Short ribs ragu

Ingredients

• Carrots

  Raw

  4 large or 288g

• Onions

  Raw

  2 medium or 220g

• Celery

  Raw

  1 stalk, medium or 40g

• Vegetable oil

  Natreon canola, high stability, non trans, high oleic (70%)

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Beef, rib

  Shortribs, separable lean and fat, choice, raw

  4 lb or 1.81kg

• Garlic

  2 cloves raw - Whole Foods Market

  3 cloves, raw or 9g

• Tomato paste

  Canned, without salt added

  2 tbsp or 32g

• Red wine

  Alcoholic beverage, table

  1 serving 5 fl oz or 147g

• Soy sauce

  Made from soy (tamari)

  1 tbsp or 18g

• Beef broth or bouillon canned soup

  Ready-to-serve

  2 cup or 480g

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Read this step carefully because it details how you will cut your onions, carrots, and celery. We will be cutting them in large pieces for the short rib braise, and small pieces for the sauce, which is the base of the short rib ragu. Cut 2 carrots, 2 ribs of celery, and one of the onions into large, 2 inch chunks. Finely dice the remaining carrots, celery, and onion. Heat the grapeseed oil in a 6 quart Dutch oven (“pot”) over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with 2 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. When the oil is hot, brown the short ribs on all sides. Remove the short ribs from the pot and transfer to a large platter. Remove and discard all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pot and return the pot to the burner, reducing heat to medium. Add the large cuts of onion, carrots and celery, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly, about 8 minutes. Add half of your garlic and cook for another minute. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir into vegetables, cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Add the short ribs back to the pot, nestling them into the vegetables. Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and red wine to the pot. Add the soy sauce and the Worcestershire sauce to the pot then add enough broth to the pot to come to the tops of ribs. Bring the liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook the short ribs for 3 1/2 hours. While the short ribs braise, begin making the tomato sauce (the base of the ragu) in a separate pot (at least 4 quart capacity). To prepare the sauce, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, then add your finely diced onion, carrot, and celery. Add the remaining minced garlic and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt, and stir. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly browned at edges, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining tomato paste and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, basil, oregano, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, sugar, and balsamic vinegar to the vegetable mixture and stir to incorporate. Cover the pot and bring the sauce a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer sauce, with the lid on, but slightly tilted, for at least one hour and up to 4, while the short ribs are in the oven. Stir the sauce occasionally to ensure that the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When the short ribs are finished cooking, transfer the Dutch oven to your stove top, remove the lid, and cool until you can handle the pot with your hands. Transfer the ribs from the pot to a large plate, removing any excess veggies that cling to them. Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs and discard. Discard any loose bones that have fallen away from the meat. Allow the braising liquid to cool until it is safe to handle. Strain the braising liquid into a heat-safe receptacle. Defat the pan drippings by using a gravy separator OR using my easy zip-lock bag method (watch this video for an easy reference on how to do this). Discard the fat. Reserve the braising liquid. Using two forks, remove the short rib meat from the bones and shred it into bite sized pieces. Add the shredded meat and the defatted short rib braising liquid into the tomato sauce. Stir and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper and serve Short Rib Ragu over your favorite pasta, polenta, or risotto with lots of Parmesan Cheese on top.