Ingredients:
3 to 4 lbs meaty bone-in beef short ribs
salt
pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 oz thickly sliced pancetta
or 3 slices thickly sliced bacon
cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 heaping cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup sliced white mushroom
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
Directions:
COOK RIBS:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the
oven to 300 F.
Trim away any excess fat from the top of each rib down to the
first layer of meat, but don’t rmove the silverskin or tough
looking tissue that hold the ribs together or onto the bone.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a 5- to 6- quart dutch oven over medium heat until
hot. Add only as many ribs that will fit without touching and
brown them on all sides, turning with tongs until browned, 3 to 4
minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and continue until all ribs
are browned.
Pour off and discard excess fat. Return the pot to medium heat
and add pancetta or backon. Cook, stirring occasioally, until the
pancetta or backon has rendered some of its fat but is not crisp (about
3 minutes). Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic and
season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened
(about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes; cook
2 minutes, stirring. Add the wine or vermouth, increase the heat to
medium-high, stir to scape any brown bits from the bottom of pan. Add
the tomatoes and their juices; bring to a simmer.
Add ribs in a single layer and vegtable mixture to a roasting pan with lid.
Crumple a large sheet of parchment and smooth it out. Arrange it over pan,
pressing it down so it nearly touches the ribs, allowing over hang to extend
up and over the edge of the pan. Set lid in place, and transfer to oven.
Braise turning the ribs with tongs every 45 minutes, until fork-tender and the
meat is pulling away from the bones (about 2.5 hours).
MAKE THE RAGU:
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the ribs to a large platter or plate.
Set aside until cool enough to handle. Skim any visible fat from the surface
of the braising liquid. If sauce seems thin, move the vegtable mixture back
to dutch oven and simmer until thickened. If tomatoes are not broken up, break
them up with a wooden spoon.
When beef is cool enough to handle, remove bones an chopp meat into bit size
pieces. Add to vegtable mixture.
Serve over rice, noodles, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
Serves 6
Nutrition for Ragu only.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 330; Protein 22g; Carb 10g; Sodium 900 mg