Short Rib Ragu with Rigatoni

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This week Sunday Supper has a theme of The Best Recipes Always have a story. That is so true! No matter what I make for dinner, there always seems to be some story to go along with it. This week the recipe has not one but two stories to go along with it.

Several years ago my husband and I went to Las Vegas.  It was our first time there and we had an absolute blast!   One thing we wanted to do while we were there was to eat at several of the incredible restaurants.

Of all the restaurants we went to, Bobby Flay’s was the one that stuck out.  The food was incredible and it was somewhere we both would want to eat again.

I’m pretty sure this sealed our love for Bobby Flay and his cooking.  Whenever we look for a recipe with meat, we look to him for guidance.

This week was no exception.  I’ve had it in my head for a few weeks now that I wanted to make some type of short rib pasta that I could pair with Gallo Family Vineyard’s incredible Merlot.

Nothing pairs with pasta quite like a fabulous red wine.  So when I looked for recipes that included short ribs in pasta of course I found one from Bobby Flay.

This is where the second part of the story happens.  I was determined to make this dish on a Sunday since it takes several hours to make and I work during the week.

I grocery shop every Sunday morning so I took my list and went to the store.  When I got to the meat counter I asked  for several pounds of boneless short ribs.  The looks on the man’s face said it all.  He told me he thought they were out of them but went to check.

No big deal, I’d get the bone in short ribs.  When he let me know that they were indeed out of boneless short ribs I told him I’d take bone in.  The look on his face got even worse.  He then had to tell me they were out of those as well.

Now I had a dilemma.  I knew the closest grocery store didn’t carry short ribs.  I was banking on the store I was in to have them.  I could leave without them and come back on Tuesday when they would get them in and have the short ribs later in the week but I don’t really have time to make them during the week.

On a whim I ran to the market that was farther away and to my delight they had the boneless short ribs!   By this point it was starting to snow, I was getting crabby, and I headed home.

I got to work making this short rib ragu and when it came time to add the merlot I added the amount needed and promptly poured myself a glass to enjoy while I finished cooking.  I figured, after all the trouble I had getting the ingredients for the dish I could at least relax with a nice glass of wine.

I’m happy to report that the time this dish took plus the difficulty with the ingredients was more than worth it.  The ragu was absolutely incredible!  There was a subtle tomato flavor compounded by the wine reduction along with the meaty short rib flavor.  The vegetables added more depth and it was wonderful over top of rigatoni.

I think both my husband and I ate more than our fill of this delicious dish!  Plus there was just enough wine left for us each to enjoy a glass with dinner.   There was only one word for this meal: perfection.

Short Rib Ragu with Rigatoni #SundaySupper

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Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 2 lb. boneless short ribs or 3 lb. of bone in short ribs
• salt and pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 carrots diced
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 medium shallots diced
• 1 T. flour
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 2 c. Gallo Family Vineyards Merlot
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1 t. oregano
• 2 1/2 c. homemade beef stock
• 1 lb. rigatoni
• Chopped Parsley
• Grated Pecorino Romano

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Place a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add the oil and heat for 2 minutes.
• Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add to the oil. Cook ribs until they are browned on all sides. Remove from the Dutch oven and place in a large bowl.
• Add the carrots, celery, onion, and shallots to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Prepare the bouquet garni: place the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in the center of cheesecloth. Bring edges together and tie with kitchen string. Set aside.
• Add the flour and the tomato paste to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine. Add half of the merlot and stir with a wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan. Add the remaining red wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Stir in the garlic, crushed tomatoes, oregano, and beef stock. Add the bouquet garni.
• Return the short ribs to the Dutch oven. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours or until the short ribs are tender.
• Remove the cooked ribs from the Dutch oven. Set the Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat and simmer to thicken the sauce.
• As soon as the short ribs are cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces.
• Degrease the sauce and remove the bouquet garni. Return the meat to the pot and simmer until the sauce reduces by half.
• Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Drain pasta. Serve the rigatoni in bowls topped with the short rib ragu. Sprinkle with parsley and Pecorino Romano.

Notes

Source Bobby Flay