Description
This rich and hearty Beef Short Rib Ragu is a slow-simmered Italian-inspired sauce featuring tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs braised with aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Perfect served over pasta or creamy mashed potatoes, this comforting dish delivers deep, robust flavors developed through a slow stovetop simmer in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 pounds (1815 g) English cut beef short ribs or 3 pounds boneless short ribs
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 stalks celery, finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic, finely minced
Liquids & Tomato
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (237 ml) dry, bold red wine
- 24 ounces (680 g) crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups (710 ml) low-sodium beef broth/stock
Herbs & Flavorings
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh sage leaves
- 12 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 parmesan rinds
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to season
Instructions
- Prepare and Brown the Short Ribs: Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ribs in batches to avoid overcrowding and brown each side for 3-4 minutes until a crust forms. Remove and set aside. If excess oil accumulates, discard all but 2 tablespoons.
- Sauté Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium and add diced carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Stir well and cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and softened.
- Add Tomato Paste and Cook: Stir in the tomato paste to coat the vegetables evenly, cooking for 2 minutes to deepen the flavors.
- Deglaze with Red Wine: Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the red wine slowly, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed by the vegetables.
- Add Herbs and Liquids: Tie the rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine. Add the herb bundle, bay leaves, parmesan rinds, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth to the pot. Return the browned short ribs to the pot and stir to combine.
- Simmer the Ragu: Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer gently for 3 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. If the liquid reduces too quickly during cooking, add additional beef broth ½ cup at a time to maintain moisture.
- Remove Herbs and Shred Meat: When the ribs are done, turn off the heat. Use tongs to remove the herb bundle, bay leaves, and parmesan rind. Transfer the short ribs to a cutting board and shred the meat using forks.
- Combine and Serve: Add the shredded meat back into the pot and stir well to incorporate. Serve the ragu over pasta, spoon it over mashed potatoes, or let cool and freeze for later use.
Notes
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for even heat distribution and optimal browning.
- Do not overcrowd the pot when browning the ribs to ensure a good crust forms.
- Adjust seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper after cooking if needed.
- Adding more liquid during simmering prevents burning and keeps the meat moist.
- Ragu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Parmesan rinds add depth and umami but can be omitted for a vegetarian variation of the base sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe (approximately 1 cup)
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
