You may recall that most of my meals are vegetarian— or even vegan. I have no problem with eating meat. But I usually cook for leftovers, and the idea of eating red meat every night for the rest of the week feels a bit…heavy. So most weeks, my my menu consists of a big batch of soup and a hearty salad.

So when I go full-carnivore, it had better be good– and boy, does this ragu fit the bill. The way the braised meat practically melts over the pasta— the umami of the meat and cooked tomatoes— a glass of red wine on the side— it’s both a perfect winter meal and about as far from a grain salad as you can get.

The time investment for this recipe is worth it. Starting with bone-in meat infuses the sauce with extra flavor. Then, you remove the meat from the pot, shred it, toss it back in, and let the whole thing simmer for another two hours. The result is a ragù that is impossibly rich yet still very sauce-y.

So make a Sunday of this. Fry your meat and start your braise. Then allow yourself to fall asleep on the couch with the newspaper while this bubbles away on the stove. Wake up, amble into the kitchen, pour yourself a glass of wine, and tuck into this incredible ragu for dinner.

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Five-hour, three-meat ragù

Serves 6 or so over pasta
From The Amateur Gourmet

Ingredients

1 pound (454g) lamb shoulder chops (or lamb necks)
1 pound (454g) pork spareribs
1 pound (454g) beef short ribs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced (you can chop all of the veg while the meat is browning!)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
5 anchovy fillets, chopped
A healthy grating of nutmeg
1-2 cups (236-473mL) white wine (I did a bit less so I could drink more)
One 28-ounce (794g) can crushed or diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce (425g) can plain tomato sauce (for my Australians: this is not the same as ketchup– here are some substitutes)
Handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Short-cut pasta (capunti, orecchiette, rigatoni… pick your favorite) or cooked polenta, to serve

Instructions

Pat the meat dry with paper towels; season with salt. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot, using enough to coat the entire bottom of the pot. Let heat until very hot. (If you are using a Dutch oven, as I did, you’ll know that you shouldn’t use high heat on enameled cookware–just give it some time on medium heat and it will get hot.) Brown the meat in batches on all sides, taking your time until you have a big pile of golden brown meat. Set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and anchovies. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Add the wine and cook for about 3 minutes, letting the alcohol evaporate and fill your kitchen with the smell of ragu in progress.

Return the meat to the pot and add the crushed tomatoes, the tomato sauce and 2 cups (473ml) of water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer the ragu for about 3 hours, stirring from time to time and adding more water if it gets too thick. (Or you can not stir and nap, instead.)

Remove all the meat from the pot with a pair of tongs and when it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat, getting rid of any bones or gristle. Return the shredded meat to the pot and stir. Simmer for another 2 hours, adding water if the sauce gets too thick.

Boil pasta right 10 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Undercook the pasta slightly, reserve a mugful of pasta water, and drain. Return to pot and add ragu plus a bit of pasta water. Let simmer gently on low to allow the flavors of the ragu infuse the pasta, adding pasta water if things get too dry. (Alternatively: cook your polenta and use that as a bed for the ragu!)

Serve garnished with parmesan and parsley, plus an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

Freezing for later: This recipe freezes well! Just pile into a freezer-proof glass container (I like mason jars, which I can defrost for individual servings).

December 2019: My 6-quart Dutch oven fit a recipe and a half’s worth of ingredients, allowing me to freeze more for later in the winter.