Meat and Mushroom Ragu
serves 6-8 with polenta, pasta or risotto
To be fair the Italian kitchen is not a favourite with me and I find the classic Italian ragu lacking for the want of flavour, the lack of stock, an ingredient that is sadly very absent in the Italian kitchen. Liquid is often added in large amounts and makes the meat stringy and dry. So many of you entrenched in the Italian kitchen may find this recipe method unusual….AO
generous splash of EVO
450g p/w onion, finely chopped
10g Malden sea salt
5g black pepper, freshly ground
20g p/w garlic, finely chopped
1 medium lemon, finely grated rind and strained juice
300g prepared wild mushrooms – click here for the recipe – you can make Swiss Browns in a similar manner and add 10g porcini powder to the mix
150g p/w finely grated potato
50g raisins or currants
100g white wine reduction – click here
750g hanger steak, cut into small cubes 5mm thick slices across the grain
50g Leonardi balsamic vinegar
handful celery leaves and curly parsley, stalked and finely chopped
Put the EVO into a saucepan, add the onion, pepper and salt and cook on low heat. When the onion starts to soften add the garlic and lemon rind and continue cooking stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until it is lightly and evenly golden.
On very low heat, add the mushroom and cook until it is thawed, then add the potato and currants and cook stirring until the potato is cooked through. Add roughly two tablespoons of the white wine reduction and then add the meat and stir over.
The sauce will slowly start to build. Add a tablespoon of the white wine reduction every few minutes until it has all been added. Then add the balsamic in two lots and finally the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning and stir through the parsley and celery leaves.
to reheat
To keep the meat soft and tender, the ragu must be heated on very low heat….no microwave.
