Instructions

• Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 - 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.
• Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.
• Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it's bubbling very gently.
• Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred.
• Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened - beef will soften slightly more during this step.
• Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. Add ½ teaspoon sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste. Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve.
• Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.
• Heat 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan while the pasta is cooking.
• When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs and add ¾ cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
• Gently toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.
• Serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano reggiano.