Tuscan Meat Ragù
This hearty Tuscan meat ragù combines beef, spicy and sweet Italian sausage, porcini mushrooms, and a caramelized red onion soffritto. Red wine and tomatoes create a rich, savory sauce that is especially delicious served over creamy polenta.
Equipment
- 5 or 6-quart Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- ⅓ pound bulk spicy Italian sausage
- ⅓ pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Reserved liquid from reconstituting the porcini mushrooms
- Water, as needed
Instructions
1. Prepare the Porcini Mushrooms
- Reconstitute the dried porcini mushrooms according to the package directions. Once softened, remove the mushrooms from the liquid and chop them.Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any sediment. Reserve the strained liquid for the sauce.
2. Cook the Soffritto
- Heat the olive oil in a 5 or 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.Add the red onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized.
3. Cook the Mushrooms and Sausage
- Add the chopped porcini mushrooms, spicy Italian sausage, and sweet Italian sausage.Cook, stirring frequently and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned and no longer pink.
4. Brown the Ground Beef
- Add the ground beef and cook until completely browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.Carefully drain and discard excess fat from the Dutch oven, if needed.
5. Deglaze with Red Wine
- Pour in the red wine. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon or spatula.Cook until the wine has reduced by about half.
6. Add the Tomatoes and Mushroom Liquid
- Add the undrained plum tomatoes and reserved porcini mushroom liquid. Break up the tomatoes with the wooden spoon and stir everything together.Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Simmer the Ragù
- Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.If the ragù becomes too thick or dry while simmering, add a small amount of water as needed.
8. Serve
- Remove the ragù from the heat and serve warm over creamy polenta.For an appetizer, spoon a smaller amount of ragù over grilled polenta wedges.
Notes
- For more flavor: Reconstitute the dried porcini mushrooms in warm beef broth instead of water. Strain the liquid carefully before adding it to the ragù because dried mushrooms can contain fine sediment.
- Red onion: Red onion is intentionally used in the soffritto. Cooking it with the carrots and celery until lightly caramelized gives the sauce additional sweetness and depth.
- Tomatoes: Break up the whole plum tomatoes as they cook so they blend evenly into the ragù.
- Consistency: Ragù should be rich and thick but still moist enough to spoon over polenta. Add a little water if it reduces too quickly.
- Serving: Creamy polenta makes this a hearty main course. Grilled polenta wedges topped with smaller portions of ragù work well as an appetizer.
- Storage: Cool leftovers completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.