Drunken Beef Ragu

If you’re after a hearty, rich and deeply comforting dish, this Drunken Beef Ragu is everything you could want and more. 

Cooked low and slow in the Morphy Richards Multi Cooker, this recipe transforms humble ox cheeks into tender, flavour packed ribbons of beef. The red wine does the heavy lifting, building depth and sweetness, while garlic and tomatoes round out the sauce beautifully.

This ragu makes enough for two family-sized meals, so you can freeze half for a stress-free dinner another day. Served with pasta and a generous shaving of parmesan, it’s the kind of dish that feels restaurant-quality but is as simple as pressing a few buttons on your multi cooker.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 ox cheeks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 bottle red wine
• 1 garlic bulb, halved
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 beef stock cubes

To serve:

• 400g dried spaghetti
• Freshly grated parmesan

Method:

1. Season the ox cheeks with salt, pepper and olive oil.

2. On the fry setting, brown the meat for 10 minutes until golden on both sides.

3. Add onion, carrots, celery, and pour in the red wine.

4. Add the halved garlic bulb, tomatoes, and stock cubes. Switch to the High slow cook setting for 6 hours.

5. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water for 9 minutes.

6. Toss drained pasta into the sauce and serve directly from the cooker bowl with parmesan.

Recipe and images by Peter Sidwell