This is one of those weekend family meals that will cook over a few hours. After some initial prep this Short Rib Ragu is a great “set it and forget it” recipe. As the short ribs soak in all the flavor and get nice and tender in the oven, you can be relaxing. Your home will be filled with all kinds of great smells. Perfect for those days where you just need some good old comfort food.
We like to serve our short rib ragu on a nice bed of tagliatelle pasta. The deep rich beefy flavor of the ragu coats the pasta perfectly in this dish. Add on some sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh parsley and you have a recipe that will make everyone in the family happy!
Tips for Making the Short Rib Ragu
- Get the right cut for your short rib. For this recipe and most braised short rib recipes you will need to go with English Cut ribs.
- Don’t end up with an oily mess of a ragu!!! Make sure you follow the step that says to spoon the grease off the top of the sauce. Short ribs can be pretty fatty and while they braise the fats/oils will release and settle at the top of the pot.
- Season season season!!! Be sure to season generously at the beginning and end of the recipe. The fats released by the short ribs while braising can really mute your seasoning so be sure to taste and season before serving. Sometimes all it takes is a bit more salt to bring out those great flavors.
- If you don’t want to use wine that’s okay! Instead of the 2 cups red wine, just substitute with 2 cups of beef broth. I would also suggest adding twice the amount of tomato paste to make up for the loss of flavor!
- Use the right equipment. For this recipe I used my favorite Dutch Oven! It’s perfect for any recipe that requires long braising in the oven. The heavy lid keeps all the moisture in the pot so nothing dries out either.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest as well. Enjoy!
Other Recipes to Try
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio from “Chef”
- Sous Vide Ribeye Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
- Tapas Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas)
Short Rib Ragu with Tagliatelle Pasta
The deep rich beefy flavor of the Short Rib Ragu coats the pasta perfectly in this dish. Add on some sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh parsley and you have a recipe that will make everyone in the family happy!
Ingredients
- 4 lb English cut short ribs, bone-in 2 inch long
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 cups flour, more as needed
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium shallots, small diced
- 4 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 head garlic, cloves separated/peeled/smashed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
- 2 cups red wine
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 lb tagliatelle pasta
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped garnish
- Pecorino Romano, thinly shaved with a veg peeler garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Dry the short ribs and season generously with salt and pepper. Evenly coat the seasoned ribs with the flour.
- Heat two tbsp vegetable oil in a dutch oven on high for 5 minutes. In batches brown the ribs on all sides. Remove ribs from dutch oven and set aside on a large plate or bowl.
- Lower heat to medium-high. Add the last two tbsp vegetable oil to the dutch oven. Add in the onion and shallots, saute for 2 minutes. Add in the carrots, celery, and smashed garlic. Saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the two tbsp tomato paste, mix in and saute until all veggies are coated with it. Carefully add in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot making sure to get all the browned bits off the bottom. Simmer the wine until reduced by half.
- While wine is reducing prepare the bouquet garni. Lay down a square piece of cheesecloth. Place the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and 2 sprigs parsley down in the middle of the square. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together to create a pouch and tie it closed with some kitchen twine.
- After wine has reduced add in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and bouquet garni. Return the ribs and any juices that were released to the dutch oven making sure to evenly disperse them. Bring the liquid to a hard simmer.
- Place lid on dutch oven and transfer to preheated oven. Cook until ribs are tender, about 3 hours.
- After ribs are tender, place the dutch oven on the stove. Remove the ribs and set aside on a large plate or sheet tray. Heat the dutch oven over medium heat and simmer to thicken sauce just a little. When the short ribs cool down enough, remove the meat from the bones and shred into smaller pieces.
- Discard the bouquet garni from the dutch oven and spoon the grease off the top of the sauce. Return the shredded short rib meat to the dutch oven, simmer and reduce by half. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add in pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and serve with the ragu. Garnish with parsley and shaved Pecorino Romano.
