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If you’re after a cosy, comforting dinner, this rich, slow-cooked beef shin ragu is the answer. It’s so delicious, full of meaty flavour, herbs, red wine, and tomato. As beef shin is naturally marbled with some fat and collagen, this melts slowly into the sauce, giving you a glossy, full-bodied ragu. All you need to do is spend a few minutes seering the beef shin then the oven does all the hard work, low and slow. Serve tossed through pasta, over Parmesan polenta or creamy mashed potato; it is so good.
This post walks you step-by-step through the entire process, from searing the shin to shredding the meat, and includes cooking times for the oven, hob, or slow cooker. You’ll also find make-ahead tips, troubleshooting, serving suggestions, and a few FAQs answered too.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It has deep, meaty richness from slow-braised beef shin that breaks down into fork-tender shreds.
- A simple one-pot recipe with minimal active prep time.
- Make-ahead and freezer friendly – the flavours continue to improve overnight.
- A slow-cooked, flavourful pasta dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight if prepped ahead and fancy enough for entertaining.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Beef shin – Beef shin comes from the lower leg of the cow, a hardworking muscle full of connective tissue and collagen. When cooked gently for a few hours, that collagen transforms into a silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture. This makes beef shin one of the best cuts for ragu, delivering maximum flavour with very little cost.
Beef stock – this can either be with a stock pot, a stock cube or shop-bought stock in a carton/tin. Homemade also works but I know that is an absolute rarity to have!
Red wine – use something you’d be happy to drink but it doesn’t have to be expensive either. Something like a Cabernet or Chianti but anything works in this beef shin ragu.
Parmesan rind – the Parmesan rind is key here! If you don’t have one spare or in the freezer, just cut the rind off the one you have open in the fridge. You can still grate the rest, but the rind is just used here!.
Substitutions and Variations:
Wine – if you can’t use wine, add 100ml more beef stock with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for the acidity. It may need a splash more balsamic vinegar at the end to mimic the acidity.
Thyme – swap for rosemary if you prefer, or fresh oregano sprigs.
Other cuts of beef – I prefer beef shin in this but you could also swap for ox cheek, or beef short ribs.
Cooking Methods
Stovetop: Very low simmer for about 2 hours until the beef is falling apart.
Slow Cooker: Low for 6-8 hours. (Great if you want to prep before work.)
Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot: Brown the beef first, then cook on High Pressure for 45-60 minutes.
Allow 10 minutes natural release. Reduce the sauce on sauté mode if needed.
Here’s how to make beef shin ragu with tagliatelle:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil then sear the beef shin until they’re well browned.
TWO: Add the diced veg to the same pan in which you seared the shin, with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
THREE: Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional/355°F.
FOUR: Add the bay leaves, thyme, parmesan rind, and tinned tomatoes to the pot and the stock. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the beef shin back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
FIVE: Cook low and slow for about 2.5 hours in the oven. If you’d rather, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 2 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender. Shred up the meat and add back to the sauce.
SIX: Then boil the pasta in well-salted boiling water and then drain. Add the pasta to the pan of ragu. Add a few spoons of pasta water and toss together. Top with parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
Cooking Tips:
My ragu is too thin – Remove the meat, simmer the sauce uncovered until reduced, then return the meat. This should thicken it up.
My beef isn’t very tender – Keep cooking. Beef shin needs enough time for the collagen to break down. When it’s ready, it will fall apart easily.
Batch cooking tip – Double the sauce so you can freeze extra portions for quick midweek meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, brown the beef, add all ingredients, then cook on High Pressure for 45-60 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. If the sauce needs thickening, switch to sauté mode and reduce it down until it’s thickened.
Around 350ml of stock, just enough to almost cover the beef in the pot. Depending on your pan shape, you may need up to 500ml, until they are just covered.
Once you have tossed the pasta with the ragu sauce, finish with a knob of butter or a splash of olive oil to emulsify the sauce and give it a beautiful glossy finish.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you have made this beef shin ragu, you may also want to try making my red wine braised beef ribs or my garlic butter steak bites. For something similar, my beef ribs ragu is also delicious.
Easy Beef Recipes
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
Easy Pasta Recipes
Burrata with Pasta (Tomato Burrata Pasta)
Easy One Pot Dishes
One Pan Leek Pasta With Crispy Parma Ham
Easy Pasta Recipes
Nduja and Sausage Pasta Bake
If you tried this Beef Shin Ragu or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Slow Cooked Beef Shin Ragu
Ingredients
For the ragu:
- 500 g beef shin
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 100 ml red wine, something you would drink but nothing expensive
- 350 ml beef stock
- 1 x 400g tin of tinned chopped tomatoes, or passata
- ½ tsp sugar, or 1 tsp balsamic glaze
To serve:
- 400 g tagliatelle or pappardelle
- Parmesan
- Fresh parsley or basil, to top
Instructions
- Pat the beef shin dry to help them brown nicely. Season generously with salt and, if possible, leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine. If you don’t have time, just move on to searing.
- Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil then sear the beef shin until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside. You just want some colour.
- I like to blitz the carrots, celery, garlic and onions in my food processor for a quick fine dice. But you can also do by hand. Add the diced veg to the same pan in which you seared the shin, with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional/355°F.
- Add the bay leaves, thyme, parm rind, and tinned tomatoes to the pot and the stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the beef shin – around 350 but could be more (e.g. 500ml), depending on your pan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the beef shin back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
- Cook low and slow for about 2.5 hours in the oven. If you’d rather, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 2 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender.
- Shred up the meat and add back to the sauce.
- At this stage, you can refrigerate the ragu for up to 3-4 days and reheat when needed.
- Then boil the pasta in well-salted boiling water and then drain. Add the pasta to the pan of ragu. Add a few spoons of pasta water and toss together. Top with parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious. I used my inst-pot, the meat came out so tender, sauce was perfect.. Approved by family members and this will be on our rotation of new meals this winter.
Thank You!
Thank you for the lovely review Susan, so glad your family loved it too!
I love ragu, and this beef shin one is one of my favourites. The meat is falling-apart tender and the sauce is so rich from red wine, stock and tomatoes. It’s a great weekend meal for the whole family.