Beef Short Rib Ragu
Happy New Year!
If you are like us, January is a time we slow down, hibernate a little more, and crave comforting foods on these cold winter nights.
Enter the Ragu: slowly braised short ribs, cooked until they fall off the bone, then shredded, and added back into the pot of rich tomato sauce. Served over whatever pasta you like, the wait for this sauce is so worth it.
Here’s how I made it!
Preheat your oven to 325 F.
The first step is to heat up some oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown your short ribs in batches and set them aside. Don’t skip this step! Searing meat builds up layers of flavor and when you are making a recipe with minimal ingredients like this, each step will help to really build on the final dish!
Reduce down your heat to medium.
Next, add in your garlic, onion and tomato paste. Give it a stir and let it caramelize for a couple minutes.
Deglaze your pan by adding in a cup of red wine then scrape up the cooked bits in the pot and allow the wine to reduce, about 5 minutes.
Add in your herbs (fresh and/or dried works), a parmesan rind, beef broth, canned tomatoes, strained tomatoes and bring it up to a boil.
Add in your short ribs (top left), then cover and put it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove it and give it a stir (top right), and then cook it for another hour.
You will know it’s ready when it pulls away from the bones easily (bottom left).
Remove all of the meat and bring the sauce up to a simmer (bottom right).
Add your mushrooms (top left) and allow the sauce to cook while your shred your meat.
Add the meat back into the sauce (bottom left).
Finally, add in some cream and a parmesan and heat through.
Serve over your favorite pasta. Tagliatelle is traditional but it’s delicious over any pasta you like.
Recipe
Ingredients:
3- 4 lbs beef short ribs
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine, any
2 cups beef broth
2 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried
10 basil leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Parmesan-Reggiano rind (optional)
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano, plus more to serve
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Heat a splash of oil in a big dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season your short ribs with salt and pepper then sear them in batches until browned well. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Lower heat to medium, then add in onions, garlic and tomato paste. Stir it and cook for a few minutes, allowing it to caramelize.
Deglaze your pan with the wine, scraping up the bits at the bottom. Allow it to reduce down a touch, about 5 minutes.
Add in your tomatoes, beef broth, cheese rinds, and herbs and bring the sauce up to a boil. Add in your beef ribs, then cover and transfer to the oven.
After 1 1/2 hours, remove the pot and gently stir the meat and sauce. The meat will still be tough at this point so you can cover it and put it back in the oven for another hour, or until the meat easily shreds with a fork.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred it while your sauce comes up to a simmer over medium heat on the stove. Add in your mushrooms and after 20 minutes or so, add in the meat.
Finally, add in some cream and cheese, heat through and serve.
