Short Rib Ragu Made in the Oven

I’ve got a super special recipe that still falls in the “easy” category because it’s make-ahead and calls for everyday ingredients. Short Rib Ragu served with pasta is luscious and elegant, yet familiar and cozy.

Perfect for entertaining company, serving as a special holiday meal, or slowly cooking as a hearty dish to devour on a chilly weekend!

Oven-Braised Short Rib Ragu

If you go to any higher-end restaurant in the fall and season that shall not be named (cough, winter) chances are you’ll spot braised, bone-in beef short ribs on the menu. It’s an elegant yet inherently easy to make.

Don’t tell them I told you!

• Braising is a method of cooking larger, tougher cuts of meat. First the meat is seared over high heat then it’s cooked low and slow in liquid like broth, wine, or water until the connective tissues break down and the meat becomes fall apart tender.
• Short Rib Ragu is a hearty meat sauce made by searing short ribs then braising them in the oven with vegetables, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, and garlic. The meat is shredded then stirred back into the rich braising liquid and served with cooked pasta, gnocchi, polenta, or mashed potatoes.

Talk about a meat and potatoes masterpiece!

Ingredients Needed

• Bone-in beef short ribs: are short-cut pieces of rib from a cow with a large portion of meat on top of each rib. Similar to pork ribs, slowly cooking beef ribs by braising them is an ideal cooking method so they become extremely tender.
• Vegetables: carrots, onions or shallots, and lots of garlic provide craveable flavor.
• Tomato paste: adds depth of flavor to the ragu.
• Red wine: like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot adds a ton of flavor and acidity to balance out the richness of the sauce.
• Beef stock: or beef broth is the liquid the short ribs braise in.
• San Marzano Tomatoes: are what makes Short Rib Ragu a ragu or sauce, vs regular braised short ribs. Because short ribs are a little more expensive, I highly recommend you also spring for San Marzano Tomatoes, which are some of the highest quality tomatoes you can find in the world. Thanks to modern food processing, they can be found at most regular grocery stores.
• Dried bay leaves: adds depth of flavor.
• Fresh thyme: again, I hope you’ll spring for fresh thyme which stands out from it’s dried thyme counterpart!
• Lemon: drizzled into the ragu at the end adds acidity to lighten and brighten the sauce.
• Parmesan cheese: is a must for topping each bowl of Short Rib Ragu with!

Short Rib Ragu Overview

Like I said, this ragu is inherently simple but since I like to break the cooking process up over two days, I thought I’d give you the recipe highlights:

• Step 1: Season the short ribs then sear until caramelized and golden brown.
• Step 2: Saute the vegetables and tomato paste.
• Step 3: Add wine, broth or stock, tomatoes, and fresh and dried herbs then nestle the seared short ribs into the liquid and braise for 4 hours or until very tender.
• Step 4: Shred the meat then store in the refrigerator.
• Step 5: Cool then refrigerate the sauce until the fat solidifies on top.
• Step 6: Remove the hardened fat then add the shredded beef, warm the sauce, and serve with pasta or potatoes and PLENTY of parmesan cheese!

Air Fryer Asparagus Side Dish

How to Make Short Rib Ragu

Step 1: Sear the short ribs.

Start by generously seasoning 4-5lbs bone-in beef short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

Heat a large Dutch Oven (4 quart minimum, 6-7+ quart preferred) over medium-high heat, then add a bit of extra virgin olive oil to the bottom.

Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs then sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and sizzling. Transfer the short ribs to a plate then set aside. You may need to do this in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.

Pour the excess fat into a foil-lined prep cup then let it solidify and discard.

NOTE: leave the crispy browned bits in the bottom of the pan — we just want to remove the beef fat.

Step 2: Saute the vegetables and tomato paste.

Let the pot sit off the heat for a few minutes to cool slightly then place it back over medium heat and add a bit more extra virgin olive oil.

Add minced carrots and onion or shallot, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. As the vegetables soften and release moisture, use your spatula to scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot.

Add minced garlic then saute until extremely fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Next add a couple thwacks of tomato paste then mash it into the vegetables and saute for 1 minute.

Step 3: Add the braising liquid.

To the pot add dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot then simmer for 5 minutes using a spatula to scrape up any remaining bits at the bottom of the pot.

If you don’t typically cook with wine (and don’t need to avoid alcohol) I highly recommend using it as written in this recipe. It adds so much flavor to both the meat and final ragu.

Add beef stock or broth, whole San Marzano Tomatoes plus their juices, dried bay leaves, and fresh thyme then nestle the seared short ribs into the liquid.

Place a lid on top then braise the short ribs in the oven for 4-5 hours at 300 degrees or until the meat shreds extremely easily with two forks, rotating the beef short ribs every hour and a half or so using tongs.

Here are the San Marzano Tomatoes I use. I’m not picky about the brand (I’ve used Alessi, Delallo, etc) — just that the actual tomatoes are San Marzanos.

Step 4: Shred then store the short ribs.

After the short ribs become very tender, remove them from the braising liquid then shred once they’re cool enough to handle.

I do this with my fingers vs forks to make sure I’m getting every last bit of meat from each short rib!

Place the shredded short ribs into an airtight storage container then refrigerate until you’re ready to add it back into the sauce.

Step 5: Refrigerate the sauce.

Let the pot and sauce cool down until they’re warm vs piping hot then cover and refrigerate until the fat has risen to the top and solidified. I like to do this overnight.

Step 6: Rewarm the sauce then serve.

Use a spoon to scrape off then discard the fat then use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes and vegetables into a fairly smooth sauce. Stir the shredded beef back into the pot then rewarm over medium-heat.

Lastly, add a drizzle of lemon juice plus more salt and pepper if needed then the ragu is ready to serve!

As I mentioned, Short Rib Ragu is divine swirled with cooked pasta (be sure to read my note in the recipe card about saving some of the pasta cooking water if you’re going that route!) or served over gnocchi, mashed potatoes, or even polenta.

Any leftover Short Rib Ragu can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

However you serve it, I hope you love each and every luscious, well-earned bite. Enjoy!

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