An absolute show stopper beef short rib ragu recipe. Perfect with pasta, polenta or mashed potato. It's rich, super flavorsome and extremely impressive for a dinner party. It is mostly hands off so pop it in the oven, walk away and bask in the delectable smell that will fill the kitchen.
Hi! This is such a classic ragu that you absolutely have to make. It’s very similar to my Beef Cheek Ragu, but short ribs are often easier to find and work beautifully for slow cooking. They have the perfect balance of meat and fat, becoming meltingly tender as they braise and create a rich, glossy sauce with very little effort. Don’t be intimidated if you haven’t cooked with short ribs before, they’re incredibly forgiving and require minimal prep. The ultimate comfort food in my opinion.
If you love slow-cooked pasta sauces, you might also enjoy my Authentic Bolognese Sauce, my absolute favorite White Pork Ragu, or this deeply flavorful Lamb Ragu with Olives. All rich, comforting sauces that are perfect for cozy weekends and make ahead dinners.
Main Ingredients:
Beef short ribs - this cut is made up of a section of rib bone with layers of rib meat and fat. They will come either as separate pieces or one long piece which you can easily cut through to separate. Get them to room temperature before searing.
Soffritto - This is the classic trio of diced onion, carrot and celery that any good ragu starts with. I like to dice them really small and use a food processor. I don't like big chunks of vegetables but that is personal preference.
Garlic cloves - fresh cloves are always best!
Tomato Paste - Tomato paste benefits from being cooked off for a minute or two before liquids are added into pot.
Red wine - I used a chianti. Use anything full bodied, not a pinot noir as it's too light. A cabernet sauvignon or merlot will work too.
Beef stock - Try and use a really good quality stock.
Canned tomatoes - Try and find good quality whole Italian tomatoes (San Marzano are best!)
Fresh Herbs - I use fresh rosemary and thyme and discard the stalks at the end of the cooking. We also use dried bay leaves in the ragu too.
What you can substitute for short ribs
- Beef cheek - This isn't always easy to find but when cooked is extremely similar in texture.
- Beef chuck steak - cut into big cubes this will cook down into a tender ragu. It might not need as long so check it every hour.
Expert tips:
- Take the time to get some good colour on the short ribs when searing and don't be shy with seasoning!
- Don't check on the pot too often, every time you open the oven it lowers the heat.
- Discard parts of the short rib. After cooking there will still be some big blobs of fat you can get rid of. There will also be a flat thin layer on some or all of them that isn't pleasant to eat. See more below with photos.
- If serving with pasta, let the cooked pasta gently bubble away in the ragu for a good 3 - 4 minutes. I undercook dried pasta by a minute for this reason.
- Use an oven thermometer! Your oven might be lying to you and it's a really cheap thing to buy. It's great for baking.
- Make a day ahead! Meat sauces always taste better the next day.
How to make this ragu
The full ingredients list and method are in the recipe card below.
ONE: Sear the short ribs in olive oil over a medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
TWO: In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot on a medium or medium-low heat, gently cook the onion, carrot and celery until soft, about 10 mins. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.
THREE: Add the tomato paste, mix in well and cook for 2 minutes.
FOUR: Add the wine, bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer.
FIVE: Add the browned short ribs back in and the herbs and bay leaves. Along with a good couple of pinches of salt and black pepper.
SIX: Cover and cook in the oven for 3 - 3.5 hours until the bones slide out easily and meat is falling apart.
SEVEN: Pull the meat out and shred the meat with two forks, discarding the bones and any excess fat.
EIGHT: Mix the shredded meat back into the braising liquid and gently bubble on stove top while you cook your pasta or whatever else you are serving with it.
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Tips for pulling the meat apart
The meat is ready when the bones slide out easily and the meat is falling apart. Discard the bones and pull apart the meat with two forks on a cutting board. I put a wooden board on top of a bigger tray so that any juices don't run off the board onto the bench.
There will be the odd blob of excess fat that you will want to discard and also each piece might have a small sinewy layer of connective tissue that isn't pleasant to eat. See photo below.
What to serve the ragu with
I'm always going to vote for pasta with a mountain of parmesan cheese and a gremolata, it's my favorite way to serve it. It is also fantastic on buttery mashed potato. Polenta would also be a lovely serving idea.
Pappardelle is always a traditional choice for this kind of meat sauce. You could use dried or have a go making your own, it's such an easy shape to make! Use my Guide to Homemade Pasta Dough and my Homemade Pappardelle Pasta recipe.
Recipe FAQs
A big casserole pot or Dutch oven is best. I like a cast iron round pot, it needs to be something heavy, not stainless steel. You could also make in a slow cooker on low for 6 - 8 hours.
Absolutely. This is a great one for the freezer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days or in the freezer for up to three months.
I love to serve some roasted broccolini or green beans with a rich dish like this.
You can but keep in mind anything cooked on the bone has so much flavor. Cook time and process will be the same.
Want some other recipes to try?
If you loved this short rib recipe then check out my recipe section for all sorts of delicious pasta dishes. For something similar my Lamb Ragu with Olives is to die for. Another great recipe for a cozy evening is my Ragu Bianco, which is a slow cooked white bolognese (one of my favorite dishes!) For something equally delish but much quicker, make my Creamy Sausage Pasta.
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Best Ever Beef Short Rib Ragu
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.4 kg beef short ribs 3lbs
- 1 onion finely diced, mine weighed about 190 grams
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 2 sticks celery finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 500 ml red wine I used a chianti
- 2 x 400 gram cans whole tomatoes hand crushed in a bowl or with a potato masher
- 250 ml beef stock
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon zest parmesan and chopped flat leaf parsley to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320f (160c).
- Pat the short ribs dry and season well with salt and pepper.
- Heat two of the tablespoons of olive oil across two fry pans (or do in batches) on a medium-high heat and sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven proof casserole pot/Dutch oven over a medium heat. Gently fry the onion, carrot and celery until soft, about 10 mins.
- Lower the heat if you need, it shouldn't be browning.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, mix in well and cook off for 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and bring to a gentle simmer for a few mins, it doesn't need to reduce.
- Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the short ribs back in with the bay leaves and herb sprigs.
- There should be enough liquid that the beef is mostly covered (look at photos above for reference). Add more stock if you need.
- Cover and place in the oven for 3 - 3.5 hours. Check it at 3 hours but it will probably need the extra 30 mins. The bones should slide out easily from the meat when it is ready.
- Pull the meat out, discard the bones and pull the meat apart with two forks.
- Discard any big pieces of fat (get rid of the herb stalks too)and also each piece might have a little sinewy layer that should be discarded too. (photos above for guide on this)
- Add the pulled meat back into the pot and let it really gently bubble away on the stove top while you cook your pasta.
- I like to add the cooked pasta straight into the ragu with a splash of pasta water and let it gently bubble away for a good few minutes.
- Portion wise, I allow a heaped cup of sauce per person so you can portion it out before adding pasta, depending on how many people you are serving.
- I love to serve with some grated lemon zest on top (trust me on this), some chopped fresh italian parsley and parmesan.
Amy Sinclair says
Perfect recipe, so delicious will definitely make again!
Ilyssa says
We made this for Valentine’s Day, it was the perfect romantic meal for two.
Emilie Pullar says
Such a fantastic Valentine's dinner! Thank you so much for making it Ilyssa 🙂