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Fall-apart tender brief ribs braised in a wealthy, tomato-red wine sauce for a brief rib ragu recipe that’s the last word consolation meals. Serve together with your favourite pasta or over potatoes or polenta! Recipe features a step-by-step video tutorial!
My Brief Rib Ragu is the Final Consolation Meals!
Whereas I have already got a beef ragu I really like, once I’m on the lookout for one thing further wealthy, elevated, and comfy for dinner, I make this brief rib ragu. Brief ribs have a whole lot of fats and connective tissue all through, which break down throughout braising and supply a wealthy, extremely savory taste (the precise bones assist with this too!).
My Italian great-grandmother used to make an extremely (and I imply extremely) flavorful meat sauce once I was a child, and whereas this isn’t similar to hers, it offers me all the identical heat, cozy consolation meals emotions I’ve been lacking since she handed away. I hope you like it too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unparalleled taste. Utilizing a wealthy, fatty meat, ensures TONS of taste, and while you pair it with cautious strategies and correct seasoning, this dish is simply so satisfying!
- Very make-ahead pleasant.The flavour will get even higher after an evening within the fridge. Be aware: I might solely make the ragu prematurely, then cook dinner the pasta contemporary and add it when able to serve.
- Consolation meals, elevated. This recipe makes use of pantry staples and nothing tremendous fancy or laborious to search out, however they arrive collectively superbly. I’ll go over a couple of of the components you might need substitution questions on under.
- Versatile. It’s equally as tasty over my mashed potatoes recipe or polenta as it’s over pasta. Should you do go the pasta route, select a broad noodle like pappardelle or tagliatelle–it stands as much as the sauce superbly!
Substances
There are fairly a couple of components on this recipe; I received’t go over each one right here, however let’s speak in regards to the ones I most frequently get questions on, and some notes on substitutions.
- Brief ribs. You need bone-in brief ribs. whereas boneless will technically work, they simply they received’t have the identical richness or depth of taste. You’d additionally want a bit much less (about 2.5-3lbs). Should you can’t discover brief ribs, simply make my beef ragu as a substitute.
- Entire peeled tomatoes. San marzano are finest if you will discover them.
- Sugar. This received’t make the sauce candy; it helps construct taste. In case you have completely excellent tomatoes, you may get away with skipping the sugar, however simply realistically, it’s unlikely. Should you don’t do refined sugar, do coconut sugar.
- Wine. Choose a dry pink wine, like cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Should you don’t wish to use wine, use 3-4 tablespoons of pink wine vinegar as a substitute. You’ll use it to deglaze the pot identical to the wine, however you then’ll wish to cook dinner till fully decreased and the steam not smells pungent (like I do with my favourite pot roast recipe). The acidity is admittedly useful within the ultimate dish, so I wouldn’t suggest skipping this ingredient solely or swapping for broth/water as a substitute.
- Parmesan rind. Tossing in a parmesan rind is nice if in case you have one lingering in your cheese drawer. I all the time freeze mine so I can add them to sauces like this one.
Be aware that I don’t use celery. Whilst you may by in a diced rib and even two if you need, I discovered it to be pointless and like my brief rib ragu with out. That is simply an summary of the components I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the publish!
SAM’S TIP: Add ⅓ cup of cream or half and half to your ragu for a creamier, richer ragu. This isn’t necessary, however I generally like so as to add it once I return the shredded meat to the pot.
Make Brief Rib Ragu
- Step 1: Season & sear the meat. I can’t overemphasize this: getting sear is important; the caramelization is vital for taste (maillard response), plus it offers you these browned bits on the underside of the pot that you just work into the sauce in a while. You need that darkish golden browning throughout; do it in batches so the meat doesn’t simply steam/flip grey. It takes time, however it’s price it! Should you’re brief on time, be sure to sear a minimum of one aspect, however for finest taste, do all.
- Step 2: Sautè the veggies. Spoon any extra fats out of the pan (not all of it! It’s important for flavor-building!), then add your veggies and saute till softened. Add the garlic final, and cook dinner for simply 30 seconds or so, till it smells aromatic.
- Step 3: Caramelize the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste and sugar to the pot and cook dinner till the tomato paste has darkened in colour. This step of caramelizing the tomato paste provides a whole lot of taste to the dish!
- Step 4: Add the wine. Drizzle within the wine, scraping any brown bits off the underside of the pan as you go (that is the place you unlock a TON of taste… and make the pot simpler to wash on the finish of the day đŸ˜‰). Let the wine cook dinner till decreased by about half.
- Step 5: Braise. Add the remaining components (spices, tomatoes, broth), then return the meat to the pan. Submerge the meat as finest as you may, and add your contemporary herbs (submerge them properly so that they don’t burn… I tucked mine in proper after the photograph was taken) and your parmesan rind (if utilizing). Cowl and bake till the meat is extraordinarily tender, about 3 hours.
- Step 6: Shred the meat. There shall be a number of fats you’ll wish to discard right here. Typically it appears like there’s extra fats than meat; that’s regular! Should you like a smoother sauce, you may mash or mix the sauce after you’ve eliminated the ribs and the thyme/bay leaves/parmesan rind and earlier than you come the meat to the pot.
SAM’S TIP: I sometimes hold my ragu over low warmth whereas the pasta is cooking. The fats will float to the highest of the pot throughout this time, and generally I’ll skim if off. If I don’t do it then, I’ll do it after refrigerating and earlier than reheating; it’s very simple to take away as soon as every little thing is chilly… simply scrape it off and discard!
- Step 7: Toss with pasta & serve. Prepare dinner your pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water earlier than draining. Add the noodles to the ragu together with a splash of the reserved water and stir properly. Let every little thing simmer collectively for a couple of minutes, then serve.
SAM’S TIP: Save your pasta water! It helps the sauce cling to the noodles correctly. It’s additionally good to have readily available for reheating leftovers the subsequent day– the noodles take in a whole lot of the sauce so a splash of pasta water retains issues from being too dry!
Continuously Requested Questions
Technically bolognese is a kind of ragu. Ragu merely refers to meat-based tomato sauce, and there are a number of methods to organize it. Right here, we’re utilizing brief ribs, however in a bolognese, you sometimes use a floor meat like beef and/or pork (like in my meat sauce) and add a contact of milk as properly.
Correct seasoning and searing are SO essential if you need a very nice taste. With all of the flavors constructed into this dish, if every little thing else is finished proper however it appears even a tiny bit bland, it simply wants extra salt to assist the flavors shine. All the time taste-test, add salt, and also you’ll be good to go!
What to Serve With Brief Rib Ragu
Looking for more cozy comfort food? My beef stew and baked ziti are just as satisfying!
Enjoy!
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Season and sear the meat
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Season short ribs on all sides with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
3-4 lbs bone in short rib, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
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Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, sear meat on every side until deep golden brown. Do this in batches if all of your meat does not fit in your pot (I usually do mine in 2 batches, about 2-3 minutes per side).
1 Tablespoon olive or avocado cooking oil
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Remove seared meat to a plate and set aside. If there’s more than ¼ cup of rendered fat, spoon off the excess but the drippings are necessary for cooking our veggies and building a flavorful base.
Prepare the sauce
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Reduce stovetop heat to medium and add onion and carrot to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent.
1 cup (140 g) yellow onion, ¾ cup (100 g) carrot
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Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and sugar and cook until tomato paste deepens in color (about 1-2 minutes).
2 Tablespoons garlic, 3 Tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Deglaze the pan
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Slowly drizzle in wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate any brown bits on the bottom. Cook until the wine has reduced by about half, about 3-4 minutes.
½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine
Add tomatoes and seasonings
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Add the tomatoes and spices (basil, oregano, dried thyme – if using fresh save to add later, salt, and paper) and stir to combine, crushing/breaking up the tomatoes with your spoon as you stir.
28 oz (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes, 2 teaspoons dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 bunch fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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While stirring, drizzle in broth.
2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
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Return the seared short ribs (and any juices) to the pot, submerging the meat as best you can. Submerge bay leaves and parmesan rind, if using. If you are using fresh thyme, add this here and tuck it into the sauce as well.
2 dried bay leaves, Parmesan rind
Return the meat and braise
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Cover the pot with its lid and transfer to the center rack of your preheated 325F (165C) oven for 2 ½ – 3 hours. It’s finished when the meat is super tender, easily shreds with a fork, and falls right off the bones.
Shred and finish
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Remove the ribs to a cutting board and shred the meat, separating out and discarding any fat or tough tissue and bones (or save the bones to make a broth later). Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme stems (if you used fresh) and parmesan rind. Return the shredded meat to the pot and place over low heat.
Cook pasta and combine
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Cook pasta, according to package instructions, in well-salted water, reserving about a cup of the pasta water (you won’t need all of it) after cooking.
12 oz (340 g) pasta
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Drain the pasta and add into the pot with the meat along with a splash (about 2 Tablespoons) of pasta water. Simmer for several minutes until the sauce clings to the noodles (about 5 minutes) and serve.
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you store the noodles and sauce after combining, the noodles will soak up the liquid. To reheat, I do so on the stovetop in a pan with a splash of reserved pasta water or a splash of beef broth over low heat.
Freezing
May be frozen for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1837mg | Potassium: 1206mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2965IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
