Everyone makes Beef Ragu, but have you ever tried Lamb Ragu? Though not as popular, the latter one has a robust flavor and a rich mouthfeel. Boneless Lamb shoulder chunks are slowly braised in a rich tomato sauce. Slow cooking gives the most tender shredded lamb ragu that Red wine adds a depth of flavor. If you are not a fan of tasting the alcohol in the food, the trick is to reduce it well before adding the lamb. This trick always works for me in Slow Cooker Lamb Stew Recipe, where you can barely taste the wine while eating.
How to make it in a Slow Cooker?
You can absolutely make it in slowcooker. But to make it in a slow cooker, you still have to brown the lamb and make the sauce base on the stovetop. After you add the browned lamb back to sauce, shift all the content to a crock pot and braise on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours until the lamb shoulder is fall-apart tender. But wait. There are multiple reasons why a slow cooked recipe should just be the one that you are looking for even on a busy day.
Reasons why you should make the slow-cooked Lamb ragu
Slow to cook but fast to finish – The hands-on part of this recipe is only to prep the ingredients and saute them together. Should take you about 30 minutes max. This is the fast-to-finish part. Leave the rest of the time for the heat to convert humble ingredients into heavenly deliciousness. Slow to cook! Uses pantry ingredients – There is no need to plan an extra trip to the grocery store. What you have is what you use. One pot, one ladle – I love cooking, but scrubbing the utensils? Nuh-uh, not so much. So, let’s maximize the cooking time and minimize the clean up. Perfect for meal prep – Cook a big batch on Sunday. Enjoy it for a relaxed lunch. Then, freeze or refrigerate the rest into weekday-night portions. Trust me, you would want to pair a different pasta with it and have it every night of the week. Insanely delicious – I sometimes wonder if this point should head the list or be at the bottom? But, any which ways this recipe delivers a perfect 10 on the delicious scale! Try it to know it.
I hope I have convinced you to give my awesome Slow-cooked lamb ragu recipe a try. And when you label your portions, do add a little smiley to it. Or maybe five smileys. To give it a 5-star rating and ensure that a cooked portion is always available in your freezer for you to relish.
The ragu tastes amazing over some creamy mashed potatoes and a fresh salad on the side. Or even better spoon it over creamy Polenta. Last but not least, do not miss having a toasty crusty bread handy. It is perfect for mopping up any and all leftover ragu.
Storing Suggestions
The flavor of the meaty ragu develops over time so can be safely refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. With the variety of pasta that it can be paired with, I guarantee that you will be pulling out a portion every weekday night. So, that’s your meal prep covered for a week! To store it for longer, do not add the pasta, the cheese or the basil garnishes. Once the ragu is ready, cool it down completely and portion it out into freezer bags. Slightly press on these bags to make them flat and then they will stack up nicely in your freezer compartment. The ragu can stay up to 3 months in the freezer and ensure a cozy meal any time you want. When it is time to consume, pull out a pack and thaw it by placing it in the refrigerator the previous night. You can alternatively leave it on your countertop for a couple of hours. Once thawed, gently heat it in a pot till it bubbles, add any kind of cooked pasta with a little pasta water if required. Give it a good toss and simmer it for a couple of minutes. Garnish with parmesan cheese and basil and serve. If you are a fan of chunky rich sauce with pasta then give this Gnocchi Bolognese a try.
