Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes with juices
- ~5 lbs beef short ribs, bone-in
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/3 cups dry red wine
- 1 1/3 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2/3 cup heavy cream, optional
- For serving: cooked pasta (pappardelle works great), freshly grated parmesan, chopped parsley
Preparing the Tomatoes and Seasoning the Short Ribs
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
Using your hands, add the canned tomatoes (including the juice) to a large bowl and break them down into bite-sized pieces by squeezing them with your hands.
On all sides, sprinkle half the salt (approximately 3/4 tsp) and pepper onto the short ribs.
Searing the Short Ribs
Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and heat the olive oil in the pot.
When the oil is hot, sear the short ribs in two batches, about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned on all sides. Place the seared short ribs on a large plate and set them aside.
Repeat this process with the second batch of short ribs.
During this step, it is common to see quite a bit of fat released from the short ribs, so be sure to spoon off any excess, leaving approximately 1-2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
Sauteing the Aromatics
Add the chopped carrot and onion to the Dutch oven with the leftover fat from the seared short ribs, and sauté for about 6-8 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown and soften.
Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the sautéed onions and carrots, and continue cooking for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly so that the tomato paste does not burn.
Deglazing the Pot with Wine and Adding the Remaining Ingredients
Pour the red wine into the Dutch oven and, using a wooden spoon, scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
Next, add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, remaining salt (approximately 3/4 tsp), and oregano to the Dutch oven and mix everything together well.
Place the short ribs back into the Dutch oven, arranging them as evenly as possible. Note that the tops of some ribs may not be fully covered in liquid, which is okay.
Lay the thyme sprigs over the top of the short ribs, cover the pot tightly with a lid, and place into the preheated 300°F oven.
Braising in the Oven Until the Short Ribs are Fork Tender
After approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, the meat should be fork tender and fall easily off the bone.
You will notice that the sauce has thickened considerably, and the meat shreds easily into smaller pieces when pulled with a fork.
Finishing the Sauce and Shredding the Meat
Remove the pot from the oven and, using a spoon, skim any fat that has formed on top of the sauce, being careful not to remove every last bit.
Discard the thyme sprigs, then transfer the short ribs to a large bowl and allow them to cool slightly.
Carefully remove any bones and large pieces of fat or gristle. Shred the short ribs into small pieces using two forks.
Mix the shredded meat back into the sauce in the Dutch oven and stir until thoroughly combined.
If you are using cream, add it at this time and continue to simmer for approximately 2 minutes to allow it to warm through.
Taste the sauce and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Cooking Pasta to Serve with Your Ragu
For the full batch of ragu, cook approximately 1 1/3 lbs of pasta according to the package directions, but pull it 1-2 minutes before the suggested cook time.
Place the undercooked pasta directly into the ragu and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce for 2-3 minutes. This allows the pasta to soak up more of the flavors.
Serve hot, garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
This ragu will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days and can be frozen for up to three months.
Beef Short Rib Ragu
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 can whole tomatoes with juices 28 oz
- ~5 lbs beef short ribs bone-in
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/3 cups dry red wine
- 1 1/3 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2/3 cup heavy cream optional
- For serving: cooked pasta pappardelle works great, freshly grated parmesan, chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- Crush canned tomatoes by hand in a bowl.
- Season short ribs with half the salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat and sear ribs in batches, 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to plate.
- Spoon out excess fat, leaving 1-2 Tbsp in pot.
- Add carrot and onion, sauté 6-8 minutes until lightly browned.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Pour in wine, scrape up browned bits, simmer 2 minutes.
- Add broth, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, remaining salt, and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Nestle ribs back into pot, top with thyme sprigs, cover with lid, and transfer to oven.
- Braise 3 to 3.5 hours until meat falls off bone.
- Remove pot from oven and skim fat from surface.
- Remove and discard thyme sprigs.
- Transfer ribs to bowl, let cool slightly, remove bones and fat, then shred meat with forks.
- Return shredded meat to pot and stir into sauce.
- Stir in cream if using and warm through 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Cook pasta until 1-2 minutes underdone, add to ragu, and finish cooking in sauce 2-3 minutes.
- Serve topped with parmesan and parsley.
