A deep, savoury beef and pork ragu, inspired by the gnocchi ragu I had at Osteria da Fortunata in Rome. I brown the mince until properly crisp to build flavour, add pork belly for a glossy finish, and cook it with red wine and parmesan rinds for umami. A balsamic gastrique finishes it off to balance the richness. It’s the ragu for my homemade gnocchi, but it works with any pasta.
Ingredients
- 175 g Pancetta, diced into 1cm cubes
- 3 Onions, finely diced
- 300 g Carrots, finely diced
- 300 g Celery, finely diced
- 4 Garlic cloves, minced
- 10 g Neutral oil, for searing
- 2250 g 20% fat beef and pork mince
- 700 g Pork belly, skin off, diced into 1cm cubes
- Fine sea salt, to season
- 150 g Tomato purée
- 150 ml Whole milk, first addition
- 500 ml Dry red wine
- 1000 ml Beef stock
- 800 g Tomato passata
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Parmesan rinds, saved from previous recipes — see pro tip
- To finish
- 150 ml Whole milk, second addition
- 30 g Balsamic vinegar
- 30 g Granulated sugar
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven (30cm or larger)
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
Place the pancetta in a cold, large heavy-bottomed casserole and set over a medium heat. While it renders, finely dice the white onion, carrot, and celery to a consistent size. Cook the pancetta until well rendered and beginning to crisp at the edges — about 8–10 minutes.
Add the white onion, carrot, and celery to the pancetta and its fat. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely softened and translucent, about 15–20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove everything and set aside.
Add the neutral oil to the casserole on a high heat. Add the 20%+ fat beef and pork mince. The mince will release a significant amount of moisture, break the mince up and keep the heat high until the liquid evaporates and the mince starts to fry. When the moisture is gone, lower the heat to medium. Brown slowly, leaving the mince undisturbed for a few minutes at a time, then scrape the base of the casserole with a wooden spoon to release the crust. Repeat until the mince is deeply browned and crispy throughout.
Add the diced pork belly to the browned mince and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes until warmed through. Season generously with fine sea salt.
Add the tomato purée and stir through the meat. Cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until it darkens and caramelises slightly. Add the first measure of whole milk and stir until fully combined. Add the red wine, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half.
Return the reserved soffritto and pancetta to the casserole. Add the beef stock, tomato passata, bay leaves, and Parmesan rinds. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and place in the oven at 120°C (248°F) fan for 4.5 hours.
About 30 minutes before the ragu comes out of the oven, combine the balsamic vinegar and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove the casserole from the oven. Add the second 150ml of whole milk and stir until fully incorporated. Add the gastrique a little at a time, tasting between additions — start with half and adjust from there. Season to taste with fine sea salt. Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rinds.
Leave to cool, then portion into 400g portions — enough to serve 2 with gnocchi or pasta. Freeze flat in zip-lock bags or in airtight containers.
Notes & Substitutions
Portioning: 400g of finished ragu serves 2 generously with gnocchi or pasta. Freeze flat in zip-lock bags or in lidded containers. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in a wide pan before using.
Parmesan rinds: Start saving them from this point forward. Every time you finish a block of Parmesan, bag and freeze the rind for your next batch of ragu. They last indefinitely and go straight from frozen into any braise or stock. If you don’t have any for this recipe, the ragu will still be very good.
The mince: 20%+ fat is essential. Lean mince produces a dry, flat ragu regardless of how long it braises. A good butcher can blend beef and pork mince to order — ask for a higher fat content if available.
Beef stock: The better the stock, the better the ragu. See the beef stock recipe if you want to make your own. A good shop-bought reduced stock or bone broth works well. Standard stock cubes produce a thinner result.
Serving suggestion: See homemade gnocchi with beef and pork ragu for the full dish.
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Beef and Pork Ragu
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 175 g Pancetta (diced into 1cm cubes)
- 3 Onions (finely diced)
- 300 g Carrots (finely diced)
- 300 g Celery (finely diced)
- 4 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 10 g Neutral oil (for searing)
- 2250 g 20% fat beef and pork mince
- 700 g Pork belly (skin off, diced into 1cm cubes)
- Fine sea salt (to season)
- 150 g Tomato purée
- 150 ml Whole milk (first addition)
- 500 ml Dry red wine
- 1000 ml Beef stock
- 800 g Tomato passata
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Parmesan rinds (saved from previous recipes — see pro tip)
- 150 ml Whole milk (second addition)
- 30 g Balsamic vinegar
- 30 g Granulated sugar
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven (30cm or larger)
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
Method
Render the pancetta
175 g Pancetta
Place the pancetta in a cold, large heavy-bottomed casserole and set over a medium heat. While it renders, finely dice the white onion, carrot, and celery to a consistent size. Cook the pancetta until well rendered and beginning to crisp at the edges — about 8–10 minutes.
Use the rendering time productively — the soffritto takes about 10 minutes to prep and the pancetta takes about the same to render. Starting both simultaneously means nothing waits. See mise en place for the principle behind having everything prepped before the heat goes up.
Cook the soffritto and garlic
3 Onions · 300 g Carrots · 300 g Celery · 4 Garlic cloves
Add the white onion, carrot, and celery to the pancetta and its fat. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely softened and translucent, about 15–20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove everything and set aside.
Brown the mince
10 g Neutral oil · 2250 g 20% fat beef and pork mince
Add the neutral oil to the casserole on a high heat. Add the 20%+ fat beef and pork mince. The mince will release a significant amount of moisture, break the mince up and keep the heat high until the liquid evaporates and the mince starts to fry. When the moisture is gone, lower the heat to medium. Brown slowly, leaving the mince undisturbed for a few minutes at a time, then scrape the base of the casserole with a wooden spoon to release the crust. Repeat until the mince is deeply browned and crispy throughout.
This step takes longer than it feels like it should, 25–40 minutes for proper browning. The flavour this builds cannot be rushed.
Add the pork belly and season
700 g Pork belly · Fine sea salt
Add the diced pork belly to the browned mince and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes until warmed through. Season generously with fine sea salt.
Build the sauce base
150 g Tomato purée · 150 ml Whole milk · 500 ml Dry red wine
Add the tomato purée and stir through the meat. Cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until it darkens and caramelises slightly. Add the first measure of whole milk and stir until fully combined. Add the red wine, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half.
Braise in the oven
1000 ml Beef stock · 800 g Tomato passata · 2 Bay leaves · 2 Parmesan rinds
Return the reserved soffritto and pancetta to the casserole. Add the beef stock, tomato passata, bay leaves, and Parmesan rinds. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and place in the oven at 120°C (248°F) fan for 4.5 hours.
Parmesan rinds are one of the most underused ingredients in Italian cooking. Save every rind when you finish a block of Parmesan, they freeze well in a zip-lock bag and can go straight from the freezer into a braise. If you don’t have any, the ragu will still be excellent.
Make the gastrique
30 g Balsamic vinegar · 30 g Granulated sugar
About 30 minutes before the ragu comes out of the oven, combine the balsamic vinegar and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Finish and portion the ragu
150 ml Whole milk
Remove the casserole from the oven. Add the second 150ml of whole milk and stir until fully incorporated. Add the gastrique a little at a time, tasting between additions — start with half and adjust from there. Season to taste with fine sea salt. Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rinds.
Leave to cool, then portion into 400g portions — enough to serve 2 with gnocchi or pasta. Freeze flat in zip-lock bags or in airtight containers.
The ragu improves significantly after a day in the fridge. If time allows, cool it completely and refrigerate overnight — the fat will solidify on the surface and can be skimmed off before portioning if you prefer. The flavour will be noticeably deeper.
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