Take your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours. Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread and a garden salad with Italian Dressing.

Sausage Ragu Sauce

Butchers put a lot of time and effort into packing flavour and juiciness into sausages. So I almost see it as my duty to show you how we can get so much more out of sausages than throwing on the barbie* or the usual Bangers and Mash!

Enter – Sausage Ragu. This meat sauce gets a massive flavour boost by using sausage meat rather than plain beef mince, as well as cooking it long and slow which gives the sauce time to develop flavour as well as making the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Also, starting with the classic soffritto helps. Which might sound fancy but it just refers to sautéing onions, garlic, celery and carrots over low heat to make them beautifully sweet.  It’s a secret tip to create an incredible flavour base in dishes.

* Please do not think I am dissing sausage sandwiches! I am a regular at the weekend Bunnings sausage sizzle fundraisers.

Ingredients in Sausage Ragu

Here’s what you need to make this Sausage Ragu. No fancy ingredients!

The sausages

• Beef + pork – I like to use a combination of both pork and beef sausages for the perfect balance of flavour and soft texture. Beef sausages provide the flavour whereas the pork provides the tenderness. Pork is a much softer meat than beef!

  You can use just either beef or pork. If you use only meat, the meat in the sauce will not be as tender. If you use only pork, the meat flavour is more mild. Both are still rippingly delicious!

• Sausage quality – Whichever you use, make sure you use good sausages made with more meat and less fillers. Either look at the ingredients list (I aim for 85%+ meat) or look at the sausage – fat specks means better meat, uniform pink colour indicates lots of fillers like the sausages used for fundraiser sausage sizzles (“BBQ sausages”). They can be as low as 55% meat (the rest is flour, maize and non meat things), and often a mix of beef and chicken.

  Generally speaking, your friendly local butcher is probably the best source. And he can tell you exactly what goes in his sausages!

• Sausage not in casings – In the US it is common to find sausage meat sold like mince/ground beef, not inside the sausage casings. Lucky you! For the rest of us, just squeeze the meat out. It is not hard.

Other ingredients

Here are the other ingredients for the ragu sauce:

• Onion, garlic, carrot and celery – These are the vegetables for the soffrito which is cooked over low heat to make them soften and sweeten which then forms the flavour base for the sauce. This is a classic cooking technique used in cuisines all over the world, from Italian to Mediterranean to Cajun to South American!

• Fennel seeds *Secret ingredient!* – Sautéed in the soffrito, it adds a little je ne sais quoi into the sauce. Only those with a very, very refined palette can pick that it’s in there!

• Wine – Red wine adds depth of flavour to the sauce and is also what we use to deglaze the pot. this refers to the method of using a liquid to dissolve gold bits stuck on the base of a cooking vessel (in this case, the sausage meat) into a sauce. Those “gold bits” is called “fond” and it’s free flavour! This is a standard cooking technique you’ll see I use regularly for sauces and stews.

  Substitute with 0% alcohol wine or more chicken stock.

• Chicken stock, low sodium – This with canned tomato makes up the bulk of the liquid for the sauce. I use chicken rather than beef stock because it’s a milder flavour so you can taste the meat flavour better. I always used low sodium stock so I don’t have to worry about sauces being too salty.

• Tomato paste – Just a smidge to boost the tomato flavour and help thicken the sauce.

• Thyme and bay leaves – The herbs for this pasta sauce. Fresh is best but dried is fine too.

• Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – Optional, for a touch of warmth.

Pappardelle pasta

I like to serve this sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta, the wide thick pasta that is sold coiled up, like pictured. The surface is slightly rough so it’s ideal for tossing with thick hearty sauces like this sausage ragu, shredded beef ragu and chicken ragu which clings to the pasta well.

Having said that though, I’d happily serve sausage ragu with any pasta – short or long!

How to make Sausage Ragu

No different to making your favourite Bolognese – just a little extra time for slow cooking!

1. Soffrito – Cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in a large heavy based pot over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until the carrot is soft and sweet. Don’t let the vegetables go golden! This step is key for a really beautiful flavour base for the sauce so don’t rush it.

2. Cook sausage – Remove the sausage meat from the casings (you literally just squeeze it out) then cook it like you would mince (ground meat). Break it up as you go but don’t get caught up in a frenzy on this step because sausage meat is “stickier” so it won’t crumble as well. We will break it up finer later partway through cooking.

3. Ragu sauce – Next, cook the tomato paste for 1 minute to remove the raw sour flavour. Then reduce the wine by half to cook out the winey flavour which only takes a couple of minutes. And finally, add the remaining ingredients: canned tomato, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and chilli flakes if using (I always do).

4. Slow cook #1 (1 hour) – Pop the lid on and put it in the oven for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F (160°C). I always feel like this sounds high for a slow cook but actually, this is the oven equivalent temperature of a very small stove burner on low.

   Why oven instead of stove? Just easier because it’s entirely hands off, just stick it in the oven and leave it. No need to worry about the base catching. This sauce is quite thick so if you do use the stove instead, you’ll need to stir quite regularly.

5. Crush meat – Take the pot out of the oven then use a potato masher to crush the meat into finer pieces. (See step 2 notes about how sausage meat doesn’t crumble as well as mince/ground beef). The meat is tender at this point so it doesn’t take much effort. I usually do about 8 to 10 mashing motions around the pot.

6. Slow cook #2 (45 minutes) – Then return the pot into the oven for a further 45 minutes to finish slow cooking. Once done, the sauce will be quite thick, like pictured above, with quite intense flavour. This is what we want because a) the thickness will be loosened up when tossed with pasta; and b) the sauce gets dispersed through pasta so the flavour gets diluted. So the sauce flavour should be intense in the pot so it’s the right level of flavoursome once tossed through the pasta!

Tossing pasta with sauce – essential step!

1. Pasta cooking water – Cook the pasta per the packet directions in a large pot of salted water. Just before draining, scoop out a big jug of the pasta cooking water which we will use in the next step. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce cling to the pasta.*

2. Tossing pasta with sauce – If you are making a full batch, then just add the pasta into the ragu pot set over medium heat on the stove. If you are making a smaller batch as I do in the video (I am making enough for 2 servings) then return the drained pasta into the same pot you cooked the pasta in.

3. Pasta sauce – Add the pasta sauce into the pasta (obviously this step is not relevant if you put the pasta into the pasta sauce pot!!).

4. Pasta cooking water – Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. This loosens up the thick pasta sauce so it coats the pasta strands. The reason we use the pasta cooking water is because it has starch in it from the pasta. This starch reacts with the fat in the pasta sauce and makes the sauce thicker so it clings to the pasta strands better, rather than remaining pooled at the bottom of your pasta bowl.

5. Toss, toss, toss! Then use two spatulas to toss the pasta for 1 minute, or until the pasta sauce is tangled throughout and clinging to the pasta, and the pasta strands are stained red. Use an extra slosh of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen things up.

6. Warmed bowl – Divide the pasta between bowls. I like to warm the pasta bowls beforehand (30 seconds in the microwave!) to keep the pasta slippery and warm for longer. Cold pasta = dry pasta!

Serve with a shower of freshly grated parmesan. Then, the picture taker in me couldn’t resist finishing with a pinch of parsley, but it’s totally unnecessary in real life and if you came to my house and I made this for you, said pinch of parsley would not be present.

This is one for the weekend. For lazy Sundays. Serve with garlic bread, rocket or baby spinach salad with balsamic dressing and finish with tiramisu. Reserve a seat for me at your table!!  – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta

Recipe video above. Take your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages instead of plain beef to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours.

Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread, a garden salad with Italian Dressing and a beautiful Tiramisu.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian

Keyword italian sausage ragu, sausage meat sauce, Sausage Pasta

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5 – 6 people

Calories 818cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Sausage ragu:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion , finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 carrot , peeled and grated using a box grater (Note 1)
• 2 celery stalks , grated using a box grater (Note 1)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 350g / 12 oz pork sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
• 350g / 12 oz beef sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup pinot noir red wine (sub 0% alcohol red wine or more chicken stock)
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400g/14 oz can crushed tomato
• 3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 bay leaves (fresh better, else dried)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional (for hint of heat)

To serve:

• 500g/ 1 lb pappardelle pasta , or other pasta (80g/2.8oz per serving) (Note 3)
• Parmesan or parmigiano reggiano , finely grated, for serving
• Parsley , finely chopped, optional garnish (just a pinch)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
• Soffrito – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and fennel seeds. Cook for 8 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet, but not golden.
• Cook sausage – Turn the heat up to high and add the sausage. Cook, breaking it up as you go, as best you can. It doesn't crumble as well as mince/ground meat but that's ok, we will break it up more later.
• Deglaze – Once the meat is no longer pink (it doesn't really brown), add the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until reduced by half, stirring regularly to scrape the base of the pot clean.
• Slow cook #1 (1 hr) – Add the remaining ragu ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer, put the lid on and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
• Slow cook #2 (45 min) – Remove from the oven and use a potato masher to mash the meat finer. Put the lid back on, and return to the oven for 45 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick, it gets loosened when tossed with the pasta.
• Salt – Taste and add more salt if desired. (Sausages vary in saltiness so I always start with less)

Pasta:

• Cook pasta – Cook the pappardelle according to the packet instructions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water and set it aside.
• Toss with sauce – Have the ragu pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the pasta into the pot along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cook water. Use two spatulas to toss the pasta until the ragu is tangled in the pasta strands and it is stained red from the sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed to loosen it up.
• Serve in pre-warmed bowls, garnish with parmesan and a pinch of parsley if desired. Eat immediately!

Notes

Servings – Sauce makes enough for 500g/1 lb pasta which, based on a standard serving of 80g/2.8oz dried pasta per person, is enough for 6 normal people or 5 heartier appetites!

1. Grating – Box grater makes the pieces finer so they disappear better into the meat sauce. Try to use short strokes so you don’t end up with long strands.

2. Sausages – Using both pork and beef is my favourite combination because beef gives the meat sauce beefy flavour whereas pork meat is so soft, it makes the sauce melt-in-your-mouth in a way you will never achieve just using beef. You can also use just pork or just beef. Still so, so tasty!

3. Pasta – Thick wide strands of pappardelle is made for hearty meat sauces like ragu though with a sauce this good, it’s going to be great with any pasta! To make pasta for less than 5 people, use just put some sauce in a separate pan or pot on the stove and toss with the desired amount of pasta. In the video you see me make 2 servings.

4. Making ahead – Ragu just gets better overnight! Cool thoroughly then refrigerate. Warm the ragu on a low stove so it’s hot when you add the pasta for tossing. The ragu can be frozen for 3 months or kept in the fridge for 5 days. Once tossed with pasta, it will keep for 3 to 4 days but pastas are always best eaten freshly made!

Nutrition

Calories: 818cal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1193mg | Potassium: 1050mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2262IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 5mg

Originally published in February 2016. Recipe improved in February 2024 with improved sauce flavour and consistency, writing tidied up, much improved video. And most important, Life of Dozer section added!SaveSave

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Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce. Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, or eat like stew!

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

This food is me on a plate.

Well, in a pot.

Hunks of juicy meat that’s so tender, it’s barely holding together when you scoop it out. A bold sauce that’s spicy, tangy and deeply savoury. Big creamy beans littered throughout that’s absorbed the flavour of the sauce, making beans tastier and dreamier than you ever imagined possible.

That it’s straightforward to make is a (big) bonus. It’s just like making a stew. In fact, that’s my favourite way to serve this – ladled into bowls like stew, except with tortillas on the side for dunking instead of serving it over the usual mash!

Ingredients in Mexican Chipotle Pork and Bean

Here’s what you need to make big pot of Mexican deliciousness!

Seasoned pork

This dish is made with pork shoulder which is an economical tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to fall-apart tenderness. I just use cumin to flavour it before searing because the pork absorbs so much flavour while it’s slow cooking, it really doesn’t need much on the surface!

The chipotle sauce (and beans!)

And here’s what you need to make the rich chipotle sauce that the pork is braised in. Flavour to the max!!

• Chipotle in adobo (photo below) – The hero ingredient, I adore this Mexican sauce! It’s made with chipotles which are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. (Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños).

  In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release and to make a smooth sauce.

  Where to find it – Those of you in the States are lucky enough to find chipotle in adobo virtually “everywhere”! In Australia – find it in the Mexican aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies), Harris Farms, as well as independent grocers. I use La Morena which I buy from Harris Farms – $3.29 for 200g/7 oz (we use the whole can).

• Butter beans (aka lima beans) – The big, fat, meaty beans you always see at the store that you wonder what to do with. Well, now you know! 😂 Feel free to substitute with other beans, though I do think creamy beans work better than smaller, firm ones like black beans, chickpeas etc.

  Why canned instead of dried beans? I find that the cook time for dried beans (especially large ones like butter beans) can vary quite drastically depending on the age, size and quality of the beans. Which means for dishes like this, sometimes the beans are done before the pork is, sometimes they are still hard when the pork is done. It’s not too bad pulling the pork out and leaving the beans to cook for longer. But it is a pain to take the beans out to continue cooking the pork! So, canned is my preference here.

• Orange juice – Yes! A secret ingredient used in Mexican cooking to add sweetness and more flavour than just adding sugar into things (eg carnitas, fajitas). Doesn’t make it taste orangey because once it’s slow cooked, the flavour completely transforms.

• Chicken stock – For the braising liquid. Low sodium please, otherwise your dish might end up too salty.

• Tomato paste – For flavour and thickening. It’s sautéed to cook out the raw, sour flavour before mixing into the braising liquid.

• Herbs and spices – Nothing unusual here! Oregano, coriander, allspice, bay leaves.

• Onion and garlic – Flavour base.

How to make Chipotle pork and beans

This recipe starts off by searing the pork on the stove before transferring to the oven to braise until the pork is fall-apart tender, giving the sauce time to develop fabulous deep, savoury flavour.

1. Puree the chipotle in adobo using a stick blender. The chipotle is really soft so it literally takes seconds.

2. Season pork – Cut the pork into 6 equal pieces, for ease of handling to sear, more surface area for browning and so they cook faster than a whole pork shoulder. Then sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Brown the pork in two batches, using a heavy based oven-proof pot. Rotate the pork to brown all over. Remember, colour = flavour! Once done, remove the pork onto a plate.

4. Sauté sauce flavour base – Using the same pot, sauté the garlic, onion, dried herbs and spices. Sautéing dried herbs and spices is a neat trick for getting extra flavour out of them – it makes them “bloom”.

   Next, cook off the tomato paste followed by the pureed chipotle in adobo. Cooking off pastes is a great flavour trick as it intensifies flavour as well as taking off the raw, sour edge. It also depends the savoury flavour so you get more out of less!

5. Braising liquid – Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans into the sauce – the orange juice, stock, spices and bay leaves. The beans are added later else they will overcook and become too mushy.

   Give it all a good mix then place the pork in, along with any juices pooled on the plate (never waste free flavour!). Arrange the pork as best you can so they are submerged under the liquid. But don’t worry if there’s some of the surface poking above because it will steam-cook and also the pork will shrink as it cooks so it will eventually sink below the surface.

6. Slow cook – Put the lid on and transfer to the oven to slow cook for 2 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This temperature might sound high for slow cooking but it equates to a gentle simmer on the stove, which is suitable for slow cooking meats.

   Other cook methods – 6 hours in a slow cooker on low or 2 hours on the stove.

7. Beans – Remove the pot from the oven. The pork should be pretty much fork tender by this stage. Add the beans and push them in as best you can under the liquid.

8. Bake uncovered – Return the pot to the oven to bake uncovered for 30 minutes to caramelise the surface which adds extra flavour. Also by this stage, the pork should be tender enough so you can pry it apart using two forks without any effort at all.

   If you used your slow cooker or the stove, I do recommend doing this final step in the oven because the caramelising of the surface does add extra flavour!

And that’s it! To serve, just scoop up pieces of pork and beans, and ladle into bowls or onto a plate for serving. See below for ways to eat this pot of fall-apart-spicy-meaty-beany deliciousness!

How to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans

As I mentioned at the beginning, my favourite way. to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans is in a bowl like stew. Just use a spoon or fork to cut off bits of pork (which takes barely a touch!) then get a big scoop with beans and plenty of sauce.

I like to add a bit of avocado and sprinkle of coriander/cilantro for freshness, and tortillas for dunking / bowl mopping is essential in my world.

Having said that, here are some other options – all dish worthy!

1. Served over Mexican red rice – or put a big Mexican plate together with Mexican corn cobs (pictured above).

2. As a taco filling with your toppings of choice! It’s pictured above with avocado slices, finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and lime wedges. There’s no need for a separate sauce – this is saucy enough as is!

3. Burritos to die for! Switch the chicken in this burrito recipe.

4. Shred up the pork and mix it up into the sauce with the beans. Then use it to make a giant nachos (switch out the chicken in this nachos recipe), as an enchilada filling, make tostada or simply scoop up with corn chips.

5. Turn it into a hearty soup – Add extra chicken stock/broth to thin the sauce and make it less intense, so it becomes suitable to be a soup broth. Then serve it as soup!

So many possibilities! What do you think? Which serving option appeals to you? – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

Recipe video above. This is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce.

Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, eat like stew!

SPICE NOTE: This sauce is spicy. Not off-the-charts spicy, but it has a good kick! If you're concerned, remove half the chillis from the can of chipotle in adobo (as the chillies are where the spiciness is). If you're still worried, best to give this a miss because chipotle in adobo IS spicy!!

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chipotle pork, mexican pork

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8 people

Calories 323cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pork:

• 1.5kg / 3lb pork shoulder (skinless, boneless), cut into 6 equal pieces (Note 1)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin powder

Sauce:

• 200g / 7 oz chipotle in adobo – the chillis + sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup orange juice (real, not reconstituted sweetened stuff – Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 2 bay leaves (fresh, else dried)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 3 x 420g / 16 oz canned butter beans / lima beans , or other of choice (Note 4)

Dried herbs & spices

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice powder

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• SPICINESS – Read note above about spiciness!
• Puree chipotle in adobo until smooth using a stick blender or similar.
• Sprinkle pork all over with salt, pepper and cumin.
• Brown pork – Heat all the oil in a large oven-proof pot over high heat. Brown the pork all over in 2 batches, the remove onto a plate (~ 1 minute each side).
• Sauté – Cool the pot slightly then return to medium heat. If the pot looks dry, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté onion, garlic, the herbs & spices for 3 minutes.
• Cook off tomato & chipotle – Add tomato paste and cook it off for 2 minutes. Add chipotle puree and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slow cook 2 hours – Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans. Stir, then bring to simmer. Place pork in – arrange so its submerged as best as possible. Cover with lid. Place in oven for 2 hours. (Note 6 other cook methods)
• Add beans, cook 30 min – Remove lid, add beans. Return to oven for 30 minutes without lid to caramelise the surface. The pork will be fork-tender!
• Serve like stew over Mexican red rice or with tortillas for dunking. Or make wickedly food tacos with finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro, avocado slices and a squeeze of lime. More serving options above the recipe video.

Notes

1. Pork shoulder – Tough cut of meat made for slow cooking into fall apart submission. Chuck beef and boneless beef ribs will also work great!

2. Chipotle in adobo – smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release.

3. Orange juice is used sparingly like stock in Mexican cooking. It doesn’t make it taste orangey, it adds a touch of sweetness and more flavour than just using sugar.

4. Beans – I realise butter beans are not authentic but I love how big and meaty they are, it just works with the succulent pork! Pinto or black beans would be a more strictly authentic choice for Mexican cooking, though honestly, any type of beans will work here.

5. Other cook methods: Slow cooker 6 hours on low or 2 hours on the stove on a low heat, stirring every now and then to ensure the base doesn’t catch.

However, the final 30 minutes in the oven is recommended no matter what slow cook method you use as it caramelises the surface (flavour boost!) and reduces the sauce.

6. Store in the fridge for 4 days, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving assuming 8.

Nutrition

Calories: 323cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1079mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

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Extremely hands off, foolproof way to cook beef ribs – slow cooked in the oven in a homemade BBQ Sauce braising liquid until the meat is fall apart and ridiculously juicy inside, and the outside is bronzed and sticky. Also known as short ribs, these are a prized cut for slow cooking!

BONUS: this all happens in one pan, it’s 100% perfect for make ahead and freezing, and makes its own barbecue sauce (and it might be the best you ever have in your life!).

Slow cooked BBQ Beef Ribs

Beef ribs are the king of all beef cuts for slow cooking (pretty sure I said that in my Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce too). They are juicier than brisket and chuck (there’s always a few lean-ish patches, that’s just the way that cut is). Beef Cheeks come close, but ribs have one big thing going for them that cheeks do not:

THE BONE.

I don’t know what it is about fall apart meat on a bone, but it gets me every time. Hence my ever increasing collection of lamb shank recipes. And pork ribs. And now it seems I’ve moved onto beef ribs!

If you’re new to beef ribs, this is an excellent way to introduce them into your life, and I’ll wager that they’ll become a regular fixture. The sweet-savoury flavour of the BBQ Sauce is a perfect match with the beefy flavour of ribs.

And it’s virtually a foolproof recipe – you just need to ensure it’s cooked long enough so the beef becomes like THIS:

BBQ Beef Ribs Rub

Here’s what you need for the Rub. There’s quite a few substitutions possible so don’t fret if you don’t have every item:

Beef Ribs

Beef ribs do come in a variety of cuts, but I’m using the most common cut (here in Australia) which is also called beef short ribs. It’s a chunky rectangle block, cut with individual bones and are very meaty.

They shrink about 30% so try to get big meaty ones. But if you can only get small ones ~250g/8oz, that’s still ok!

Beef rib RACK: sometimes you see beef ribs in rack form. They typically have less meat on them. They will work great in this recipe too – see recipe card for directions. However, make sure you do NOT use the rib racks that come vac packed – these have been brined and will be too salty (read ingredients, if it has anything in it other than beef, then it’s brined ie salt injected).

Beef alternative cuts: beef cheeks and chuck (cut into baseball size chunks) will both work really great here. For brisket, use the Barbecue Beef Brisket recipe.

Other meats: For pork ribs, use this recipe and for chicken, use this recipe.

Rub substitutions:

• Brown sugar – sub white

• Garlic powder – 1 tsp minced garlic (using press) per 1 tsp powder

• Onion powder – garlic powder

• Mustard powder – dijon or standard mustard

If subbing fresh garlic or mustard spread, then rub those wet ingredients on first before pressing into dry rub.

Beef Ribs braising liquid / homemade BBQ sauce

And here’s what you need for the homemade BBQ Sauce which doubles as the braising liquid for the beef ribs (so it absorbs flavour as it slow cooks which is why we don’t need to marinate these ribs):

• Ketchup is the primary flavour base for homemade barbecue sauce. You’ll find it in all my barbecue sauce flavoured recipes, including this (easy!) midweek Baked BBQ Chicken, BBQ Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce and slow cooked brisket with BBQ Sauce. Sub with Aussie Tomato Sauce – it’s almost as good;

• Cider vinegar – the tang in homemade barbecue sauce. Sub with white wine vinegar, sherry or Champagne vinegar OR 1/3 cup normal white vinegar;

• Brown sugar – barbecue sauce is sweet. If you don’t like sweet, you can cut it back.

• Garlic – I really like using fresh but powder is fine too;

• Onion powder – sub garlic powder;

• Mustard powder – sub with dijon or normal yellow mustard (not hot English mustard! Unless you WANT the heat!)

• Worcestershire Sauce – savoury element. Soy sauce (all purpose or light) is an acceptable sub (it won’t make it Asiany);

• Cayenne – for a hum of warmth. This is not overly spicy. If you’re concerned, start with less and you can adjust right at the end. If you like it hot, start with the recipe amount then add hot sauce at the end.

How to make BBQ Beef Ribs

Dead easy – everything goes into the pan, then you slow cook it in a moderate oven until the meat is fall apart tender. It’s fabulously foolproof because there’s a big window before the meat will start to dry out from overcooking – I’ve left it in 1 1/2 hours too long and it was STILL juicy!

Here’s a close up look at the homemade Barbecue Sauce you end up with in the pan. The beauty of this method of cooking is that the juices from the ribs mix in with the sauce, so you’re essentially making it with the ultimate money-can’t-buy beef stock!

ANOTHER PRO TIP: For a posh restaurant experience, strain the sauce to make it silky smooth. I do this for VIPs only.😂

Grilling option!

In the recipe video, I make this entirely in the oven, including the caramelisation at the end. But if it were warmer weather, I would have finished it on the BBQ! I’ve included directions for grilling in the recipe.

What to serve with BBQ Beef Ribs

As promised, I’m going to offer up a couple of different options for how to serve beef ribs – rustic, finger lickin’ barbecue style OR elegant fine dining style (and yep, beef ribs certainly appear on the menu of fine dining restaurants, prized for the juicy qualities and because it CAN be plated up elegantly):

Rustic Finger Lickin’ Good Barbecue Sides

I don’t know what it is about sides with mayo based dressings, but they just go so well with anything glazed with barbecue sauce!

Coleslaw

Our Best NO MAYO Coleslaw

Cornbread recipe

Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato

Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Corn (no mayo!)

Macaroni Salad

Mexican Corn Salad

German Cucumber Salad

The Best Potato Salad

How to Grill Corn

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts in Carbonara Sauce

Veg and Salad Sides

My picks: Steamed corn, our best No Mayo Coleslaw, Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomato Feta, cornbread (for mopping).

Elegant sides, fine dining style

Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)

Garlic Sautéed Spinach

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

Great Roasted Carrots

Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)

Green Bean Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks

Veg and Salad Sides

My picks for a posh plate: Potato Gratin Stacks, Garlic Sautéed Spinach, Garlic Mushrooms.

Whichever way you go, it will be a hit. I know it, you know it! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Beef Ribs with Barbecue Sauce - slow cooked short ribs!

Recipe video above. Extremely hands off, foolproof way to cook beef ribs - slow cooked in the oven in a homemade BBQ Sauce braising liquid until the meat is fall apart and ridiculously juicy inside, and the outside is bronzed and sticky.

BONUS: this all happens in one pan, it's 100% perfect for make ahead and freezing, and makes its own barbecue sauce (and it might be the best you ever have in your life because it's made with the rib juices!).

Course Mains

Cuisine Southern, Western

Keyword Beef Ribs, beef short ribs, Braised Beef Short Ribs, short ribs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6

Calories 538cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 6 x 300 - 350g / 10 - 12 oz beef ribs (aka beef short ribs) (Note 1), patted dry

RUB:

• 1 tbsp brown sugar (sub white)
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder (sub 1 tsp fresh garlic)
• 1 tsp onion powder (sub garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp mustard powder (Note 2)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Barbecue SAUCE:

• 2 garlic cloves , minced (sub 2 tsp powder)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 2 subs)
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup , or Aussie tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar , loosely packed (ie don't pack it tight)(sub white)
• 2 tsp EACH black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder (Note 2)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste re: spiciness)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (sub soy sauce)
• 2 cups water

Optional garnish:

• Parsley or chives , chopped

Cups - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (all oven types).
• Mix Rub in a small bowl large, enough to fit one rib.
• Press beef ribs into the rub, coating all sides. Shake off excess.
• Mix Barbecue Sauce ingredients, except water, in a baking pan. Then mix in water.
• Place ribs in sauce, turning to coat. Arrange meat side down in the sauce, bone side exposed (sauce won't cover completely, that's ok).
• Cover tightly with foil or lid, bake 3 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven, remove foil. Turn ribs (some may have fall over, that's ok, just turn them). Spoon over sauce.
• Bake 30 minutes uncovered, spooning over sauce again halfway through, until surface is caramelised and sticky. Check to ensure ribs are tender - pry a bit apart using two forks. (If not, cover and return to oven, but after 4 hrs they certainly should be!)
• Remove ribs onto serving plate (use a spoon as meat will barely be attached to bone, if at all). Mix sauce to bring together (Note 3 on adjustments). Serve with ribs!

SERVING OPTIONS:

• Share platter (rustic!): Serve ribs on a platter for people to help themselves with some sauce on it, and some sauce on the side for people to help themselves.
• Individual posh restaurant style: place rib on plate, spoon over sauce (see note about straining option). Garnish.
• See in post for side options (both rustic and posh!).

Notes

1. Beef Ribs - comes in a variety of cuts. For this recipe, you want the chunky rectangle block cut, often called Beef Short Ribs. See photo in post. They come cut in individual bones and are very meaty.

They shrink about 30% so try to get big meaty ones. But if you can only get small ones ~250g/8oz, that's still ok!

Beef ribs racks (less meaty, bones not separated) - use anywhere between 1.5 - 2.5kg / 3- 5lb (this recipe requires a minimum amount of braising liquid and it makes tons of sauce, more than needed for the beef ribs). Oven time will vary depending on meatiness, but for average racks, I'd say 2.5 hrs covered, 30 min uncovered (but check at 1.5 hrs). You may need to scale up the Rub slightly (more surface area)

ALTERNATIVE MEATS: Beef cheeks (easily 2kg/4lb, beef chuck cut into baseball size chunks (2kg/4lb). For both these, check at 2 hrs, total oven time ~3 hrs. For brisket, use the Barbecue Beef Brisket recipe. For pork ribs, use this recipe and for chicken, use this recipe.

DO NOT buy beef ribs that come in a vac pack where the ingredients label has salt or any other ingredient other than beef (these are brined so they're salty, so this will come out too salty). If you're desperateand brined beef is all you can get, leave a comment below and I'll tell you how to adjust the recipe.

2. Ingredient subs:

• Mustard powder - dijon or yellow mustard
• Cider vinegar - white wine vinegar, sherry or Champagne vinegar OR 1/3 cup normal white vinegar.

If subbing fresh garlic or mustard spread in the rub, then rub those wet ingredients on first before pressing into dry rub.

3. Sauce adjustments - in the perfect world (like in the video!), it is the perfect thickness for serving straight out of the oven. In reality, ovens vary, roasting pan heat retentions vary, rib sizes vary, hence evaporation rate varies. If need be, add a splash of boiling water to thin out. If too thin (doubt it), pop back into oven. Taste and add salt if needed, or a hit of hot sauce if you want more spice.

Thickness choices: pourable (per video), thicker (like BBQ sauce from squeeze bottles), dolloping (spoon) OR strain it for silky smooth for VIP (optional!). The sauce has very intense flavours so even if thinned to be pretty pourable, you will not dilute flavour. 

4. Other cook methods:

• Stove - 2.5 hours on low simmer, lid on (handle with care when removing)
• Slow cooker - 8 hrs on low, 5 hrs on high, then transfer to oven to caramelise 30 min uncovered, per recipe.
• Pressure cooker - 1 hr on high, follow slow cooker directions above. Depressurise naturally for 10 min, then release valve. 
• Instant Pot - Follow slow cooker directions above but do the searing in your Instant Pot. Cook using slow cooker or pressure cooker function using above times. 

Finish on GRILL! This is an excellent wow-factor grilling recipe. Cook it per recipe fully covered until it's fall apart tender (check with 2 forks). Then spoon over sauce, keep covered and transfer beef into a container, and sauce in another ie. do not do the uncovered roasting step. Once fully cool, refrigerate. On the day of, microwave beef to heat through - we only grill to caramelise the outside and get subtle smokey flavour. Baste with warmed sauce, then grill 3 minutes on each side on medium, basting lots, until you get a wickedly good caramelised sauce with charred bits. SO GOOD!

5. Meat will be literally falling off the bone so don't expect the meat to be clinging to the bone once meat is tender. In fancy restaurants, they sometimes reconstruct it so it looks like it's still attached, but it's not. If meat is tender, it cannot be attached to bone!

6. Storage - gets better with time, excellent low-effort make ahead option. Cool, refrigerate in sauce (or separate sauce if you strained it for posh-style). Keeps 5 days in fridge. The either reheat in microwave (I do this, for most moist steamy outcome), or oven (180°C/350°F covered for 20 min until meat is hot and tender all the way through, then uncovered to recaramelise surface if needed, I find it's not required).

Freezer - 3 months in airtight container. Thaw then reheat using one of above options (do not try to microwave or heat from frozen). It freezes 100% perfectly.

7. Nutrition per beef rib, assuming all sauce is consumed (there will likely be sauce leftover. See in post for what to do with it )

Nutrition

Calories: 538cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1114mg | Potassium: 1045mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

Calendar boy!

This calendar was a gift. And I was secretly extra thrilled because I thought it might be borderline too crazy-dog-lady to make one myself.

So I keep my fingers crossed every year on my birthday and Christmas that someone will give me a Dozer calendar. Eight years in, and I’ve never had to!! Someone always comes through! 😂

The post Beef Ribs in BBQ Sauce – slow cooked short ribs! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

There’s no greater comfort food than a hearty stew. And Irish Beef and Guinness Stew might be the king of them all! Guinness gives the sauce an incredible rich, deep flavour, and the beef is fall-apart tender. Stove, oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker – directions provided for all.

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Irish Stew may well be the mother of all stews. I mean, you know that anything simmered for hours is going to be a good thing. But this…. this is the stew of your dreams. Arguably the most deeply flavourful sauce of all stews, with a rich dark brown flavour, this is the best of the best.

THIS is the stew I make for company when I want to impress!

With it’s deeply flavoured rich sauce, Guinness Beef Stew is THE stew you make when you want to impress!

What kind of beer goes in Guinness Stew?

The not-so-secret ingredient that goes into Guinness Stew that gives the sauce the deep flavour and colour is Guinness Beer.

Guinness Beer is so dark it is almost black and it’s why the gravy of the stew is such a beautiful deep brown colour. Guinness is also much richer than most beers, which you can see just by looking at the thick creamy head (the foam) that Guinness is famed for.

It’s pretty widely available these days – here in Australia, you’ll find it at most liquor stores.

Meat in Guinness Stew – beef OR lamb

Traditionally, Guinness Stew is made with lamb. But in many parts of the world including here in Australia and North America, Guinness Stew is more commonly made with beef.

I hope the Irish aren’t offended! I’ve made it with lamb and to be honest, I do prefer it with beef.

Tip: Use big chunky hunks of beef. Don’t even think about using tiny cubes of beef. It needs to be chunky pieces so it can be cooked for a looooong time to get all that flavour into the sauce! If the pieces of beef are too small,  they will cook too quickly and fall apart in the stew before it’s had enough time to develop the deep flavours.

Ingredients in Guinness Beef Stew

In addition to chuck beef and Guinness Beer, here are the other ingredients in Irish Stew.

• Garlic and onion – essentials

• Bacon – adds extra flavour! Can be skipped, or sub with pancetta or speck

• Carrot and celery – potatoes could also be added

• Flour and tomato paste – to thicken sauce and the tomato paste also adds some flavour;

• Guinness Beer and broth/liquid stock – the braising liquids. I prefer using chicken rather than beef broth because it allows the flavour from the Guinness beer to come through better. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like beer at all, it transforms into a deep savoury sauce! Also, all the alcohol is cooked out.

• Thyme and bay leaves – to add a hint of flavour the sauce.

How to make Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Though this Irish Beef and Guinness Stew takes time to cook, it is very straightforward. The steps are no different to usual stews like classic Beef Stew:

• Brown the beef – brown them well, this is key to flavour. It’s not just the browned beef itself, also the brown bits left on the bottom of the pot (fond) adds extra flavour to the sauce;

• Sauté flavour base – onion, garlic, bacon (speck or pancetta), carrot and celery;

• Cook off flour and tomato paste;

• Add liquids – beer, broth and herbs;

• Simmer covered for 2 hours until the beef is pretty tender, then simmer for a further 30 minutes uncovered to let the sauce reduce a bit and for the beef to become “fall apart tender”.

Yes it takes hours but your patience is rewarded with beef so tender you can eat it with a spoon!

The one thing I do differently to most Guinness Beef Stew recipes, including very traditional Irish recipes, is to thicken the sauce slightly with flour. If you don’t do this step, the sauce is quite thin and watery, and while the flavour is still lovely, I really prefer the sauce to be more like a thin gravy.

What to serve with Irish Stew

Serve Beef and Guinness Stew over mashed potato or cauliflower mash for a low carb option. And what about some warm crusty Irish Soda Bread to mop your bowl clean??

I am so glad I have a tub of this in the freezer. I cooked most of the day but gave it all away. The minute I hit Publish on this post, I’m going to get cracking reheating some of this Irish Stew for dinner tonight! – Nagi x

Watch How To Make It

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

Print

Beef and Guinness Stew

RECIPE VIDEO ABOVE. The iconic Irish Beef and Guinness Stew is easy to make but requires patience while it slow cooks! The Guinness Beer is the secret weapon ingredient in this, creating a sauce that has wonderful deep complex flavours. 

Course Dinner, Stew

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Guinness stew, Irish Beef and Guineess Stew

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 646cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 lb / 1.25 kg beef chuck , boneless short rib or any other slow cooking beef (no bone)
• 3/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 onions , chopped (brown, white or yellow)
• 6 oz / 180g bacon , speck or pancetta, diced
• 3 tbsp flour (all purpose/plain, Note 3 for GF)
• 440ml / 14.9 oz Guinness Beer (Note 1)
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock/broth (or beef broth – Note 4)
• 3 carrots , peeled and cut into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ thick pieces
• 2 large celery stalks , cut into 2cm / 1″ pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme (or sub with 1 tsp dried thyme leaves)

Instructions

• Cut the beef into 5cm/2″ chunks. Pat dry then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Add beef in batches and brown well all over. Remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Lower heat to medium. If the pot is looking dry, add oil.
• Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until softening, then add bacon.
• Cook until bacon is browned, then stir through carrot and celery. 
• Add flour, and stir for 1 minute to cook off the flour.
• Add Guinness, chicken broth/stock and tomato paste. Mix well (to ensure flour dissolves well), add bay leaves and thyme. 
• Return beef into the pot (including any juices). Liquid level should just cover – see video or photos.
• Cover, lower heat so it is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours – the beef should be pretty tender by now. Remove lid then simmer for a further 30 – 45 minutes or until the beef falls apart at a touch, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
• Skim off fat on surface, if desired. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
• Serve with creamy mashed potatoes!!

Notes

1. Guinness Beer is a dark coloured rich Irish beer and it is the key flavouring for the sauce of this stew. You CANNOT taste it in the finished dish, it just melds into an amazing sauce. In Australia you can get Guinness at all major liquor stores.

There is no non alcoholic substitute unfortunately. If you cannot consume alcohol, substitute the Guinness with 2 cups water + 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce + 2 beef bouillon cubes crumbled. This will make it a classic beef stew. Taste FAB, it just isn’t Irish Guinness Stew!

2. Other cooking methods:

– OVEN: Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours at 160C / 320F. Remove then cook for a further 30 – 45 minutes to reduce sauce, per recipe.
– SLOW COOKER: Reduce chicken broth by 1 cup. After you add the Guinness and broth/stock into the pot, bring to simmer and ensure you scrape the bottom of the pot well. Transfer everything into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients per recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours. If sauce needs more thickening, simmer with slow cooker lid off (if you have that function), to ladle some of the sauce into a separate saucepan and reduce on stove.
– PRESSURE COOKER: Follow slow cooker instructions, cook on HIGH for 40 minutes (this might seem longer than most but we’re using chuck here which needs to be cooked for a long time until tender and also the pieces are large).

3. FLOUR: I prefer my stew sauce a bit thick, not watery, so I always add flour to slightly thicken the sauce. Some recipes say to dust beef with flour before browning – I prefer not to use this method because the flour burns then this permeates throughout the whole stew.

4. Beef vs Chicken Broth – I use chicken broth because the flavour is slightly more mild which lets the guinness flavour come through more. But beef broth works just as well and you can definitely still taste the Guinness!!

5. Nutrition per serving, excluding mashed potato. This nutrition is overstated because it does not take into account the fat that is skimmed off the surface.

Nutrition

Serving: 497g | Calories: 646cal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 72.2g | Fat: 29.1g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19.9g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1499mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 4.7g

Originally published July 2016, updated with new video and step photos. No change to recipe.

More slow cooked fall-apart beef recipes

• Beef Stew with Potatoes & Carrots

• Pot Roast

• Fall-apart Beef Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

• Beef and Mushroom Pie

• Shredded Beef Ragu

• Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff

• Slow Cooked Chicken Stew and Faster Chicken Stew – when you need a rich stew on the table in under an hour!

• Browse Winter Warmer recipes and see more Stews!

Life of Dozer

Sulking because he didn’t score any Irish Stew.

Let’s not feel badly for him though. He lives a very cushy life!

The post Irish Beef and Guinness Stew appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.