Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek and Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 1kg beef cheeks 150g sliced streaky bacon, thickly sliced 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4 anchovies, finely chopped 2 bay leaves 2 cups red wine 2 tablespoons tomato paste 30g butter 400g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced 1 cup beef consomm Cooked pappardelle, to serve

Method 1. Preheat oven to 160C or 140C fan-force. 2. Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. Season beef and cook in 2-3 batches for 4 minutes or until browned all over. Set aside. Cook bacon in same pan, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Set aside with beef. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, garlic, anchovy and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add wine and paste and scrape brown bits from base of pan. Return beef and bacon to pan with any juices. Bring to the boil. Cover and cook in oven for 11/2 hours. Turn beef and cook for another 1 hour or until beef is very tender. 3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook mushroom, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add mushroom and consome to beef and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Using 2 forks, coarsely shred beef.