Description
Easy Beef Ragu (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) – a delicious bowl of comfort food that is so easy to make and the leftovers are perfect!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2.5–3 pound County Natural Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 2–3 inch pieces
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 3 slices of bacon
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2–3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2–3 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 (15oz) can crushed (or diced) tomatoes
- 1 (3oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons ghee (optional)
- 1/2 cup beef broth (Instant Pot version only)
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Bring large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil; swirl to coat the pan.
- Pat Chuck roast pieces with clean paper towel and season with some kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Add Chuck roast pieces to cast iron skillet, just searing the pieces on all sides (you might have to do two batches), about 1-2 minutes. The remove from skillet and place into your slow cooker.
- In the same cast iron skillet, add your bacon pieces. Cook until just barely crispy and then remove and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
- In the same cast iron skillet add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, moving around constantly in the pan. Then add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté for 3-5 minutes and then add to the slow cooker.
- Chop up bacon and add to slow cooker, along with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, pomegranate juice, fresh thyme leaves and kosher salt.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.
- Shred the chunks of beef and return to the slow cooker. Add ghee and stir, allowing it to melt.
- Serve over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a Whole30/Paleo dinner or serve over the pasta of your choice.
Instant Pot:
- Bring large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil; swirl to coat the pan.
- Pat chuck roast pieces with clean paper towel and season with some kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Add chuck roast pieces to cast iron skillet, just searing the pieces on all sides (you might have to do two batches), about 1-2 minutes. The remove from skillet and place on a plate; set aside.
- In the same cast iron skillet, add your bacon pieces. Cook until just barely crispy and then remove and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
- In the same cast iron skillet add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, moving around constantly in the pan. Then add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté for 3-5 minutes and then add to the slow cooker.
- Chop up bacon and add to slow cooker, along with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, pomegranate juice, fresh thyme leaves, kosher salt and beef broth.
- Add seared roast pieces on top. Don’t stir to combine. Ensure Instant Pot is set to Sealed and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Carefully manually release pressure. Sauce will be very thin at this point because it is so hot. Remove beef chunks with slotted spoon and shred with fork. Return meat to Instant Pot along with a tablespoon or two of ghee. Stir to combine. Let cool for a while and sauce will thicken.
- Serve over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a Whole30/Paleo dinner or serve over the pasta of your choice.
Notes
- Listed cooking time: List cooking time on the top of the recipe card is for the slow cooker – the cooking for the Instant Pot is different.
- Whole30/Paleo: If concerned with Whole30/Paleo check your ingredients on the bacon and and beef broth.
- Pomegranate Juice: pomegranate juice gives such an amazing flavor in this recipe. I have never used anything as a substitute, but other readers have subbed cherry juice in similar recipes. If you aren’t concerned with Paleo/Whole30 you can sub a dry red wine for the pomegranate juice as well.