Food, Recipes

Ragù alla Puttafalsa with Beef and Mushroom

I have some leftover feta cheese in the fridge, so I was in a mediterranean mood when I went shopping.  This dish was inspired by ossobuco and puttanesca sauce, but this is not a traditional version of either.

I’m planning to serve it alongside a risotto, rather than over pasta, but it should make a decent pasta sauce as well.  Note that I refrigerated the dish after the initial cooking in order to allow the meat to firm up and more time for the flavors to meld.  You don’t have to do that, but the beef will likely have a little less flavor and a less pleasant texture.  You can also more easily cut up the refrigerated, cooked meat into smaller chunks if desired.

I also served this with gremolata, which is a traditional condiment for ossobuco.  I’ve included my mix for it, but you should feel free to ignore it.  It’s not entirely traditional either, since I added feta to it.  It was pretty good, though.

Hardware:

  • Sauté pan (very large)
  • Spatula
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Olive Oil

Software:

Ragù-

  • 1 lb. of Stew Beef (cubed)
  • 1 medium Onion (diced)
  • 2 tbsp. Garlic (minced)
  • 1 lb. Mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1/2 Bell Pepper (Julliened)
  • 1 tbsp. Parsley (or 2 tbsp. fresh, crumbled)
  • 3/4 cup White Wine (I used a Riesling because I had it)
  • 12 Kalamata Olives (pitted and sliced)
  • 1 28oz. can of Tomatoes (diced w/ italian spices, drained)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Gremolata-

  • Zest of one Lemon (grated)
  • 1/2 cup of Feta cheese (crumbled)
  • 1/2 cup of Fresh Parsley (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tbsp. Garlic (minced)

Preparation:

Brown the beef, using oil to lube the pan.  Remove beef and sauté mushrooms and onions until browned.  Add garlic, stir to warm then deglaze the pan with wine.  Add the rest of the ragu ingredients and bring back to a simmer.  Drop the heat to maintain barely a simmer.  Braise until the meat is fork tender (about three hours), stirring occasionally.

Remove ragu from heat and allow to cool.  Drain excess liquid if the dish is too thin. Refrigerate overnight.  Before serving, warm the ragu until hot.

Mix together the gremolata ingredients.  Use to garnish the ragu.