Today we prepare a different ragù than usual, not the traditional ragù but a light and quick meat ragù.
Traditionally, ragù is a meat sauce: a single piece in the Neapolitan version, minced in the Bolognese version; certainly not lean.
It is made with tomato paste and preserves, and cooked slowly over a low flame, so it’s not fast.
For my light meat ragù, I used ingredients and precautions that allow obtaining a digestible and light condiment in a short time.
On holidays, Sundays, or simply whenever you feel like it, it’s excellent on tagliatelle and to stuff lasagna, baked pasta, and rice.
A simple recipe perfect for those who need to cook every day without complicating life.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the preparation of my light and quick meat ragù, I used:
selected minced meat, mixed beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want an even leaner ragù, you can use white meat mince like chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
- 1 cup tomato sauce (homemade)
- as needed soffritto mix (carrot, onion, celery)
- 9 oz mixed minced meat (beef and pork, lean, first cut)
- 1 shot white wine
- 1 broth cube (homemade vegetable [optional])
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- 1 Casserole with lid preferably glass
Preparation
Precautions for hyperglycemia | prediabetes and diabetes
– lean meat and simple ingredients;
– light cooking without sautéing;
– diced vegetables add fiber.
Prepare plenty of tomato sauce.
For the detailed step-by-step procedure, you can read the complete recipe by clicking the following link: homemade tomato sauce without sugar or oil in cooking.Alternatively, use tomato puree.
Canned tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, and ready-made sauces often contain added sugars and other ingredients that can contribute to increased blood sugar, always read the label.
Clean and wash the vegetables well: carrot, onion, and celery then cut them into cubes.
Cooking modifies the glycemic index of carrot: raw food GI 30, cooked food GI 85 but the amount used in the preparation is small and distributed among the portions, therefore, generally, the impact on blood sugar is negligible.
If you prefer, you can use a smaller amount than onion and celery or omit it altogether.Often – for convenience or when I don’t have fresh vegetables – I use a frozen soffritto mix.
Place the vegetables in a saucepan and heat them.
Add the minced meat, mix and break it up with the help of a silicone spatula.
Deglaze with the white wine and continue to stir until the alcohol has completely evaporated.
Add the tomato sauce and mix.
Add a vegetable broth cube [optional, to further flavor] and mix until it dissolves among the meat.
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Let it cook with a lid preferably in glass and on a low flame for 5-10 minutes until the ragù reaches the desired consistency.
When the ragù is about to thicken, stir repeatedly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.The cooking times vary in relation to the consistency more or less liquid of the tomato sauce and according to the destination of the ragù: denser if used to directly dress the pasta and more liquid if the pasta is to be baked.
If necessary, adjust the salt.Your light and quick meat ragù is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
The light and quick meat ragù is an easy condiment to balance with preferably whole carbohydrates [pasta or rice] and vegetables to compose a balanced meal or single dish that helps maintain stable blood sugar.
Storage, tips, and variations
If you want an even leaner meat ragù, you can use white meat mince like chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
You can prepare it in advance.
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Store it in the freezer portioned and sealed for 2-3 months, mark the preparation date; thaw it slowly in the refrigerator or in a water bath.
Vegetarian/vegan alternative: legume ragù, light and quick lentil ragù, hulled and non-hulled red lentil ragù or cauliflower ragù.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
You should know that!
Being a preparation based on minced meat, it must always be well cooked and not rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms.
On a steak, any contamination remains superficial and is eliminated during cooking.
– this is why it is possible to eat a rare or undercooked steak.
In preparations based on minced meat, contamination can spread inside.
– for this reason, when consuming burgers, meatballs, or other dishes based on minced meat, it is important for the cooking to be complete and not have any pink or undercooked areas.Which meat for ragù?
– beef;
– pork;
– mixed beef and pork;
– chicken;
– turkey.Meat cuts for ragù
For a light meat ragù, ask for a cut of selected minced meat or a lean first cut.
Your trusted butcher will best serve you.
For knowledge, lean meat cuts are:
– beef: rump or round;
– pork: tenderloin or loin;
* the loin is a cut where the lean part is visually distinct from the fat part, making it easily trimable.What minced meat for ragù?
The first-cut mince is leaner.
The second-cut mince is fattier.
For a light meat ragù, choose a first-cut mince.
