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Instant Pot Beef Ragu

By Lawman Johnson

Published on September 5, 2023

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 8 to 12

Instant Pot Beef Ragu

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped3 tablespoons tomato paste 6 garlic cloves, minced4 anchovy fillets, minced1 tablespoon dried oregano ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ cup red wine 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 ounce Parmesan cheese rind (optional)½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Before You Begin

For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of red pepper flakes. This recipe yields about 8 cups of sauce (enough to sauce 2 pounds of pasta). Serve with grated Parmesan.

Instructions

  1. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat 2 tablespoons oil in Instant Pot until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer browned and unbrowned beef to bowl.
  2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to fat left in pot. Add onion, carrot, and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, anchovies, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until mixture is fragrant and deeply browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and Parmesan rind, if using. Nestle beef into pot, along with any accumulated juices.
  4. Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
  5. Discard Parmesan rind, if using. Using potato masher, mash beef in pot until broken into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in parsley. Serve. (Ragu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Instant Pot Beef Ragu
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Instant Pot Beef Ragu

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Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 ounce Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 ounce Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 ounce Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

For the long-cooked flavor of a beef ragu in less time, we cut flavorful beef chuck-eye roast into 2- to 3-inch pieces and browned just half the meat to develop fond. Then, we lightly browned chopped onion and carrots in olive oil and the rendered beef fat. Next, we stirred in tomato paste, fresh garlic, anchovies, and dried oregano to further create the base for the sauce. To deglaze the pot and add brightness, we stirred in red wine. We opted for canned crushed tomatoes to give the sauce the right texture and tie it all together. We then returned the beef to the pot along with a Parmesan rind to boost savoriness. After 45 minutes in the Instant Pot under high pressure, the meat was tender enough to mash into bite-size pieces. We finished the ragu with a little chopped parsley for freshness and tossed it with pasta to serve.

Before You Begin

For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of red pepper flakes. This recipe yields about 8 cups of sauce (enough to sauce 2 pounds of pasta). Serve with grated Parmesan.

Instructions

  1. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat 2 tablespoons oil in Instant Pot until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer browned and unbrowned beef to bowl.
  2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to fat left in pot. Add onion, carrot, and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, anchovies, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until mixture is fragrant and deeply browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and Parmesan rind, if using. Nestle beef into pot, along with any accumulated juices.
  4. Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
  5. Discard Parmesan rind, if using. Using potato masher, mash beef in pot until broken into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in parsley. Serve. (Ragu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

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