Oven Braised Short Rib Ragu

4.20 from 10 votes

Oven Braised Short Rib Ragu

Enjoy the most tender and delicious ragu meat sauce, made with a special cut of short rib and bathed in a savory bolognese sauce that elevates every bite!

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: 100 + BEST Easy Beef Recipes for Dinner

Keyword: bolognese, italian, main dish, pasta, spaghetti

Servings:

Author: Carrian Cheney

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Ribs

3-4 Pounds Flanken Ribs
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion quartered
1 Large Carrot chopped
1 Stalk Celery cut in thirds
6 Cloves Garlic whole, paper removed
3 ½ Cups Beef Broth
1 ½ Cups Cranberry or Grape Juice see note
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Sprigs Rosemary
5 Sprigs Thyme
3 Sprigs Parsley
2 Bay Leaves
1 Dash Worcestershire Sauce

For the Sauce

15 Ounces Tomatoes fire roasted
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 Carrots minced
2 Celery minced
1 Red Onion minced
6 Cloves Garlic minced
2 Cups Tomatoes halved
2 Cans Tomato Sauce 15 oz cans
1/4 Cup Cream heavy *SEE NOTE
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Dash Cooking White Wine see note
1 Lemon Zest
1 Squeeze Lemon Juice
1 Dash Nutmeg
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Sauce

Heat an oven to 425 degrees.
Place 2 Cups of fresh tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt.
15 Ounces Tomatoes
Roast for 20 minutes or until soft and charred bits are appearing.
Remove the tomatoes and set aside.
Once cooled a little, blend the tomatoes in a blender to make a tomato sauce. Set aside and start on the ribs, you'll return to the sauce in a minute.

For the Ribs

Heat the oven to 325.
Season each side of the ribs with salt.
3-4 Pounds Flanken Ribs
In a large dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the ribs in batches.
Add all ribs back into the pot along with all remaining ingredients.
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Yellow Onion, 1 Large Carrot, 1 Stalk Celery, 6 Cloves Garlic, 3 ½ Cups Beef Broth, 1 ½ Cups Cranberry or Grape Juice, 1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar, 2 Sprigs Rosemary, 5 Sprigs Thyme, 3 Sprigs Parsley, 2 Bay Leaves, 1 Dash Worcestershire Sauce
Bring to a simmer then place the lid on and bake for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, work on the sauce.

For the Sauce continued...

In a dutch oven or pot over medium high heat, add the butter and oil. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, and onion.
1 Tablespoons Butter, 1 Tablespoon Olive oil, 2 Carrots, 2 Celery, 1 Red Onion
Saute, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
6 Cloves Garlic
Start adding all other ingredients (i.e. tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and cream).
2 Cups Tomatoes, 2 Cans Tomato Sauce, 1/4 Cup Cream, 1/4 Cup Milk, 1 Dash Cooking White Wine, 1 Lemon Zest, 1 Squeeze Lemon Juice, 1 Dash Nutmeg, 2 Bay Leaves, Salt and Pepper
Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 hours or up to an entire afternoon.
Remove the ribs from the oven after 3 hours and pour about ½ - 1 cup of the liquid into the sauce. Discard all other components and begin shredding the meat. It should be so crazy tender you hardly have to touch it. Add the meat to the sauce and simmer another 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and serve with fresh pasta and fresh parmesan cheese.
Parmesan Cheese

Notes

You can use whole milk instead of the milk and cream You can use real white wine, we just don't drink so we don't have that. ;)
Instead of the vinegars and juices you can use red wine.
Can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition