Short Rib Ragù

Ingredients

• 2 lb Beef short ribs (Bone-in or boneless; season generously with salt and pepper)
• Kosher salt (To taste, for seasoning the ribs and pasta water)
• Black pepper (To taste)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (For browning the short ribs)
• 1 Onion (Small, diced)
• 1.5 Carrots (Diced)
• 1.5 Celery stalks (Diced)
• 4 cloves Garlic (Finely chopped)
• 1.5 tbsp Tomato paste (Cook until caramelized)
• 1.333 cup Red wine (Approximately 1⅓ cups)
• 1.333 cup Beef stock (Approximately 1⅓ cups)
• 3 Bay leaves (Remove before serving)
• 1 twig Rosemary (Use 1–2 twigs; remove stems before serving)
• 3 twigs Thyme (Remove stems before serving)
• 1 Parmesan rind (Small; optional)
• 1 lb Pappardelle pasta (Dry pasta; quantity estimated because the source does not specify an amount)
• Grated Parmesan (Plenty, to finish; estimated 75 g for nutrition purposes)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables by dicing the small onion, carrots, and celery, and finely chopping the garlic. Pat the short ribs dry so they brown properly.

2. 2

   Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and black pepper.

3. 3

   Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs and brown them well on every side, working in batches if necessary so the pan is not crowded. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate.

4. 4

   Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the same pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to pick up the browned bits from the bottom, about 5–8 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the chopped garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens and caramelizes, about 1–2 minutes.

6. 6

   Transfer the softened vegetables and their pan juices to a slow cooker. Add the red wine, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and Parmesan rind, then stir to combine.

7. 7

   Place the browned short ribs into the slow cooker and spoon some of the liquid and vegetables over them. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, until the meat is very tender and falls apart easily when pressed with a fork.

8. 8

   Remove the ribs from the slow cooker. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones, discard the bones and excess tough fat, and shred the meat. Set the shredded meat aside.

9. 9

   Remove and discard the bay leaves, herb stems, and Parmesan rind. Transfer the cooking liquid and vegetables to a wide pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce until the sauce thickens and becomes concentrated enough to coat a spoon.

10. 10

    Stir the shredded short-rib meat back into the reduced sauce and keep warm over low heat.

11. 11

    Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water, then drain the pasta.

12. 12

    Add the drained pappardelle to the ragù and toss until every ribbon is coated. Loosen with a small splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

13. 13

    Divide the pasta among serving bowls and finish generously with grated Parmesan.

Notes

The source specifies 4–6 servings and leaves the pasta and finishing Parmesan unquantified; quantities for those items are practical estimates. The short ribs require a full 7-hour low slow-cook. Allow the sauce to reduce before combining it with the shredded meat so it coats the pasta rather than pooling at the bottom.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• slow-cooked
• beef
• comfort food
• make-ahead friendly