Preheat the oven to 315°F

Spread the diced beef on a rack over a sheet tray. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to dry while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

In a small dry pan over medium heat, add the fennel seeds and toast, stirring often, on the stovetop until they become fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove the fennel seeds to a small bowl and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the pancetta. Once the pancetta starts to render some of its fat (about a minute) add half the beef and brown, then remove the browned beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl and brown the rest of the beef and remove to the same bowl.

In the same Dutch oven, add the vegetables and cook over medium heat until they start to get some color, about 4-5 minutes. If necessary, add a little olive oil while sautéing the vegetables.

Once the vegetables are done, add about a half cup of the dry red wine and deglaze the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom well to dislodge the browned bits (fond). Once deglazed, add the rest of the wine, then add the beef and pancetta and the remaining ingredients except for the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bring the ragù to a light boil, stir, cover and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check to make sure there isn’t too much evaporation at the 60 minute and 120 minute mark, and add more if necessary.

After 3 hours, remove from the oven and add the balsamic vinegar. Taste to see if the ragù needs sugar to counteract any excess acidity (usually this is not necessary). Add more kosher salt if needed to taste. Let the ragù rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes, then serve over your favorite pasta or polenta!