Beef Riggies

A while ago I bought a London Broil. Well, it's a top round sirloin but around here they call it a London Broil. My guess is, the cut is a London Broil from a top round steak.
Confused? I am.
I decided to slice it thin and saute it quickly for a Stroganoff.
It was horrible so there was no reason to expose you to that post. This is way better.

Since I still had half in the freezer, I decided to grind it and make a beef ragu.
For this recipe it was the perfect cut of meat. I will never buy another London Broil again, such a waste of money.

I made rigatoni to serve with the ragu. I wanted a pasta with an opening to hold all that luscious meet sauce and rigatoni's fit the bill.

About once a month The Nudge gets a visitor and they take him out to lunch. Usually he asks me what's on the menu for dinner so he doesn't eat the same thing. This morning he did not remember to do that.

Guess what he had for lunch? Oh, yeah.
Know what he said when he found out? "Wow, that's great, now I get to compare yours to theirs."

He's so lucky he was at work, nothing I could do but ask him if the sauce he had on his rigatoni was a meat sauce.
"Well, no."

Did you get a dollop of ricotta cheese on top?
"Well, no."

Did they serve it with homemade dinner rolls?
"Well, no, but they did have sliced bread."

So basically, smartazz, you will be comparing the pasta?
"I got a phone call, call you back when I'm in the car."

Never mess with a woman that spent the whole day making a Beef Ragu.
Riggie that, my dear.

Beef Ragu
makes 6 cups

* 8oz not so tender beef, cut into 1/2" cubes, partially frozen
* 1/2 large Spanish onion, chopped
* 1 large carrot
* 1 large parsnip
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 (28oz) can whole plum tomatoes, chopped
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with oregano, garlic and basil
* 1 cup white wine
* 1 cup water
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* salt & pepper

1. Make sure the meat is almost frozen so that it processes easily and does not get caught up in the blade.
Process until it resembles ground chuck. Remove to a bowl.
2. In the same processor bowl, pulse the onion, carrot, parsnip and garlic until they are minced but not pureed. Remove to bowl with meat.
3. In a heavy stockpot, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the meat mixture, turn the heat to medium high and saute until the meat and the vegetables are cooked and the bottom of the pan starts to take on color, about 20 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Saute for 5 minutes more.
4. Add the wine and stir, then the water and the tomatoes.
5. Season with the thyme, red pepper flakes and salt & pepper.
6. Cook, uncovered for 1 hour or until the bubbles are small, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
7. Taste for additional seasoning and adjust.

Two cups of sauce is enough for 2 cups of dry rigatoni and that is enough for two dinners and one lunch in this house.
Figure 1 cup sauce to 1 cup dried pasta for each serving.
A tablespoon of ricotta right before serving, and grated cheese if desired.
I never say no to either.