is extremely tender) . The best alternative is the slow-cooker. With the slow-cooker set at the 160° F you can cook the meat between 7 and 10 hours without danger of stick, just set the timer and temperature and the electric pot does it all. Personally I prefer to use the slow-cooker: It is very practical, the pot is a crock as the tradition wants and is quite cheap! - Finishing
Boil rigatoni in salted water and drain them “al dente”. When the ragù barese is ready, toss the pasta with the sauce: in this way the meat, extremely tender, chop itself into small pieces amalgamating with tomato. Complete with a few leaves of fresh basil and grated pecorino cheese.
Great recipe. Followed it almost faithfully... but with a bit of garlic, chili and capsicum in the soffrito. Oh and a touch of the old basilico. Oh and I didn't chop the vegies I minced them by pulsing with a Nutribullet (better integration this way, IMO). Also made triple and the recipe converted with no issues. Oh and added a crust of grana padano during the slow cooking phase.
May have violated the principle of simplicity in Italian cooking but my Milanese gf and her sister were actually very impressed. We also made lasagna with it for a party and her Italian friends were raving about it.
Cheers for the tips!
Haha! Pablo Picasso said "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist" 😉