Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Cook the Book: Short Ribs Ragu with Pappardelle

Posted by Jenn Sit, December 21, 2007 at 1:30 PM

The Holiday Countdown is upon us and with only one weekend of shopping left, no one wants to spend the day battling the hoards of frenzied shoppers over that last Wii to then go home and cook a big dinner. But instead of settling on the same ol' take-out, try the short ribs ragu with pappardelle recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. If you prepare it before you head out, while you’re waiting in those long lines you can think of how tender the ribs are getting with each hour you’re away. By the time you max out your credit card and make your way home, the meat is ready to fall off the bone and into your mouth. Most of the work is done already, so you can rest your aching feet and have a hearty meal that’ll warm your insides and fill with you the holiday cheer that you may have lost amidst the Macy’s crowds.

SHORT RIBS RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE

- serves 4 -

Have your butcher cut flanken-style short ribs for this dish. These ribs are cut across the rib bones instead of between the rib bones and make a rich and intensely flavored stew. They must be cooked in liquid over a long period of time to achieve the "falling off the bone" texture.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 1/2 to 4 pounds short ribs, each about 2 inches long, cut flanken style (across the bone)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 dried bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 small carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, strings removed, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium shallots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup ruby port
2 cups red wine, such as Cabernet
1/2 head of garlic
3 1/2 cups Veal Stock, Beef Stock, or frozen, thawed
1 pound pappardelle or other long, flat pasta

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Place a 5-quart ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, and heat until it is very hot but not yet smoking. Sprinkle the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary to keep the short ribs from touching at all during this crucial browning step, add the short ribs to the hot oil (they should sizzle the moment they hit the pan). Cook the ribs until well browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low if necessary to keep the ribs from overbrowning; do not rush this step. Remove the ribs from the casserole, and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, tie the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni. Set aside.

3. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and shallots to the oil in the casserole, and cook over medium heat,stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the flour and tomato paste to the casserole, and stir to combine. Add the ruby port; stir with a wooden spoon until all the browned bits have been scraped from the pan and the bottom of casserole is clean. Add the red wine; simmer until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 10 minutes. Add the qarlic, veal stock, and the reserved bouquet garni.

5. Return the browned ribs to the casserole. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the casserole, and place it in the oven. Cook until the ribs are very tender, about 3 1/2 hours.

6. Remove cooked ribs from casserole. Set casserole on top of the stove over medium heat, and simmer to thicken the sauce just slightly. As soon as short ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and shred into small pieces. (If you like, you can leave the meat on the bone for serving, too.) Discard any fat not rendered during cooking; discard the bouquet garni. Return shredded meat to casserole; simmer to reduce sauce by about half, until sauce is of desired consistency, about 10 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with salted water. Set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta. cook until the pasta is al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the pasta, and serve hot with the short-rib ragu.

6 Comments Favorite this!  (0)

Tags: beef, Cook the Book, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Original Classics, pasta, short ribs