Here is a rich easy slow cooker beef ragu sauce using an inexpensive cut of beef that you can prep the night before, and turn on in the morning for a hearty meal. We love it over creamy polenta, but a pound of gluten-free pasta would be delicious also!
To skip browning the meat, I just cooked up the onions with the spices and tomato paste to add hearty meaty flavor you get from browning. Putting the roast in whole, saves time and energy, as it is so tender and easy to shred after hours in the slow cooker.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8-10 hours |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 anchovy fillets minced
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp fennel seeds
- dash ground cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- 1/2 cup red wine (can substitute with broth)
- 1 2-3 pound grass-fed chuck roast
- 1 cup beef broth
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 4-inch piece Kombu (Dried Seaweed) optional
- salt and pepper
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, spices, tomato paste and anchovies. Cook until just starting to brown.
- Add wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Pour mixture over beef and add remaining ingedients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high 4-6 hours.
- Transfer beef to cutting board. Using fork, shred it into bite size pieces, removing any large pieces of fat. Skim the excess fat from the sauce and return the beef to to pot. Adjust season to taste. Serve over creamy polenta or gluten-free pasta.
Recipe Notes
The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated up to two days or frozen for up to months.
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| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups non-GMO polenta
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Boil water in a medium pot.
- Whisk in the polenta slowly. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in nutritional yeast if using.
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Erin Sands is a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert whose focus is on using food and nutrition to build health and reverse disease.
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