Beef short rib ragu
One of my most cooked recipes to date! A luxurious short rib ragu that ticks all the boxes. It pairs wonderfully with any pasta, especially pappardelle or rigatoni.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
Beef short rib ragu
- EVOO
- 1.4 kg beef short ribs as your butcher to cut them into smaller pieces so they can fit in your pan more easily, if you need to – roughly 6 pieces
- 1 carrot
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 brown onion
- 1 leek bitter green ends can be discarded or saved in the freezer for stock scraps
- 4-5 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato pureé/paste
- 200 ml red wine – I used Chianti for this recipe
- 400 ml beef stock
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes strained of their juices (save the juices for another use!)
- 2 bay leaves
- Parmesan rind optional
- Big handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus extra to serve
- Parsley to serve
- 500 g Pasta of choice
Instructions
- Bring the short ribs to room temperature and pat dry to remove any excess moisture. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Blend the celery, carrot, onion and leeks to a fine paste-like texture and set aside.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of EVOO to a searing hot sauteuse pan (or a pan large enough to make the ragu) and brown the shorts ribs on all sides – remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the blended vegetable mix to the same pan and sauté for a few minutes before adding the garlic.
- Make space in the pan and add the tomato pureé – let it cook/caramelise for a minute or so before stirring through the vegetables.
- Nestle the short ribs back into the pan, pour in the wine and reduce by 1/3.
- Add the beef stock, tomatoes, bay leaves and parmesan rind if using, bring to a boil then reduce to barely a simmer – cover and gently cook away for 3-3.5 hours.
- After this time the meat should be completely tender – melt in your mouth – and the bones should pull out with complete ease.
- After removing the bones, shred the meat while still in the pan with two forks – discard the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Season to taste.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Transfer directly to the sauce.
- Add a smattering of grated Parmigiano directly to the ragu and toss to marry.
- Serve family style or divide between bowls – garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmigiano, of course.
NB: if your ragu is feeling a bit too oily for your liking (short ribs are gloriously fatty!) you can soak up any excess oil by laying a piece of kitchen paper on top of the ragu.
Cooking this ragu in advance – this ragu tastes even better the next day. When reheating, add a splash of water to the sauce and gently heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
