Ragù alla Napoletana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 8-quart Dutch oven or braising pot
• •Food mill for passing tomatoes
• •Tongs for turning meat

Instructions

1. 1

   Season and brown the beef

   Pat the beef chuck completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers but does not smoke. Add the beef and brown it deeply on all sides, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. This takes at least 12 minutes total. The crust should be dark mahogany, not pale tan. Remove to a plate.

   Proper browning is not optional. The Maillard reaction creates flavor compounds that no amount of simmering can replicate. If your meat is pale, your sauce will taste flat.
2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Add the spare ribs to the pot in a single layer. Brown well on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove to the plate with the beef. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. The sausages will finish cooking in the sauce, so you are only developing color and flavor here. Remove to the plate.

3. 3

   Build the base

   Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook 2 minutes more. The garlic should become fragrant and barely begin to color. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the onion for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Deglaze with wine

   Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. These are concentrated flavor. Let the wine simmer until it reduces by half, about 4 minutes. You should no longer smell sharp alcohol.

5. 5

   Add the tomatoes and meat

   Add the passed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Return the beef, ribs, and sausages to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. The meat should be mostly submerged. Tuck the basil bunch into the sauce. Bring to a simmer.

   Passing tomatoes through a food mill removes seeds and skins, creating the smooth texture proper to this sauce. A blender creates foam and incorporates air. Use a food mill.
6. 6

   Simmer for five hours

   Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. The sauce should barely simmer, with lazy bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds. This is the pippiare. Partially cover the pot, leaving a gap for steam to escape. Cook for 5 hours, stirring gently every 30 to 45 minutes and turning the meat occasionally. If the sauce reduces too much, add a splash of water.

   The sauce transforms during these hours. It will darken from bright red to deep burgundy. It will thicken and concentrate. It will develop a sweetness that comes from time alone. You cannot rush this.
7. 7

   Check the meat and sauce

   After 5 hours, the beef should be completely tender, yielding easily to a fork. The ribs should pull cleanly from the bone. The sauce should coat a spoon thickly. Remove the basil bunch, which has given everything it has. Taste the sauce and adjust salt. Remove all the meat to a warm platter and cover loosely with foil.

8. 8

   Cook the pasta

   Bring abundant salted water to a vigorous boil. The water should taste like the sea. Cook the ziti until al dente, with pleasant resistance at the center when bitten. This takes 1 to 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.

9. 9

   Dress the pasta

   Return the drained pasta to its pot. Add enough ragù to coat generously, about 2 cups. Toss over low heat for one minute, adding splashes of pasta water if needed to help the sauce cling. The pasta should be dressed, not swimming.

10. 10

    Serve in two courses

    Transfer the dressed pasta to a warm serving bowl. Pass Pecorino Romano at the table. This is the first course. When the pasta is finished, bring the platter of meat to the table. Slice the beef into thick pieces. Arrange the ribs and sausages alongside. Spoon a little additional sauce over the meat. This is the second course. This is Sunday dinner.

Chef Tips

• •Neapolitan families often add braciole to their ragù: thin slices of beef rolled around pine nuts, raisins, garlic, and parsley, tied with kitchen string. Add them with the other meats if you want the authentic Sunday feast.
• •The sauce must never boil vigorously. High heat toughens the meat and breaks down the tomatoes too quickly. Patience creates velvet from sinew.
• •Pecorino Romano, not Parmigiano-Reggiano, is traditional with this sauce. The sharp, salty sheep's milk cheese is the correct choice for Neapolitan ragù.
• •Some Neapolitan cooks add a pork rind to the pot for additional body. If you do this, remove it before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù improves dramatically overnight. Make it Saturday, refrigerate it, and reheat gently Sunday. The fat will solidify on top and can be removed if you prefer.
• •The sauce freezes beautifully for three months. Freeze the meat and sauce together in portions. Thaw overnight before reheating slowly.
• •If making ahead, slightly undercook the sauce by 30 minutes. It will finish when reheated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 620g)