Wagyu Beef Cheek Ragu
Six hours of slow braise, twelve minutes to serve.
Wagyu beef cheeks braised in red wine and San Marzano tomatoes with soffritto, garlic and rosemary. Falls apart with a spoon; loves fresh pappardelle. A cold-Sunday centrepiece that punches well above its price point.
Cook it right
- 01
Season & sear
Season the cheeks generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat and sear cheeks in batches until deeply caramelised on all sides — 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- 02
Build the soffritto
Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onion, carrot and celery. Sweat gently for 10 minutes until softened and sweet. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- 03
Deglaze
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in red wine, scrape the base, and simmer until almost fully reduced — about 5 minutes.
- 04
Braise low & slow
Return the cheeks to the pot with any resting juices. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, rosemary and bay. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and slide into a 150 °C oven for 5 – 5½ hours, until the meat surrenders to a fork.
- 05
Shred & finish
Lift the cheeks out, shred with two forks, discard any large fat pieces, and return to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken. Season to taste.
- 06
Serve
Cook pappardelle to al dente, toss through the ragu with a splash of pasta water, and finish with grated pecorino and torn basil. Serve immediately.
- Wagyu cheeks are richer than standard beef cheek — resist the urge to add butter to the sauce.
- The ragu freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Portion into 500 g bags for a mid-week rescue meal.
The exact cuts you'll need
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Diced Beef
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