Lamb Ragout

I saw this method of making ragout on No Reservations. Anthony Bourdain was in Naples, Italy. This recipe is inspired by an Italian grandmother I don’t even know... but that’s all you need to know. Who other than an Italian grandmother is better suited to teach ragout?

Ragout is meat braised in tomato sauce over low heat for a long time. This recipe is definitely a time commitment but your commitment will be rewarded, I promise. I love lamb so lamb shanks are my meat of choice for this dish. Feel free to substitute with your favorite meat, but whatever you choose, make sure you chose a cut on the bone. Bone = flavor.

The Finished Product:

 

Food:

2 Lamb shanks, 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, herbs (pick two: oregano, sage, rosemary, or thyme), salt, pepper, & pasta.

Prep & Cook:

Pre-heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to fully coat the bottom. In the mean time salt and pepper the lamb shanks. First step of this recipe is to brown the meat. This is an easy process as long as you apply the proper technique. There are two key steps to follow. 1. You have to start with a sizzling hot pot. 2. Once you place the meat in the pot, don’t mess with it. Leave the meat alone to brown. You will know when it is ready to turn when it no longer sticks to the bottom of the pot. Brown the meat on all sides. This process should take about 10-12 minutes. The meat should look like this at the end of this step:

While the meat is browning puree the canned tomatoes in a blender to a smooth consistency. Add the tomatoes, garlic & herbs over the meat once all sides are browned.

 

I listed four herbs I think play nicely with the heartiness of the meat and sweetness of the tomatoes but you do not need all four. I say choose your two favorite. You should have enough tomatoes to submerge the meat. If you are a little short, add some water. Season with salt and pepper but be mindful of the sodium lever of the canned tomatoes. Adjust the salt level accordingly. Bring everything to a boil and reduce down to a low simmer. You want to cook over very low heat, with the lid a-jar, for about two hours, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should reduce by half and reach a thick consistency at the end of the two hours.

Remove the meat from the sauce. At this point the meat should be so tender it almost falls off the bone.

 

Cooking the pasta and finishing the dish:    

Bring water to a boil and add a liberal amount of salt. You want the pasta cooking water to taste like the ocean. This is your only chance to season the pasta. Once the pasta is slightly under al dente, drain it and add it to the tomato sauce to finish cooking the pasta for the final 2 minutes. You want the pasta to go directly from the water to the sauce so that the sauce can cling to the starches of the pasta.

Service:

You can either cut the meat into pieces and add it to the saucy pasta or serve it separately. Finish the dish with parmesan cheese.

The lamb imparts a magical flavor to the tomato sauce. This is such a hearty dish and you definitely want to enjoy it with a glass of red wine.  I served this at one of my parties and I was told it was the best pasta they ever tasted…. What a compliment!!