Short Rib Ragu

Short rib ragu is the ultimate comfort food. Beef short ribs are slow cooked until falling off the bone and super tender with simple vegetables, fresh herbs and tomatoes. It’s the perfect hearty sauce to enjoy tossed with tagliatelle or any other pasta shape you like or spooned atop of polenta or mashed potatoes.

I’m not often tempted by pasta on a restaurant menu. In fact, it’s one of my unspoken rules to not order it. It’s typically overpriced, too heavy for my taste and never has enough protein. Unless, there’s a short rib pasta on the menu. Bonus points if the word “ragu” is somewhere in the description.

Short rib ragu will instantly break my self-imposed pasta rule and there’s a 99.9% chance I’m ordering it. A good duck or lamb dish being the only other things that will make me think twice.

There’s just something about the heartiness of short ribs that when slow cooked until they’re falling off the bone tender and simmered with tomatoes, wine, fresh herbs and vegetables like mushrooms and onions makes them absolutely irresistible.

While I’m usually adamant about braising recipes like this on the stove top to develop that crave-worthy deep savory flavor, I’ve found the sweet spot with this ragu recipe so that rich flavor still comes through while being able to use the slow cooker for a mostly hands-off process.

If you can find about 15 minutes of prep time in your morning, this short rib ragu recipe will be waiting for you for dinner. At that point all you have to do is shred the meat, boil some pasta and top it all with a hefty dose of parmesan cheese to serve. What once would be considered a weekend-only meal can now be enjoyed any night of the week.

The Difference Between Ragu and Sauce

If you’re wondering what the heck ragu is in the first place, let’s clear that up. The Italian term of ragu is used to describe a slowly simmered meat sauce. It’s typically served with pasta, polenta or gnocchi. The most famous ragu is bolognese (here’s an Instant Pot method for it as well as a lamb bolognese for a subtle twist on the traditional beef used in that recipe).

The main difference between ragu and sauce is that ragu is meant to feature a meat whereas sauce, like marinara, is typically vegetable (tomato) based. Because of this, ragu leans a bit towards a stew in texture and heartiness. You can always expect rich, savory and bold flavors from a ragu while sauces can be much lighter depending on how they’re made.

Key Ingredients For Making Short Rib Ragu

One of the best parts of a true Italian ragu is how it takes simple pantry ingredients and draws out bold, deep flavors.

• Short ribs — Bone-in English-cut short ribs are what you want for this recipe. Look for a meaty batch with good marbling.
• Tapioca flour — This is what the short ribs are tossed in before browning on the stove top and helps lock in the flavors of the meat before slow cooking.
• Mushrooms, onions and garlic — While soffrito is onions, celery and carrot, this combination of mushrooms, onion and garlic accomplishes the same thing in adding flavor and veggies to the ragu.
• Tomatoes — Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste are all used to add flavor and body to the short rib ragu.
• Red wine — Grab a big, bold red wine for this recipe. Always use something you like enough to drink when cooking with wine. A chewy cabernet or Chianti are both good choices for pairing with beef short ribs.
• Beef broth — Use a good quality broth or stock here for flavor.
• Fresh herbs — I like using a combination of rosemary and thyme in the ragu. Fresh herbs impart so much more flavor than dried.
• Coconut sugar — While there’s just a small amount used, don’t skip this. The sugar helps offset the acidity of the tomato sauce.

How To Make Short Rib Ragu

Using the slow cooker to make this short rib ragu recipe greatly simplifies the process and takes away the headache of babysitting a pot on the stove for hours. Braising is a delicious cooking method, but this slow cooker approach makes this meal accessible for any day of the week, even busy ones!

Browning the short ribs

Start by tossing the short ribs with the tapioca flour in a large bowl until all sides are fully coated.

Add olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the short ribs in batches so that every side is golden brown and has formed a nice crust. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Slow cook

Place the browned short ribs into the slow cooker then add all the remaining ingredients. Give everything a stir to combine then set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours until the short ribs are falling off the bone and super tender.

Shred the meat

Use tongs to remove the cooked short ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Pull the beef off the bone, discarding any large pieces of fat, and shred using two forks.

Return the shredded short ribs to the slow cooker and continue cooking for another 30 minutes while you prepare whatever you’re serving it with.

Serve

Spoon the short rib ragu with tagliatelle as shown or on top of creamy polenta (or polenta cakes), mashed potatoes or gnocchi. While any pasta shape will work, ragu is typically served with wide noodles such as tagliatelle or pappardelle. If you’re looking for some lower-carb serving options consider something like this cauliflower pumpkin mash or mashed rutabaga. Garnish with a generous serving of grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

The Best Way To Serve Short Rib Ragu With Pasta

Because the pasta is such an integral part of a good ragu recipe it’s worth going over how to properly serve the two together. While you might think you just spoon the short rib ragu over the cooked pasta noodles, there’s more to it than that – if you want a restaurant quality meal at least.

The best way to serve short rib ragu with pasta is to simmer the cooked pasta with the ragu either directly in the slow cooker or on the stove top in a large skillet. Cook the pasta to no more than al dente so that it retains some bite and doesn’t overcook when you do this.

Toss the ragu with the pasta ensures every single noodle is well coated. You can also add a touch of cream or reserved pasta water to the ragu to create something slightly more decadent.

Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing

Short rib ragu is kind of like any stew or chili, it gets better with time. This is an excellent meal to make ahead of time for that reason. If you prep a batch of this ragu ahead of time it will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. In the freezer, you can keep it up to 3-4 months. Make sure the ragu has cooled completely before storing in the freezer.

If using from frozen, thaw the ragu in the fridge overnight or in a water bath for a quicker thaw. Reheat the sauce in a skillet on the stove. If it’s a little watery, simply let the water simmer off. If the sauce is too thick, it can be thinned out with a bit of broth or stock.

More Wonderfully Hearty Meals Like This

This Instant Pot brisket recipe is another “cheat” method to get pull-apart tender brisket with an effortless and quick cooking approach.

If you are up for a long stove-top braise, I can’t recommend this braised leg of lamb recipe enough. The meat is succulent and super tender. It can be enjoyed as is or makes for some pretty epic tacos.

Moroccan lamb lentil stew brings big, bold flavors to your plate much like this beef short rib ragu just with a different vibe.

Lastly, if you’re looking for something else to do with short ribs, short rib chili is always a good meal as well.