Beef ragu

This is another really simple recipe that doesn't take much effort but is best when left to cook for a long time, like four hours worth of time. It's so easy to throw together though, that I would recommend starting it the day before you want to eat it, as it can be put on after dinner, and left to cook until you go to bed. Then just re-heat it the next night.

Use a cheap cut of beef as the slow cooking process will turn just about anything to velvet. You can use any pre-made tomato napoletana sauce, but I was lucky enough this time to have an exquisite home-made version courtesy of my workmate, David, which turned this from mmm to wow.

Ingredients

1 kilo of diced beef chuck steak
1 big jar of napoletana sauce
1 brown onion
lotsa garlic
olive oil
0.5 litres of beef stock
splash of red wine
herbs of your choosing (basil, oregano, sage and rosemary all spring to mind)
penne, or your preferred pasta
parmasan, salt and pepper to taste

In an oven proof dish, brown the beef in a small amount of olive oil, then remove from the dish. Add some more oil to the dish, then throw in the finely chopped onion and garlic. Once the onion is softened, add the tomato sauce, stock, wine and herbs and bring to a boil. You could add a couple of chopped tomatoes too if you wanted. Then add the beef back in, put the lid on the dish and place in the oven at about 150 Celcius, or as low as you can manage with the sauce still sizzling and leave for at least two hours and preferably four. If you make it the night before it's even better.

When you're ready to eat, bring the sauce to the boil, cook the pasta and scoff it down with garlic bread, if you know what's good for you.