Tomato and Meat Ragout Recipe

This tomato and meat ragout is a slow-simmered sauce of bone-in lamb, beef or pork, wine and tomatoes, ready in about 2 hours 25 minutes. It serves 4, over pasta or as a main course.

Why This Recipe Works

Browning the meat before anything else goes in builds the base of the sauce. The browned bits on the bottom of the pot dissolve into the wine. They give the ragout a deep, savory taste that simmering alone can’t give.

Keeping the bone in the meat matters. During the 1 1/2 hour simmer, the bone and connective tissue release body into the sauce. It turns glossy and a little thick without any flour or cream.

The basil goes in at the end for a reason. Basil loses its fresh taste in a long simmer, so it only joins the pot for the last 30 minutes. That final uncovered stretch also lets the sauce reduce and thicken.

Tomato and Meat Ragout Ingredients

• 1 ounce butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 10 ounces lamb, beef or pork on the bone
• 2/3 cup red wine
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 6 basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Tomato and Meat Ragout

Brown the meat

1. Soften the onion: Heat the butter or oil in a heavy-based pan. Fry the chopped onion until it turns soft, so it sweetens the sauce instead of tasting sharp.
2. Brown the meat: Add the 10 ounces of bone-in lamb, beef or pork and fry for several minutes, turning it, until browned on all sides. The browning gives the sauce its depth.
3. Add the wine: Pour in the red wine and keep cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles.

Simmer the sauce

4. Add the tomatoes: Stir in both cans of chopped tomatoes and cover the pan. Keep the heat low enough for only a very gentle simmer.
5. Simmer slowly: Cook for 1 1/2 hours and stir from time to time. If the sauce gets too dry, add a splash of water so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
6. Finish uncovered: Add the chopped basil, salt and pepper, then take off the lid. Cook for another 30 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender.

Recipe Tips

• Mix your meats: For the best result, use one bone-in piece of pork and one of lamb. Any mix works, and so does a single kind of meat.
• Keep the heat low: The sauce should barely move. A hard boil toughens the meat and reduces the sauce before the meat has time to soften.
• Season at the end: Add salt and pepper with the basil. The sauce reduces as it cooks, so seasoning early can leave it too salty.
• Plan for a main course: If you want the meat to be the main dish for 4 people, raise the amount to 2 1/4 pounds in total.

What To Serve With Tomato and Meat Ragout

Spoon the sauce over pasta such as pappardelle or rigatoni, and pull the meat off the bone to stir through it. If you made the larger batch of meat, serve the pieces whole with polenta or mashed potatoes.

How To Store

• Fridge: Let the ragout cool, then keep it covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze it in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, never on the counter.
• Reheat: Warm it gently in a pan with a splash of water until it is hot all the way through.

FAQs

Can I use boneless meat for ragout?

You can, but the sauce will be thinner and less rich. The bones add body as they simmer. If you only have boneless meat, cut it into chunks and expect a slightly lighter sauce.

Can I make this ragout without wine?

Yes. Swap the wine for the same amount of beef broth, or use water with a small splash of red wine vinegar. The sauce will taste a little less deep but still good.

Can I make tomato and meat ragout ahead of time?

Yes, and it tastes better the next day as the flavors settle. Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Why is my ragout sauce too thin or too dry?

If it is thin, cook it uncovered a little longer so it reduces. If it is dry, the heat was too high or the lid sat loose, so stir in a splash of water and lower the heat.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 330 kcal
• Total Fat: 17g
• Total Carbohydrate: 13g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 25g

Tomato and Meat Ragout

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

10

minutes

Total time

145

minutes

A slow-simmered sauce of bone-in lamb, beef or pork with red wine, tomatoes and fresh basil. It serves 4 over pasta, and the leftovers keep for days.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 10 ounces lamb, beef or pork on the bone

• 2/3 cup red wine

• 2 (14-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes

• 6 basil leaves, chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Soften the onion: Heat the butter or oil in a heavy-based pan. Fry the chopped onion until it turns soft, so it sweetens the sauce instead of tasting sharp.
• Brown the meat: Add the 10 ounces of bone-in lamb, beef or pork and fry for several minutes, turning it, until browned on all sides. The browning gives the sauce its depth.
• Add the wine: Pour in the red wine and keep cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles.
• Add the tomatoes: Stir in both cans of chopped tomatoes and cover the pan. Keep the heat low enough for only a very gentle simmer.
• Simmer slowly: Cook for 1 1/2 hours and stir from time to time. If the sauce gets too dry, add a splash of water so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
• Finish uncovered: Add the chopped basil, salt and pepper, then take off the lid. Cook for another 30 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender.