Sometimes, you just need comfort food. And what is more comforting than a thick tomato meat sauce over polenta, or Cowboy Style Beef Ragout?
This recipe adapted from Cooking Light is reminiscent of Sloppy Joe’s, but is a bit more grown up.
I made a batch of this for my husband to thaw and eat on nights that I work late. Just heat and serve over polenta or egg noodles.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 sliced green onions, white and green parts divided
- 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 3 cups strained tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Combine chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add beef and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to crumble.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white parts of green onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove mixture from pan using a slotted spoon (you want to keep some of the drippings still in the saute pan). Add the pearl onions to pan and cook 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and ketchup, and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in cornstarch mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in beef mixture and green parts of green onions. Sprinkle with chives.
Serve over polenta.
This is a simple family-friendly recipe. However, if you have kids, I’d suggest finely cutting up the onions (or use shallots instead) because it’s a safe assumption most kids won’t be thrilled with large onions in their meal.
This recipe could also handle some diced carrots or some bell peppers sauteed with the onions to some veggies to the mix.
Cowboy Style Beef Ragout
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 sliced green onions white and green parts divided
- 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions thawed
- 3 cups strained tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Combine chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
- Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add beef and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to crumble.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white parts of green onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove mixture from pan using a slotted spoon (you want to keep some of the drippings still in the saute pan). Add the pearl onions to pan and cook 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and ketchup, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir in beef mixture and green parts of green onions. Sprinkle with chives.
- Serve over polenta.
