Beef Ragout Country-Style

Beef ragout country-style is the rustic stew that turns a tough chuck into spoon-tender beef in a deep, glossy wine-and-tomato sauce. Onions, garlic, mushrooms, and salty ripe olives stretch the dish out into something that fills a plate over egg noodles and warms the kitchen for hours.

The high-heat sear is the foundation. Brown the beef in batches without crowding, since piling cubes into a single layer steams the meat instead of building that deep mahogany crust. Working in two batches takes a few extra minutes but pays you back in flavor.

A full Burgundy-style red wine like Pinot Noir or a basic Cotes du Rhône is the right call. The wine reduces during the long simmer, leaving behind body and complexity. Skip the cheap cooking wine. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.

Draining and quartering the canned tomatoes (rather than dumping in the juice) keeps the sauce from going watery. The tomatoes should hold their shape as a gentle vegetable presence, not turn the dish into a tomato stew.

The ripe olives go in at the end so they hold their shape and add bursts of briny saltiness in every bite. Cooking them too long makes them shrivel and turn bitter. The same goes for the final hit of fresh parsley, which keeps its bright color and grassy snap.

Chef Tips

• Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels before searing. Wet meat steams instead of browning.
• Use a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot. Even heat distribution is everything for braising.
• If the sauce is too loose at the end, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes to reduce.
• Make a day ahead. Like most braises, this dish tastes even better after a night in the fridge.

Variations

• Add diced carrots and a parsnip or two during the first simmer for sweetness and body.
• Use Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives instead of ripe black olives for more punch.
• Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the canned tomatoes for deeper umami.