Photo by kxr173
kxr173's Notes:
Expand2 - 2 1/2 pounds Beef short ribs (I use boneless) Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons Olive Oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup pancetta, chopped (approx. 2 oz. or substitute bacon) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup all purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
salt & freshly ground pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
1 medium onion, diced Ask a question about this ingredient
1 medium carrot, peeled & finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons chopped garlic Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley Ask a question about this ingredient
1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes (whole or chopped) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons tomato paste Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon fresh, chopped sage leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon dried thyme Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary Ask a question about this ingredient
1 bay leaf Ask a question about this ingredient
3 1/2 cups beef stock (may need more while braising depending on desired consistency) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup ruby port Ask a question about this ingredient
Shaved Parmesan cheese or Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving Ask a question about this ingredient
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch Oven (at least 5 quarts) over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with the salt & pepper and dredge in flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set it aside on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Add the short ribs to the pan and cook until browned on all sides, approx. 7 - 8 minutes total. Lift the short ribs out and let cool briefly on a plate.
Ask a question about this stepCombine the onion, carrot, parsley, garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Once the short ribs are browned and removed from the pan, return the pancetta to the pan and add the tomato mixture. Stir and let cook 3 - 4 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add ruby port and sage, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, approx. 4 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepReturn the short ribs to the pot and add the beef stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then cover tightly and place casserole in oven, cooking until ribs are very tender (approx. 2 - 2 1/2 hours, depending on size of ribs).
Ask a question about this stepRemove the cooked ribs from the casserole. Set the casserole on the stove top over medium heat and simmer to thicken sauce just slightly (add more beef stock if sauce is too thick for your liking). As soon as the ribs are cool enough to handle, shred the meat (if using bone-in ribs, remove the meat from the bones).
Ask a question about this stepDegrease the sauce and remove the bay leaf. Return shredded meat to the casserole and simmer to reduce sauce to desired consistency.
Ask a question about this stepServe ragu in bowls over fresh papardelle pasta or polenta. Top with Parmesan or Pecorino Romany cheese and fresh parsley.
Ask a question about this stepMeat CSA gave me a pound of lamb short ribs and advised me to cook them long and slow. Adapted this recipe with the addition of a pound of their lean, grass-fed beef stew meat. Turned out wonderfully: no gaminess to the lamb, great flavor, but watch out for lots of grease to remove.
OK, this is braising in the oven, with lamb shanks instead of short ribs. The smell is just heavenly. I'll report later!
How did it go with the lamb shanks? I am nervous to ask & hoping it went well. As I said before, I am hoping to cook more lamb in 2011, so wouldn't mind trying a half-familiar recipe!
Well....could have worked better. The ragu itself is wonderful, and I can see it being excellent with short ribs or lots of other cuts. I'm not sure if these lamb shanks were actually mutton shanks, or what, but that was absolutely the greasiest, gamiest lamb I've ever eaten! It was NOT a hit, but your recipe was certainly not to blame!
Have purchased ruby port. Short ribs AND lamb shanks in freezer. Am loaded and ready for the weekend, no matter which route I choose!
This sounds great. I was actually planning on making a simplified version of this recipe on Saturday night for guests but I am going to try your recipe instead. The recipe I have used in the past is from Martha Stewart and uses less ingredients but is still tasty. This clearly has more depth. I think though that the pancetta/bacon can be skipped altogether if necessary based on my experience with this other recipe. It works well to serve it over grilled/toasted bread, too. Thanks!
Oooh...I never even thought to serve over grilled or toasted bread & will have to try that! Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that pancetta and bacon can be eliminated, but it does add another layer of flavor which complements the meaty ribs and sweetness of the ruby port. You may want to reduce the port if you eliminate the pancetta or bacon to make sure the finished dish isn't overly sweet. I have never done it without the pancetta or bacon, so I don't want the port to overpower the beef. Hope the dish is a hit with you & your guests!
This dish was a huge success and the leftovers are fabulous. I kept the same amount of port but eliminated the pancetta/bacon. I also used the slow cooker and did not have room for any beef stock at all (plus I think it would have resulted in too much liquid). It was really delicious and I hope you win. We are now putting this recipe on our regular rotation. Thanks again.
This looks delicious! I really want to make this for a dinner party on Saturday night, but the guests don't eat pork. What would you substitute in for pancetta? I've actually been looking endlessly for the perfect beef and pasta recipe - what perfect timing! Thank you!
In the kosher version of my black bean dish I used achiote spices and hot paprika to replace linguica and pancetta. It worked really well. You may want to pose this question of Food Pickle for some great answers! Good luck.
Hmmmm...I wish I knew of a solid substitute for bacon or pancetta. My friend (a former carnivore) told me about a product called "bacon salt" which is kosher & vegetarian and she uses it in recipes for a little bacony goodness. I have not tried it, but do trust her culinary skills. I think she buys it online & they have different flavors of the bacon salt. Maybe this would work in future recipes - probably a bit late for a dinner party this weekend. Your question may have incented me to finally buy & try some!
Oh....my....goodness. I must try this. It sounds absolutely marvelous. Have you ever tried it with lamb shanks? And do you have a specific ruby port you recommend?
I have never tried it with lamb shanks, but imagine it would be quite delicious! One of my new year's resolutions is to use lamb more in my cooking, so maybe I will try with this recipe. As for a recommended ruby port, I have Quinta de la Rosa in my stash right now and have also substituted Chianti when in a pinch. When in doubt with ruby port, I have always just bought a mid-priced bottle from Portugal to play it safe and that has always worked for cooking and drinking without compaints. Cheers!
Thank you, Sagegreen. The Ruby port really adds a whole new dimension of richness to this dish. I have made braised short ribs with and without ruby port and have come to learn it is the thing that make people go, "Hmmmm" when they eat it. I have also increased the port to 3/4 cup in some cases and decreased the stock by 1/4, depending on the mood I am in and who is coming for dinner :-)
a beautiful dish, so comforting!
I agree that this ragu is the ultimate comfort food. I made this for a very special someone who still maintains that this dish solidified their feelings for me it was so good!
Kristen is the Senior Editor of food52.
I made this last night. the rago turned our really lovely, but I didn't love it over pasta. I've frozen the rest of the beef ragu and I think in the future I'll eat it on toasted french baguette or perhaps over fluffy mashed potatoes.