If you're looking for a rich, hearty dish to impress your guests, this Beef Short Rib Ragu recipe is the perfect choice. Featuring tender, fall-off-the-bone beef, slow-cooked in a flavourful tomato-based sauce. Whether served over pasta or polenta, this recipe will quickly become a family favourite.
Servings: 6serves
Author: Andrea Love
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
1kgbeef short ribs
1brown onionfinely diced
1medium carrotfinely diced
2stalks celeryfinely diced
2clovesgarlicminced
6sprigs fresh thyme
2bay leaves
1teaspoondried oregano
3tablespoontomato paste
200mLport
800gcrushed tomatoes
400mLbeef stock
1parmesan rind
1teaspoonground black pepper
1teaspoonsea salt
450gpappardelle pasta
Freshly grated parmigiano reggianoto serve
Instructions
Preheat oven to 140ºC (fan-forced). Heat olive oil in a large, heavy set cast-iron pot over a medium to high heat.
Place short ribs into the pot in a single layer and cook until one side is golden brown. Flip the ribs over and cook on the other side. Once browned, remove from the oil and set aside.
Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves and oregano. Sauté for a further two minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir through vegetables. Cook until tomato paste deepens in colour - approximately two minutes.
Pour in the port and scrape any stuck on bits at the bottom of your pot.
Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, parmesan rind and salt and pepper. Stir well before adding back in the beef short ribs. Push them down until they are covered in the sauce.
Place the lid on your pot and place it in the oven for 3-3 ½ hours until the meat is falling off the bones.
Once cooked, remove pot from oven and discard the bones of the short ribs, as well as bay leaves. Using a ladle, scoop away excess fat sitting on top of the sauce.
Take out beef and shred with a fork. Place back into the sauce and stir through.
Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and place into a bowl. Scoop in a ladleful of ragu on to the pasta and toss to coat well. Serve pasta on to a plate with another half ladle of ragu on top. Cover generously with grated parmigiano reggiano. Serve immediately.
Notes
Substitute port with a good quality dry red wine if you prefer.