The Absolute Best Meat To Stuff Inside Homemade Ravioli

It feels like you can find ravioli filled with pretty much everything. Sure, meat is the main suspect here, but there are also delicious recipes filled with pumpkin, ricotta, spinach — and seasoned shrimp mixed with cracker crumbs and parmesan, like in our Lemony Shrimp Scampi Ravioli recipe. Even if you want to opt for meat stuffing, there are plenty of options to choose from. But which is the best?

Thanks to Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., Owner and Chef of Jasper's Restaurant and Host of "Live! From Jasper's Kitchen Radio," we have our answer. "[95%] of the public will tell you ground beef, but I think a combination of ground beef, pork[,] and veal is the best filling. [Not] only does it give such great flavor, but also a wonderful texture," he told Tasting Table. But not just any beef will do. "I highly recommend slow braised Chianti braised beef with carrots and onions." According to Mirabile Jr, selecting this beef makes a wonderful difference and it is a filling that a lot of Tuscan chefs use.

If it sounds like too much work to braise your beef before making homemade ravioli, not only will the results be worth it — but you may have leftovers of the former to munch on too. And when you incorporate Chianti, as Mirable Jr. suggests, you'll get a deeper savory flavor and subtle notes that can include cherry, herbs, and balsamic vinegar. Beef chuck is a popular choice for braised beef with carrots, onions, and wine. But you can also use short ribs, as long as you peel the meat off the bone when it's done cooking and chop it up.

From there, you'll need to make sure the rest of your meat is fully cooked before shaping your ravioli. You can cook your ground pork and veal over the stove together, breaking them up as you normally would, with flavorings like garlic, a bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Then when you make your filling, use equal amounts of all three meats and pulverize everything in the food processor so it becomes nice and malleable. This is also where you can add other ingredients like breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, ricotta, an egg, or a dash of nutmeg. Once everything is combined, you have a delectable filling and can start whipping up your ravioli — just make sure you grab an ice cube tray to help you make uniform pieces.