Description
Beef Short Rib Ragu brings comfort straight to your dinner table with rich, slow-cooked flavors that melt in your mouth. Tender meat braised in red wine creates a hearty sauce perfect for twirling over pasta on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2 lbs beef short ribs, de-boned and cut into 2-inch cubes
Vegetables:
- 1 cup white onion, finely diced
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- ½ cup carrot, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Supporting Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 1 ¾ cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
- Herb bundle: rosemary, thyme, and parsley stems tied together
- 1 lb pasta (tagliatelle or pappardelle)
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the 2 lbs beef short ribs dry with paper towels. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper across every surface of your meat.
- Heat 2 tbsp light olive oil in a Dutch oven at medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear meat cubes for 2-3 minutes per side, creating a deep golden-brown crust.
- Transfer seared meat to a clean plate. Reduce stovetop heat to medium. Add 1 cup diced white onion, ½ cup diced celery, and ½ cup diced carrot to the same pot.
- Incorporate 4 minced garlic cloves. Sauté vegetables for 3-4 minutes until they become soft and fragrant.
- Stir 2 tbsp tomato paste into the vegetable mixture. Season with additional salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize the paste.
- Return seared meat back to the pot. Pour in 1 cup beef broth and 1¾ cup crushed tomatoes. Add your tied herb bundle and 2 bay leaves.
- Cover the pot with a slightly ajar lid. Simmer at low heat (around 300°F) for 2-2½ hours until meat becomes extremely tender.
- Remove herb bundle and bay leaves. Use two forks to shred meat directly inside the pot.
- Add 2 tbsp sherry vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Let sauce simmer uncovered if you want a thicker consistency.
- Cook 1 lb pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and combine with ragu.
- Serve immediately, topping with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
- Take time to sear the short ribs carefully, developing a deep brown crust that adds incredible flavor complexity to the final dish.
- Select bone-in short ribs for maximum richness and tenderness, which melt into an incredibly silky sauce during the long cooking process.
- Low and slow cooking is crucial for transforming tough meat into tender, falling-apart meat that shreds beautifully and absorbs all the sauce’s flavors.
- For a lighter version, swap beef short ribs with chicken thighs and reduce cooking time to about 1 hour, maintaining similar depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 590 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 410 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg