There’s something so comforting and magical about this Slow Cooked Brisket Ragu. It’s rich, hearty and just a little bit fancy without trying too hard. Whether you’re serving it with pasta, creamy polenta or buttery mashed potatoes, this dish is guaranteed to impress. And the best part? It’s mostly hands-off. Just a little chopping and searing at the beginning, and then your slow cooker or Instant Pot does most of the work! The result? Tender brisket that melts into a rich tomato and red wine sauce.
It’s one of my absolute favourite meals to make for friends and family – perfect for cozy weekend dinners and feeding a crowd. This brisket ragu also freezes beautifully, so you can batch cook it once and stash portions away for future dinners. You’ll want to high-five yourself, I promise.
How to make Slow Cooked Brisket Ragu
I’ve made similar sauces with many different cuts of meat over the last 10+ years. It’s actually crazy that I haven’t shared this recipe sooner! Pork shoulder, lamb leg, beef short ribs, blade roast or chuck steak all work really well here. This time I used beef brisket as it’s pretty inexpensive, but has a great flavour and is just perfect for slow cooking. It becomes soooo tender when braised for 8+ hours.
The first step is to brown off the brisket either in a frying pan or with the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. Next time I will make sure to cut the brisket into 3-4 pieces before frying it off. Brisket has very long muscle fibres. If you’re slow-roasting or smoking it, you would slice against the grain for the most tender meat. But since we’re shredding it for this ragu, it naturally pulls apart into long strands. Cutting it into quarters beforehand would help. I’ve noted that in the recipe below.
Onion, carrot and garlic are the building blocks of flavour in rich sauces like ragu. Once you’ve fried them off until soft in a little olive oil, add everything else – red wine, beef stock, canned and fresh tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper into the Instant Pot or slow cooker. You will want to slow cook this for at least 6 hours, preferably 8 or 9 if you have the time. The brisket braises in the liquid and absorbs all of those flavours to create the most delicious sauce. Your house is going to smell so damn good!
When the brisket is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot and place into a bowl or dish so you can shred the meat apart with two forks. It should be falling apart easily. In the meantime, simmer the sauce down for 20-30 minutes to reduce and thicken it slightly and taste for seasoning. Return the meat to the sauce and keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
What about pasta?
Well the short answer is that you can use any shape of pasta that you like. A ragu like this is commonly served with pappardelle or tagliatelle – wide ribbon-shaped pasta that has a large surface area for excellent sauce coverage. Rigatoni is also an excellent option with ridges that ‘grip’ the sauce. This time, I’ve used a new-to-me pasta shape called casarecce, which are loosely rolled lengthways in a ‘scroll’ shape. I really liked it! They were fun to eat and held onto the ragu perfectly. Whatever pasta you use, cook it in boiling, salted water according to the package instructions. Reserve a little pasta water before draining, and add a splash as you toss the pasta through the ragu.
This brisket ragu makes enough sauce to serve 8 (or even more!) people. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I actually think it tastes even better the next day! And as I mentioned, it freezes beautifully too. Defrost in the fridge overnight or gently reheat on the stove with a splash of stock if necessary.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you make it, please tag me on Instagram and let me know, or leave me a comment below!
Related Post: Eggplant Pasta (Pasta alla Norma)
Slow Cooked Brisket Ragu
Rich, comforting Slow Cooked Brisket Ragu tossed with pasta. A hearty, make-ahead dinner that’s perfect for cozy nights and special occasions.
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg beef brisket
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 800 g canned diced tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
- 100 g cherry tomatoes
- Pasta, to serve (I used casarecce)
- Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
- Fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Cut the brisket into 3-4 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frypan and sear the brisket on all sides until it has started to brown. Remove from the pan and add to the bowl of your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
- Peel and finely dice the onion and carrot. In the same pan over medium heat, add another tablespoon of oil and fry off the diced onion and carrot until slightly softened – be careful not to burn. Add these to the slow cooker with the brisket.
Next, add the garlic, beef stock, red wine, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir to roughly combine. Place the lid on and set to slow cook for minimum 6 hours, up to 9 hours.
When cooked, remove the brisket from the pot and place into a bowl or dish. Shred the meat with 2 forks. In the meantime, set the sauce to reduce for 20-30 minutes (I used the Sauté setting on Instant Pot with the lid removed). Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you like. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Return the meat to the sauce and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Cook your pasta according to package directions in salted boiling water. Reserve some of the cooking water.
Drain pasta and return to a large pot. Add the sauce and some of the water and stir until well combined. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and some fresh basil.