Drip Beef, Plus a Quick and Easy Ragù

Drip beef, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love the way I can fling a measly few ingredients into the slow cooker and then wander off,
oblivious.
I love the way you cook yourself–with absolutely no help from me–for hours and hours on end.
I love the way you emerge from the slow cooker: succulent, delicious, and ready for anything.
I love the way you are so welcoming of different accompaniments, embracing cuisines and combinations willy nilly.
I love the way you make me so many leftovers that freeze so well, and thaw so quickly.
I love the way that with you at my fingertips, I’m never at a loss for dinner.

Seriously people, you need this recipe in your repertoire. Read on.

The beauty of drip beef is that it’s insanely easy, yet you can make a big batch and use the extra as top-shelf convenience food later. It’s wholesome, it’s real food, and it’s delicious. I learned this recipe many years ago, and have used it more times than I can count in a dizzying array of dishes. From pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy to upscale nachos to fancy cocktail sandwiches with horseradish sour cream, this recipe can do it all. It’s great for parties, or when houseguests are coming, or when you’re lining up provisions for a week at the beach. It’s a lifesaver if you’re feeding picky children or kids big enough to all be going in different directions at dinnertime. Buy chuck roasts when they go on sale and with a couple of pantry ingredients, you’re golden.

Sometimes called Italian beef or Mississippi Pot Roast, this dish has a few variations out there. Most typically another recipe will call for a packet of Italian salad dressing mix or dry au jus mix in addition to the ingredients below. I don’t automatically use those for 2 reasons: first, I like to keep the roast flavorful, but neutral. That way I can use the meat however strikes my fancy. Second, I’m not salt sensitive, but those packets are sometimes so salty they make my fingers swell up unattractively.  Even if it tastes good, it’s often just not worth seriously fat fingers to me. But still, sometimes I toss a packet in there if it’s hanging around. As always, you do you. You can’t get this recipe wrong.

I made drip beef recently using 4 lb. of chuck roast. I had enough for French dip sandwiches the first night, nachos the second night, and still put a couple of quart bags’ worth in the freezer.

Here are a few of the things we make with leftover drip beef at my house:

Debris po’boy sandwiches (I thicken the jus a ittle)
Beef and cheddar sliders (excellent on Hawaiian buns or dinner rolls)
Various loose meat-type sandwiches, sloppy joes, BBQ beef, etc. . .
Nachos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos
Tex Mex casseroles
Cottage pie with red wine, mushrooms and herbs
Chili
Stuffed peppers with rice added
Italian beef over polenta (that’s “cheese grits” to you and me)
Calzones
Empanadas
Roast beef hash
Beefy stuffed baked potatoes
Open-faced roast beef and gravy sandwiches
Pasta sauces like this fast but tasty ragù:

How to make Easy Ragù:

Sauté a small onion and a few sliced mushrooms (if you have some) plus salt and pepper in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Then sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until the raw flour taste is gone.

Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ½ cup red wine, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and a teaspoon of dried basil to the pan. Turn the heat to medium high and cook down quickly for a minute or two, stirring vigorously and cleaning the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Lower the heat.

Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 cups chopped leftover drip beef with jus, plus one can of diced tomatoes. I also throw in a couple of the pepperoncini and a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes.

Simmer on low while you boil water and cook the pasta–I use wide egg noodles. Check and correct seasoning. Serve sauce over noodles with plenty of parmesan cheese.

And this easy beauty is my current favorite: soft tacos filled with warm drained drip beef, fresh pineapple salsa, and Pickapeppa Sauce.

Yum, y’all.