Short Rib Ragu
bowl full of love and braised meat
Is there anything more comforting than short ribs braised for hours until they fall apart in a deliciously rich, umami bomb of a ragu ready to be mixed with the pasta or potato of your choice? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.
Ingredients
6 slices of bacon (chopped)
4-6 large short ribs
1 head of garlic ( minced
1 large onion (diced)
4 large carrots (peeled and diced)
4 celery stalks (chopped)
1 8oz carton of mushrooms (quartered)
6 oz tomato paste
1 c dry red wine
28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp red miso paste
32 oz beef broth
seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
oregano
red pepper flakes
handful of fresh basil (rough chop)
Cooking Directions
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. In a large dutch oven oven over medium heat fry the six slices of bacon. Once the fat has been rendered remove the bacon and set aside. Add a tbsp or two of canola or other neutral oil and heat until shimmering.
Remove the short ribs from their packaging, pat dry with paper towels, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides for 3-4 min or until each side develops a crust. Once browned, set aside on a plate and let rest. Remove oil from pan.
Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to dutch oven. Over medium heat saute the garlic and onions and some red pepper flakes. Once they have begun to cook down and soften add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms, salt & pepper, and some dried or fresh oregano. Allow them to soften before adding the tomato paste. I like to stir the tomato paste in so that it coats the veggies and begins to caramelize a little and deepen in flavor. Stir in the wine and cook the alcohol off for a minute or two.
Next pour in the crushed tomatoes, miso paste and stir. Bring to a simmer.
Now it’s time to return the short ribs back in the dutch oven. Nestle them into the sauce and coat them with it..
Begin adding broth until ribs are covered and stir it in to combine. You might not need to use all the broth yet, as you check on the short ribs over the next few hours you can add more if needed to keep the short ribs. Season the sauce with some more salt & pepper, red pepper flakes, and some torn basil leaves. Lid on!
OVEN TIME! It’s going to take a while until these short ribs fall off the bone and become the sauce boss, usually 2 and a half to three hours but don’t worry, it’s worth the wait. I check on them every thirty minutes or so, give them a stir, and see if I need to add any broth. Once the meat is falling off the bones I remove the dutch oven’s lid, turn the broiler on, and let it cook for an additional ten or fifteen minutes.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven and take out the bones. I save these for stock, throw them in the freezer in a zip lock bag. Shred the short rib meat and mix the sauce all together. Now you’re ready to dress any pasta or potato. I love this ragu over my favorite cheese ravioli or some tasty gnocchi. Your belly and refrigerator will be full, put extra ragu in mason jars or tupperware in the fridge for a week/week and a half or in the freezer for three to six months.
Substitutions and Tips
After being in the refrigerator a day or so use this ragu as ravioli filling. Top them with a little more short rib ragu and a mountain of shaved parmesan cheese and you are in for a treat. This is also delicious if put into a lasagna - it’s so vers!
Adding a little pasta water when mixing with pasta will loosen the sauce and allow it to cover your spaghetti, rigatoni, or gnocchi in a belly filling ragu.
bacon = prosciutto = pancetta