mutton & celery ragu
I absolutely love this ragu. It’s big, it’s rich, it deserves to have the last bits mopped up with some good quality bread.
It also goes really well at any time of the year. You can have it mixed into some lovely fresh pasta in the spring and summer, or pile it on top of polenta in the autumn and winter. It’s a real year-round favourite, so cook it up soon.
I like to roast the mince beforehand so that you get a lovely brown crispy coating on top, but you can also cook it up in a pan first if needed.. Just be sure to drain the fat from the mince before making the ragu.
for the ragu
900g mutton mince
600g pork mince
1 bulb of garlic (10-12 cloves)
1 head of celery (6-8 stalks)
450ml chicken or vegetable stock
200ml white wine
50g unsalted butter
30g grated parmesan
olive oil
salt & pepper
method
Start by preheating your oven to 220c.
Next, mix the mutton and pork mince together and lay out on a baking tray.
Sprinkle with a little salt and bake for 10 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, break up the mince and cook for another 5 minutes until browned.
Drain off the fat and add the mince to a deep roasting dish.
Next, deglaze the baking tray with a little white wine and set to the side.
Turn your oven down to 150c.
Now, roughly chop the celery and garlic cloves and cook in a saucepan with a little oil and salt over a medium heat. You are just looking to soften it here, not fully cook it down.
Once soft, add the celery and garlic to the deep roasting dish, on top of the mince.
Add the wine (both the wine that you used to deglaze and the rest that you measured out) to the saucepan that you just cooked the vegetables in, and bring to a boil.
Add the stock and bring it back to a boil.
Pour all this liquid over the mince and celery mix and give it a little stir.
Bake for 2.5 hours at 150c, stirring every 30 minutes.
It will go from a point where it looks like a chunky soup to a point where it has all come together and looks like a thick, glossy, delicious ragu. If it starts to dry out, just cover it with some silver foil to keep the moisture in the pan.
Once it’s cooked, you can let it cool and thicken up.
After that, portion off what you are going to eat and heat it up in a saucepan with a stick of butter and a handful of grated parmesan.
Mix it into some fresh pasta, or pile it on top of polenta.
Eat it and enjoy it!
