Prep/Cook time: 8/9hr, Serves: 4, – Photography: David Loftus
This dish is a beloved and traditional Sunday lunch in many Southern Italian families. Growing up, Sundays simply wouldn’t have been the same without il ragù. The weekend often began with the housewife’s early trip to the butcher to select the perfect cuts of meat. With the carefully wrapped package in hand, she would already be imagining how it would be cooked.
Back home, surrounded by children, grandparents, and perhaps a neighbour or two, the preparations would begin. Heated discussions would break out among the women over what ingredients to include and how to properly seal the meat—just like in the film Saturday, Sunday and Monday (1990), where Sophia Loren finds herself in a passionate debate at the butcher shop about the perfect ragù!
The ragù would then be left to simmer slowly on the stove, often in a large terracotta pot, for most of Saturday and sometimes even overnight—a cooking time of 12 hours or more was not uncommon. As the sauce bubbled away, the women would prepare fresh pasta, exchange gossip, or in some households, recite the rosary. The rich aroma of simmering ragù, the warmth of the wood-fired stove, the laughter of playing children, and the lively chatter of the women all signaled that the weekend had truly begun.
Traditionally, ragù was made with various cuts of beef—shin, knuckle, chuck—enhanced by the addition of nervetti (tendons) for extra depth of flavour, alongside pork cuts such as ribs and shanks. The distinct taste of the sauce came from home-preserved bottled tomatoes, made at the end of summer.
The secret to a perfect ragù lies in patience. It must be cooked over an extremely low heat, partially covered, with the telltale plop, plop, plop sound as it gently simmers. The moment the sauce and olive oil separate, with the oil rising to the top, you know the ragù is ready.
Traditionally, ragù is served in two courses: first, the rich tomato sauce is enjoyed with pasta, followed by the slow-cooked meat. Popular pasta shapes included ziti or candele, though preferences varied from village to village. In my hometown of Minori, we favoured fusilli—not the mass-produced twists found in shops today, but long, delicate curls made by rolling the dough around umbrella spokes. I still know ladies who make fusilli this way, and whenever I visit, I always bring back a bag to enjoy with my version of il ragù.
Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
600g beef shin, cut into about six chunks
4 pork ribs
500g stewing pork, cut into chunks
5 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp tomato purée, mixed with 1 tbsp lukewarm water
400g canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups tomato passata
A handful of basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the olive oil in a very large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for a couple of minutes until softened. Add all the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate, then stir in the tomato purée to coat the meat.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute before adding the passata, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for six hours, stirring occasionally. If needed, add a little stock or water to maintain the liquid level.
After three hours, remove the ribs and pork and set them aside. About twenty minutes before the end of cooking time, return the ribs and pork to the sauce to heat through. Remove from the heat and let rest for ten minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and set aside. Toss freshly cooked pasta with the rich tomato sauce, serving the meat as a separate main course.
Slow Cooker Method
Traditionally, this dish is cooked in a large pot, with all the meat browned together to blend the flavours. If using a slow cooker, you may find it easier to brown the meat in batches. Sweat the onion and brown the meat as above. Follow the same steps up to bringing the sauce to a boil, then transfer everything to a large slow cooker.
Press the meat beneath the liquid, cover, and cook on low for eight to nine hours (there’s no need to remove the ribs and pork partway through). Serve as above, with pasta dressed in the sauce and the meat as a separate course.
