Stout & Pasilla Ragu with Quinoa Pappadelle

The Recipe

Serves: 4 people
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-2.5hrs

This recipe is a crazy concoction of many things, however, this dish is still familiar and comforting. With stout, melty beef cheek, pasilla chillies piled on top of some freshly made quinoa pasta - what could be more comforting?

ragu1.jpg

Lately, I have been learning more about beer and thoroughly enjoying it! The complexity of different styles of beer have endless possibilities when pairing with food - but what I particularly love is experimenting with beer in cooking.

This recipe is a crazy concoction of many things, however, this dish is still familiar and comforting. With stout, melty beef cheek, pasilla chillies piled on top of some freshly made quinoa pasta - what could be more comforting?

Warning; this recipe does take some time and patience but I guarantee it will be worth it!

 

RAGU INGREDIENTS
1kg beef cheeks
Pepper
Salt
5 (80g) pasilla chillies
100g yellow onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic
200g carrot, finely chopped
2.5tsp cinnamon powder
2.5 tsp white pepper
2tsp smoked paprika
250mls stout beer
500g really ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
200mls good beef stock
100g tomato paste
2tsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp Mexican oregano
3tsp sea salt (more if needed)

  1. Grill the pasilla chillies over an open flame until nice and dark. Cover warm water for 20 minutes. Take out and then slice thinly. Reserve the liquid

  2. Season beef cheeks with salt, pepper and brown them on high heat in olive oil in a heavy casserole pan

  3. Take out the beef and in the delicious fat and oil, turn the heat to medium and fry onions until translucent. Add in the carrot, garlic and chopped pasilla chillies

  4. Mix in the cinnamon, white pepper and smoked paprika

  5. Pour in stout, chicken stock, tomato paste, brown sugar, chopped tomatoes and reserved liquid from the pasilla chillies

  6. Loosely cover with a lid, and simmer for 2-3 hours until the liquid has reduced and the beef cheeks are melty in the mouth fall apart kinda texture and can be broken up easily with a spoon.

  7. Mix in chilli flakes, oregano and salt

QUINOA PAPPARDELLE
Makes about 400g
Preparation Time: 30minutes
Cook time: a few minutes

INGREDIENTS
100g quinoa flour*
50g Tipo ‘00’ flour
2 medium eggs
1 egg yolk
2g fine sea salt
Splash of olive oil

  1. Mix flours and salt together and create a well in the centre

  2. Place eggs and egg yolk in the well and whisk in the flour with a fork a little bit at a time. Add a dash of olive oil

  3. Mix until ingredients are combined and knead until the dough comes together and is smooth.

  4. If you are feeling lazy or a short for time, you can throw the ingredients in an electric mixer until it comes together

  5. Wrap dough in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30-40 minutes

  6. Divide dough into 4 pieces, cover the remainder while working with each portion

  7. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface and pass through pasta machine. Start at 0/1 setting and gradually move to the 3rd last setting. You want the pasta to be thick enough and have enough texture to hold up to the chunky ragu.

  8. When the pasta is the correct thickness, making sure it is well floured, fold over width side on top of each other and slice 2cm thick strips with a sharp knife. Separate with flour, cover and set aside until ready to cook.

  9. In boiling well-salted water, place pappardelle and cook for about 1 minute until aldente. Strain and coat in olive oil. Plate in bowls and scoop generous amounts of the ragu on top.

  10. Garnish with coriander and Mexican cotija cheese if your heart desires!

    *I blended quinoa and finely sifted it to make the flour