Red Red Wine Ragu

Each time that I go to Philly for a visit, it's a total food fest. Whether it's checking out the latest Garces opening, or stocking up on supplies at the Italian Market or Reading Terminal, it's pretty much non-stop eating.

This past weekend was no different. Because it was so chilly, it felt like the perfect weather for making short ribs. Instead of serving them straight up, they got shredded into a sauce to serve over fresh pasta. DE-lish!

I used a braised short rib recipe from Mario Batali as a base for this pasta sauce. When the short ribs were done, I removed them from the braise, reduced the sauce, pureed it, shredded the meat, and put it back into the sauce. Voila! Short rib ragu! It may sound like a lot of work, but most of the work happens unattended so you can have a drink and spend a few hours playing tennis, bowling, and golf on your Wii. Not that I know anything about that.


Red red wine. For drinking.



Short Rib Ragu
(Adapted from Mario Batali)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Spanish onions, diced
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves
4 ounces pancetta, diced
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (or 2 cups prepared tomato sauce)
Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the meat on each side until deep brown all on sides, about 12 minutes per batch. Remove the short ribs to a plate and set aside.

2. Remove any excess oil and then add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and pancetta to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until beginning to brown and starting to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and the tomatoes and juices and bring the mixture to a boil.



3. Return the meat to the pot and bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.



4. Transfer the meat to a plate. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and cook for 30 minutes to reduce to about 2 1/2 cups. Once reduced, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.



5. Meanwhile, shred the cooked meat, discarding any excess fat. Return the shredded meat to the sauce and stir. Serve over pasta, such as pappardelle or rigatoni, with cheese if desired. Serves 4 - 6.