By Carmen Cheng @foodkarmablog
As we enter cozy season, there's nothing better than a big pot of short rib ragu for comforting meals now and to stock the freezer for easy reheats later. This is the perfect recipe for a slow Sunday, your house will smell incredible from the short ribs braising in Sangiovese for hours. Serve it two ways: tossed with pasta and parmigiano or piled into a sandwich with giardiniera mayo and melted provolone.
Ingredients
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2 kg (about 4.4 lbs) beef short ribs
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
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2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
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6 cloves garlic, minced
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2.5 tbsp tomato paste
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2 cups red wine (Sangiovese or Chianti)
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660 ml (22 oz) strained tomatoes
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2 cups beef broth (plus an additional 1 cup reserved)
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2 bay leaves
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1 parmigiano rind (about 3 inches)
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2 tbsp salt, divided, plus more to taste
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1 ½ tbsp pepper, divided
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½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
Instructions
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Pat short ribs dry with paper towels, then season generously with 1.5 Tbsp (4½ tsp) salt and 1 Tbsp (3 tsp) pepper.
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Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and heat on medium high. Once hot, sear short ribs until brown, 2–3 minutes per side. Remove from pot.
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Turn the heat down to medium low. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook another 1–2 minutes without letting it burn.
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Add tomato paste and fry. Add red wine and deglaze the pot, then let it reduce by ⅓ (about 3–5 minutes on medium) so the raw alcohol edge cooks off.
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Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and 2 cups beef broth. Now is also the time to add in fish sauce (if using), stir to combine, then season the sauce to taste (about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper). Finally, add the parmigiano rind. Simmer on medium for 2–3 minutes.
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Nestle short ribs back into the sauce.
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Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, then uncover and continue cooking until the short ribs are tender. Total time will vary with the size of the short ribs: about 3 hours for smaller pieces, closer to 3.5 hours for larger ones. Check every 45 minutes or so to rotate the short ribs and stir the sauce. If the liquid is reducing too much, add the reserved 1 cup beef broth.
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Ragu is ready when the short ribs are tender enough to shred. Remove from oven and take out the parmigiano rind and bay leaves. Pull meat apart with two forks and return it to the sauce.
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Taste and adjust salt.
Short Rib Ragu with Pasta
Serves 2
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Boil 200 g pasta of your choice in salted water until al dente, or one minute less than the package instructions. Pappardelle is my favourite; rigatoni also works well.
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While the pasta cooks, heat 2 cups ragu in a pan on medium low.
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Add pasta to the ragu and stir together. If the sauce feels too thick, loosen it with pasta water, 1 Tbsp at a time. Season as needed.
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Serve with grated parmigiano on top.
Short Rib Sandwich with Giardiniera Mayo and Melted Provolone
Makes 1 sandwhich
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Make the giardiniera mayo ahead. Process 1 cup giardiniera, ½ cup mayo, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt. If you like heat, I highly recommend adding ½ tsp Bomba Calabrese. The finished mayo should still have some texture from the vegetables but be spreadable. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to cool and thicken. Makes about 1.5 cups and keeps in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
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Reheat ⅔ cup ragu in a pan.
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Toast the bread (a rustic loaf or sourdough).
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Toss a handful of arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice, ½ tsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
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Spread mayo on one slice of bread and top with ragu and a slice of provolone. Add another slice of provolone to the other slice of bread.
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Broil for a minute or so, until the cheese is just browning. Top with arugula. Enjoy this short rib melt.
