BEEF SHORT RIB RAGU

Ragu is a meat-based sauce for pasta. It is typically made by braising beef chuck for hours in a rich tomato sauce. It is similar to Bolognese that is made from ground beef that has much less emphasis on tomatoes. Ragu shouldn’t be confused with the brand of pasta sauce in a jar made by a huge multi-national company.

In Northern Italy, Ragu is typically made with some sort of minced or chopped meat, including beef, chicken, pork, or game among others. The Ragu recipe here is based on Southern Italy recipes bade with whole cuts of beef. Pork is also used for Ragu. However you make Ragu, it is a vehicle made for pasta, quite often a wide pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle.

Ragu is not hard to make…it just takes a fair amount of cooking time with a few simple ingredients. This recipe uses boneless beef short ribs and is enough for about 4 servings. I also chose to cook the Ragu in my InstantPot rather than braising for 2-3 hours. If you don’t choose to use a pressure cooker, just do everything described above in a Dutch oven. Cover and place in a 325 degree oven for about 2 1/2-3 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-4 inch lengths

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Canola oil

• 1 cup of yellow onions, rough chop

• 1 cup of carrots, rough chop

• 1 cup of celery, rough chop

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 (28 ounce) can of whole, peeled, San Marzano tomatoes

• 1/2 cup dry red wine ( I used Cabernet)

• 1 cup bone broth or beef stock

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• Bouquet garni – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3-4 sprigs of slat leaf parsley, 1 sprig rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 10 whole peppercorns, tied in some cheesecloth

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 parmesan rind – opt.

Directions:

• Place the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are finely minced.

• Trim any excess fat from the short ribs. Using paper towels, completely dry the surface of the beef. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the Instantpot on Saute and add 2 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the short ribs (do not crowd) and brown thoroughly on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef to a plate and set aside.

• Add the minced vegetables to the pot and saute, stirring, for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir in for 2-3 minutes. Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar. Using a flat edged wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to release any font on the bottom. Add the stock and bring it all to a simmer. Let is simmer for about 3-4 minutes to reduce slightly.

• Add the red pepper flakes and the bouquet garni and submerge.

• Add the tomatoes and using a potato masher, smash them. Let everything come to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni and push to the bottom. Add the browned short ribs to the pot. They should not be totally submerged but have enough liquid to almost cover.

• Seal the Instantpot and set to pressure cook for 55 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

• When the pressure has released, unseal the lid. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.

• Note: I removed about 3-4 cups of the sauce to freeze for later. I then transferred everything else including the meat to a saucepan on the stove over medium low heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce.

• Using 2 forks, shred the beef to your desired consistency.

• Serve over pappardelle, tagliatelle, or fettucine and garnish with grated parmesan and some chopped fresh basil.