Creamy Polenta with Braised Beef Ragout

A smooth polenta bound with parmesan, topped with meat that falls apart with a fork. The sauce is thick, glossy, and rich with cooking juices.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 90 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 830
• Protein: 38 g
• Carbs: 63 g
• Fat: 46 g

Ingredients

• 250 g Corn flour ( for polenta )
• 300 g Ground beef 15% fat ( fresh )
• 200 g Sausage meat ( plain )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely diced )
• 1 piece Carrot ( small cubes )
• 1 piece Apium graveolens ( sliced )
• 150 ml Red wine ( dry )
• 400 ml Tomato juice ( plain )
• 50 g Parmesan cheese ( grated )
• 30 g Minimum butter sweet
• 1 L Mineral water
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste

Instructions

1. Preparation of the aromatic base

   Dice the onion, carrot, and celery into small brunoise. Finely mince the garlic. These vegetables will melt to create the base of the sauce.

2. Browning the meats

   In a Dutch oven with olive oil, brown the beef and sausage meat over high heat. The meat should be well browned to develop the cooking juices.

3. Deglazing and simmering

   Add the vegetables, then the tomato paste. Sauté for 2 minutes. Deglaze with red wine while scraping the bottom. Add the tomato juice, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and let reduce over low heat until the meat is tender.

4. Cooking the polenta

   Bring salted water to a boil. Pour the cornmeal in a steady stream while stirring constantly. Cook until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan.

5. Final binding

   Whisk the butter and parmesan into the polenta to achieve a creamy texture that coats the spoon. Adjust the seasoning of the ragout.

Chef's tips

• The polenta is ready when it starts bubbling like a volcano and heavily coats the spoon.
• Don't hesitate to let the ragout simmer longer: the longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be.

Storage

The ragout keeps for 3 days in the fridge. The polenta will firm up as it cools; reheat it with a little milk or water to restore its creaminess.