RECIPE: Tuscan simplicity inspires Beef Ragu Crostone
My culinary philosophy is to start with the best quality ingredients and do as little to them as possible so as not to mess them up. Recently, I assisted with cooking classes in the heart of Tuscany, where there is immense focus on the quality of the ingredients. The region is known for food with straightforward flavors like this Beef Ragu Crostone, inspired by the famed Italian butcher and restaurateur Dario Cecchini.
Cecchini’s original dish is unbelievably good, incredibly complex in ingredients, technique and taste. For this easy weeknight version, I mimic the richness in his curated beef blend by using umami-rich grass-fed beef and a glug of Worcestershire. To achieve more layered nuances, each step is cooked in the pan to almost dry, concentrating and intensifying the flavors along the way. The result is a quick Italian-inspired, supper-worthy sloppy Joe. Now all you need is an insalata mista and a nice Chianti.
Beef Ragu Crostone
Crostini are small pieces of toasted or fried bread, usually served with a topping as an appetizer. Since the pieces of bread in this recipe are more substantial, they are called crostone. The larger pieces of bread better soak up the sauce in this easy, but elevated, sloppy Joes.
If you have it on hand, substitute beef broth for the water to make a more deeply flavored sauce.
- 1 bake-at-home demi-baguette
- 2 peeled garlic cloves, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound grass-fed beef
- 1 cup strained tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water or beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the bread lengthwise, then halve it to make 4 pieces. Place in the oven and bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven off. Take 1 of the garlic cloves and rub it all over the cut sides of the bread. Reserve the clove. Return the garlic-rubbed bread to the oven to keep warm.
- Finely chop the reserved garlic clove and the remaining whole clove. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring often, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook the meat until it is completely cooked through and nearly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved garlic and tomato sauce; continue to cook, regulating the heat so the sauce does not burn and stirring until nearly dry, about 3 minutes.
- In the tomato sauce measuring cup, use a scraper to stir together the water or beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any remaining tomato sauce from the sides. Pour the liquids into the beef-tomato mixture. Stir to combine with the wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be loose and somewhat brothy. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the warm bread from the oven. Divide the meat with juices atop the bread. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, using water: 480 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 30 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 22 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 77 milligrams cholesterol, 814 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
