Recipe for Arancini Al Ragu

Making the perfect Arancini Al Ragu should only take approximately 15 hr 10 min . It’s considered an Intermediate level recipe. Below are the ingredients and directions for you to easily follow. The Arancini Al Ragu recipe can feed your family for about 15 arancini.

There are many different ways to make this Arancini Al Ragu recipe. Once you’re familiar with our recommended ingredients and directions, you can add your own twist to this recipe to make it your own! We’ve also listed potential Cookware items below that might be necessary for this Arancini Al Ragu recipe.

Arancini Al Ragu Popular Ingredients

• 6 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
• 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino
• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup peas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 8 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• Salt
• 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
• Canola oil, for frying

Steps for making Arancini Al Ragu

1. For the rice: In a medium saucepot over high heat, add the beef stock, butter, salt and saffron. When the stock reaches a boil, add the rice and stir it a bit to prevent sticking. Let it come to a rolling boil and lower the heat a bit to medium. Stir the rice once in a while, you want the rice to absorb all of the liquid; it should take 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the rice; it should be slightly al dente but creamy. Remove the pot from the heat, add the cheeses and stir well. Pour the rice onto a baking sheet and spread into a thin layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool, preferably overnight in the fridge.
2. For the ragu: Mix the ground beef and pork together with your hands and add salt and pepper generously. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepot over medium low heat, saute the pancetta with the olive oil until the fat is melted. Add the onions and let cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery along with the bay leaf and cook until soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the ground meat and turn the heat to high. Keep mixing with a wooden spoon until the meat is well done and browned. Add the white wine and stir until it is evaporated. Add the tomato puree and tomato paste in water. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. There will be some fat that comes to the top. Skim it off with a ladle but you want to leave some for the flavor. Let cook for about 1 1/2 hours.
5. About 5 minutes before the ragu is done, saute the peas in a touch of butter with a pinch of salt and add to the ragu. Put the ragu in a bowl and set aside to cool. You can leave it overnight covered in the fridge.
6. For the filling and assembly: Portion out cooled rice into identical portions. We weigh ours to 1.6 ounces. Take one portion and form it into a semi-circle in the palm of your hand, making a cup-like shape to place the ragu and mozzarella into. Scoop a generous amount of ragu, about 2 teaspoons, into the half ball and then a few cubes of mozzarella. Take another portion of rice and flatten it into a disk shape. Place that disk over the half ball to enclose the ragu and cheese in the center. Have a bowl of warm water nearby to dip your hands into’ it’ll make the process easier and less sticky. Roll the ball around to enclose all ingredients in the center and shape into a perfectly round ball. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
7. For the batter and breading: Place the flour and 1 1/2 cups cold water into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix with a whisk until smooth and about the consistency of eggnog. Add the breadcrumbs to a large bowl or baking dish. Roll each rice ball in the batter and shake off excess batter. Then roll each ball in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the balls.
8. Use a heavy duty pot with enough canola oil to submerge the balls in. Make sure the oil isn’t near the top of the pot because it will overflow when you drop your balls in. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F, using a high temp thermometer if you have one. If not you can throw a small piece of white bread in to test; it should brown quickly and float when the oil is hot enough.
9. Use a slotted spoon or wire basket to lower your balls into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the balls – maybe 2 or 3 at a time. Fry in batches until they are golden like arancini (“little oranges”), about 5 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Eat hot.

Popular Categories for this Recipe

• Italian
• Sauce Recipes
• Rice Recipes
• Pork – Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC.Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved. Curing extends the shelf life of the pork products. Ham, smoked pork, gammon, bacon and sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.Pork is the most popular meat in the Western world and in Central Europe. It is also very popular in East and Southeast Asia (Mainland Southeast Asia, Philippines, Singapore, East Timor, and Malaysia). It is highly prized in Asian cuisines, especially in China, for its fat content and texture.Some religions and cultures prohibit pork consumption, notably Islam and Judaism.
• Beef – Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle.In prehistoric times, humans hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since then, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef.Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product.

You might need the following Cookware

In this section we’ve listed Cookware items that might be helpful to make this Arancini Al Ragu recipe (or similar recipes). If certain tools or utensils are not applicable, then ignore and choose relevant items.

• Cooking pots
• Frying pan
• Steamers
• Colander
• Skillet
• Knives
• Cutting board
• Grater
• Saucepan
• Stockpot
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Measuring cups
• Wooden Spoon