Chef's Table

Duck Ragù Sauce

A wonderful Duck Ragù Sauce infusion between Japanese and Italian ingredients, made with umami rich tomatoes, miso, soy sauce and anchovies and a malty brew.

CourseEntrée | Main, Sunday Supper
CuisineBeer Cuisine, Comfort, Italian
Cooking Beer StyleAmerican Brown Ale, Bock, English Brown Ale, Märzen | Oktoberfest, Scotch Ale, Scotch Ale | Wee Heavy, Vienna Lager
SeasonalFall Seasonal, Winter Seasonal
Food SectionDuck, Garlic, Miso, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomato, Wild Game
Cooking MethodBraising
BreweryBeer Advocate
KeywordCooking with Beer

Servings	Prep Time
8guests	15minute

Cook Time

2hour

Servings	Prep Time
8guests	15minute

Cook Time

2hour

Ingredients

1/4cup fat, rendered duck
2each onions, yellow, large,peeled and chopped
3each bay leavespreferably fresh
1/4cup garlic, clovesroasted and peeled
1tablespoon salt, kosher
1teaspoon oregano, dried,
1teaspoon thyme, dried
1/2pound duck hearts,ground on a coarse dye
1/2pound duck gizzards,ground on a coarse dye
2each anchovy, filets,packed in oil, (optional, yet adds umami)
2tablespoon miso, barleyor white | red
2tablespoon mushroom powder,See note below to make your own
1teaspoon soy sauce | tamari | liquid aminos | shoyu
28ounce tomatoes, San Marzano,such as San Marzano, Crushed Tomatoes
12ounce Malt Forward brew,such as English Brown Ale, Bock or other American Brown Ale or Bock or other Scotch Ale | Wee Heavy
2cup stock, duck,preferably homemade, or chicken

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the duck fat (or olive oil). Add the onions and bay leaves, sautéing until the onions start to take on a light brown color, about 12 – 15 minutes. About halfway through, add the salt, oregano, and thyme.
While the onions are cooking, you can grind the duck heart and gizzard meat with a KitchenAid Food Grinder Attachment or other meat grinder. If you don’t have this, you can ask your butcher to grind the duck for you. If duck hearts and gizzards aren’t available, ground duck legs, thighs, or breast meat can be used.
Add in the roasted garlic and stir for a minute, then the duck meat and optional anchovies. Brown the meat, stirring to break it up and incorporate it into the onion mixture. Cook until it’s lightly caramelized, about 6 – 8 minutes. Slow cooking each ingredient adds to the complexity of the sauce.
Next, add the miso, mushroom powder, and soy sauce, cooking for 4 – 5 minutes to dissolve into the sauce and reduce any moisture before the tomatoes are added.
Use fresh, ultra-ripe, peak season tomatoes if available. Otherwise, use canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them in a bowl with your hands into irregular chunks. Pour the juice and tomato pieces into the pot along with the tomato paste. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 5 – 7 minutes, reducing the liquid.
For the beer, the choice is yours. I’d suggest a lower IBU brew with a heavy malt component. A English Brown Ale, Bock or other American Brown Ale or Bock or other Scotch Ale | Wee Heavy will add depth and enhance the caramelization you’ve created during cooking. This will increase the depth of the sauce, along with its umami aspects.
Add the stock and stir well. Let it simmer on medium heat for the next hour, slowly reducing and stirring periodically. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed. The final sauce should be thick, leaving a trail behind the spoon, allowing you to see the bottom of the pot. This can take an between 1 -2 hours, depending on the size of your pot and heat of your stove.
For the best results, I suggest cooling the sauce to room temperature, then refrigerating it overnight before using. This allows the sauce to further infuse the flavors together, making a more flavorful sauce, just by waiting.
This sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and can be frozen for up to 6 months. Its a great sauce to have on hand for a quick pasta dinner.

Recipe Notes

How To Make Mushroom Powder:

Making mushroom powder is as easy as taking Dried Shiitake Mushroom Slices or Dried Porcini Mushrooms and pulsing them into a powder in a clean spice or coffee grinder. Save this powder in an airtight jar.

Duck Ragù Sauce Variations:

To make a richer version of this sauce, add 2 – 3 tablespoons of heavy cream
Instead of duck, try this sauce with ground pork, beef, veal, venison or lamb
When yellow San Marzano tomatoes are available, substitute 2 pounds for the red variety and omit the red tomato paste
Each beer style will add its own unique flavor attributes to the sauce. As this sauce is rich in tomato, umami and meatiness, a melanoidin rich brew will compliment the caramelized onions, roasted garlic and give the sauce added body
replacing the malty brew with a Stout or Porter will add a unique roasted element that incorporates well with the tomato’s acidity.
A Smoked Porter or Rauchbier will further the umami by contributing a smoky undertone to the finished sauce
Even a rye-based brew or an Old Ale will create a good malty base for this sauce, as would a Winter Warmer or (for a Venetian touch) a spiced brew with cinnamon. Pour into the sauce slowly but all at once