The ragu with a body that mince can only dream about

A proper Italian Sunday ragu was never made from mince alone — it was made from whatever cut had bones and time in it. Beef ribs are exactly that cut. They braise in tomato until the meat shreds at a glance, and the bones quietly lend the sauce a gloss and richness you can't buy in a jar. Spooned over soft, buttery polenta, it's about the most comforting plate this kitchen turns out. Start it after lunch and it's ready when the evening turns cold.

4 hrs 6 servings Prep 20 minsCook 3 hrs 40 minsMain CourseItalian

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg Your Farmer grass-fed beef ribs (one rack), cut between the bones into individual ribs
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) dry red wine
  • 2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
  • 250ml beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 190g (1 cup) polenta (for the polenta)
  • 1.25 litres water (for the polenta)
  • 1 tsp salt (for the polenta)
  • 40g butter (for the polenta)
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve (for the polenta)

Instructions

For the ragu

Season the ribs well and brown them in the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, in batches, until deeply coloured. Set aside.

1.2kg beef ribs1 tbsp olive oil

Lower the heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery in the same pot for about 8 minutes, until soft and sweet.

1 onion1 carrot1 stick celery

Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then add the wine and let it bubble away for 2 to 3 minutes.

4 cloves garlic125ml red wine

Add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves, return the ribs, and bring to a bare simmer. Lid ajar, cook gently for 3 hours — a stovetop murmur or a 150C oven both work — until the meat slips from the bones.

2 cans crushed tomatoes250ml beef stock2 bay leaves

Lift out the ribs, shred the meat with two forks and discard the bones. Skim the fat from the sauce, return the meat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thick and glossy. Season to taste.

For the polenta

When the ragu is nearly there, bring the water and salt to a simmer in a wide pot and rain in the polenta, whisking as you pour.

190g polenta1.25L water1 tsp salt

Cook over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring often, until thick and no longer grainy. Stir through the butter and parmesan.

40g butter40g parmesan

Spoon the polenta into wide bowls, ladle the ragu over the top and finish with extra parmesan.

Appears in

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed beef share — vacuum-sealed steaks, roasts, mince and sausages, paddock-to-plate NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Grass Fed Beef Share
From $176.67

Why Bones Make a Better Ragu

Mince makes a fine midweek sauce — but it can't do what a bone-in rib does. As the ribs braise, their connective tissue melts into gelatine, and that's what gives this ragu its gloss, its body, and the way it clings to polenta instead of sliding off. The meat shreds into long, silky strands that hold sauce the way mince never will. Your Farmer® beef ribs come as a rack of about 1.2kg in Pack B and Pack D beef shares, and once cooked and shredded they give you roughly 500 to 600g of rich rib meat — the right amount to carry two cans of tomatoes and feed six. This is the dish that justifies ribs to anyone who thought they were only for the barbecue.

Swaps and Variations

Pappardelle or rigatoni step in for polenta whenever the table votes that way — save a cup of pasta water to loosen the sauce. A handful of sliced mushrooms in with the soffritto deepens it further, white wine works as well as red, and a pinch of chilli flakes suits the adults' bowls. If you love this style of sauce, it sits in the same family tree as our Sunday bolognese — same patience, different cut. Leftover ragu also makes a magnificent pie: use it exactly as you would the beef and mushroom pie filling, under a sheet of puff.

Storage and Leftovers

The ragu keeps, airtight, in the fridge for 4 days and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — it's one of the best-value things a freezer can hold. Polenta is a different story: it sets solid as it cools, which is its own gift. Press leftovers into a dish, chill, cut into squares and pan-fry them in butter until crisp — then spoon reheated ragu straight over.

One rack, six serves, and a freezer stash besides — a CSA beef share keeps the makings coming with Pack B and Pack D deliveries.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use instant polenta?

Yes — follow the packet timing, which is only a few minutes. The texture is a touch less silky than the slow-cooked kind, but dinner will still be grand.

How much meat does the rack actually give?

About 500 to 600g once braised and shredded — which is exactly right for this quantity of sauce across six bowls.

Can I make the ragu in a slow cooker?

Yes. Brown the ribs and vegetables first, then cook everything on LOW for 8 hours. Shred the meat, then reduce the sauce with the lid off on HIGH — or in a pan — until it thickens. That last step matters.

Can I skip the wine?

Easily — leave it out and add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar at the end for the same lift.

My polenta went lumpy — can it be saved?

Usually. Whisk hard with a splash of hot water and most lumps surrender. Next time, rain the polenta in slowly and whisk constantly for the first minute — that's when lumps form.

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