Lamb Ragu
- Ready In:
- 5hrs
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
6-8
ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 3 lbs ground leg of lamb (you can substitute ground lamb shoulder)
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 3 cups red wine (choose a hardy wine)
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- fresh ground black pepper
directions
- Using a food processor, puree the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to a coarse paste.
- Coat a large pan generously with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the pureed vegetables, season with salt and cook until all of the water has evaporated and the vegetables begin to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently and be patient. (This is where the big flavours develop.).
- Add the ground lamb, season generously with salt and cook until it is browned, about 25-30 minutes. (Brown food tastes good; don't rush this step.).
- Add tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the red wine, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook at a lively simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the thyme bundle and enough water to cover the lamb( about 1 inch). Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring and tasting frequently and adding more water as it evaporates. Skim the fat off the surface. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss with al dente pasta (see pasta suggestions in the recipe description) and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am a classically trained chef and a grad of NECI in Vermont. I ran my own catering company for years and then decided to switch gears and go to law school. I now practice law and cook just for fun.
I enjoy cooking for friends and DH and I entertain regularly. I also cook for my three golden retrievers and have found several wonderful biscuit recipes here at Zaar.
I collect cookbooks and food literature. My all time favourite food writer is MFK Fisher. If you have not read it, I commend her short story "Borderland " to you. It is one of the most evocative pieces of food writing ever. My current favourite cookbook is "Urban Italian - Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food" by Andrew Carmelini.
For years I managed to hang on to all of my back issues of Gourmet some of which date back to the 1980's. Sadly, I recently lost that particular battle and to promote marital harmony, I am recycling my old mags but am posting my favorite Gourmet recipes along with some interesting ones worthy of a test drive.