Cooking A French Style Ragout Is Easy With This Recipe!

red wine

🥗Healthier: grape juice

💰Cheaper: cooking wine

Grape juice offers a non-alcoholic option while cooking wine is more affordable.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth reduces calories and can be made inexpensively.

mushrooms

🥗Healthier: zucchini

💰Cheaper: canned mushrooms

Zucchini provides a similar texture with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while canola oil is often cheaper.

Chop all the vegetables and the meat into bite size pieces. Keep the bell pepper, the carrots and the celery separate.

In a small pot, add the bell pepper, carrots and celery pieces and just barely cover with water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until 'al dente'.

Meanwhile, heat a larger pot with your cooking oil. Sear the meat from all sides and then extract onto a plate. Try to keep the fat in the pan.

In the same pan, add the diced bacon. Render the bacon but not so far that it's crispy.

Add the diced onion and the minced garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Make sure the garlic doesn't burn.

Add the mustard and the smoked paprika. Sauté for another minute.

Add the can of tomatoes to deglaze the pot.

Add the bay leaf, the herbs de provence and the seared meat.

Turn heat down and let simmer on low, with a lid on until the meat is nice and soft. If it becomes too dry, add a little water to keep things moist and prevent burning.

Now add the cooked vegetables including the remaining cooking liquid.

You can either let it cool and store it in the fridge overnight for the next day, or simmer it for another 10 minutes or so and serve it right away. It's better the next day.

Cook the polenta using the broth like a risotto.

Serve the ragout over the polenta.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: