Beef short rib ragu

4.86 from 7 votes

This rich and hearty beef short rib ragu is the ultimate comfort food! It's slow-cooked to perfection until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce is deeply flavorful.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Daen Lia

Ingredients

3.5 lbs beef short ribs 3.3 pounds
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots finely diced
2 brown onions finely diced
2 celery stalks finely diced
6 garlic cloves minced
4.2 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
3.5 cups beef stock
2 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
salt + pepper
16 oz pasta
fresh parsley to serve
pecorino romano to serve

Imperial (US) - Metric

Instructions

Cook short ribs: Season both sides of the beef short rib with a generous amount of salt and pepper. In a large pot on a high heat, bring 2 tablespoons of olive oil to heat and fry the beef short rib for 3 minutes on each side or until a caramelised crust forms. Do this step in batches so the pot is not overcrowded and the meat broils. Remove the meat from the pot and set to the side, ensuring you leave all of the juices in the pan
Cook vegetables: Turn the heat down to medium and add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic to the pot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until fragrant and the onion is translucent and sweetened
Make sauce: Turn the heat to high and add the tomato paste to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, or until the paste turns a dark red colour and is sticking to the pan. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook until 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. Add the beef stock to the pot along with the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and very generous amount of salt and pepper. Return the beef short rib to the pot, ensuring they are covered by the liquid. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer for 2.5 – 3 hours with the lid on. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the lid if you want to reduce the sauce and make it thicker.
Shred meat: Remove the beef short rib from the pot and break the meat apart with a fork. It should be extremely tender. On a low heat, return the meat to the pot and stir through.
Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Follow the instructions on the back of the pasta for al dente pasta and drain your pasta 1 – 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Reserve up to 1 cup of pasta water.
Finish: On a low heat, stir the pasta through the sauce while slowly incorporating the pasta water, until you have a smooth and silky texture. Serve with finely chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkling of pecorino romano.

Video

Notes

Beef short ribs: The ultimate cut for slow cooking. They’re beautifully marbled, which means you get incredibly tender meat and a rich, meaty base for the sauce. chuck steak or osso buco if that’s what you have—just make sure it’s a cut that loves slow cooking.
Wine: I use a dry red wine such a pinot noir but a merlot or Cab Sav will also work well here. If you want to skip the wine, replace it with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Stovetop / oven: If you would like to cook this in the oven, after searing the meat and sautéing the aromatics on the stove, transfer everything to an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, cover, and cook at 160°C (320°F) for about 3 to 4 hours. Just make sure to remove the lid for the last hour to help the sauce reduce and thicken.

Nutrition