If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll notice some things that come up a lot in my recipes. I like recipes that really celebrate the ingredients. Ones that are simple for the home cook. And, most importantly, ones that are cooked with love. My beef short rib ragu is definitely done with a whole lot of it.

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Beef short rib ragu

Low and slow. Low and slow! Say it with me now, how do you make this recipe? Low and slow! This is the only way to master a ragu. You can’t speed it up. This is not a Monday night special, it’s a slow lunch, a loving dinner. This is what you make on that special fifth date where they are coming over to yours for the first time. Low and slow is how you absolutely nail the beef short rib ragu. Patience really is a virtue!

Building flavour – bones and all

Building flavour in a beef short rib ragu is done with two methods: time and thyme. That’s right, lots of herbs really help to build the flavour in this recipe. I have used rosemary, bay leaves and thyme but you can add whatever herbs you like! Dried oregano would work perfectly in this ragu. Also, bones. That’s right. Bones and all. You get SO much flavour from bones and they’ll slide out with ease after a long cook! It also gets a lot of flavour out of a good dry red wine added and some beef stock. These two elements bring a richness to the sauce. It does mean that you’ll need to really exercise patience because you’ll need that liquid to reduce.

Technique! Technique!

It might look like a long recipe but actually, beef short rib ragu doesn’t take a master in the kitchen. You just want to make sure that you’ve got the lid off the pot to encourage it to reduce. As this is a stock based ragu as opposed to one that uses tinned tomatoes or passata, the liquid will need a little extra time to thicken. The other thing that you can do if you’ve lost the patience, the house is filling with that amazing aroma, you can’t wait any longer or you like it to be a little thicker, you can blend it with a stick blender. It’s a bit of the cheat’s way out but I think it’s just common sense. You can’t wait forever to indulge!

What can I serve beef short rib ragu with?

The most obvious answer is a short pasta. I like using a hollow one because it picks up all the flavours of the sauce and coats it, inside and out. But that’s not the only thing. It can be served by itself with some delicious garlic bread to dip it in, a slice of my famous garlic confit focaccia or with some mashed potatoes. Or, one of my favourites, put it into a cheese toasty the next day for an extra decadent sandwich.

Leftovers?

I always say that a ragu’s flavour deepens over time. Make it the day before, or even a few days ahead, to allow those flavours to really shine! It’s also a great way to save on time. And, the best part? This ragu keeps really well in the freezer for when it is a Monday night and you have nothing in the fridge – this ragu will keep you going.

If you make this beef short rib ragu, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!

If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.

Images by Alanna Penna photography.