The price of short ribs seems to be increasing with their popularity. I’ve heard them heralded as “economical.” I paid $4.69 a pound. I’ll let you decide whether that’s cheap or expensive. Either way, this cut of beef makes a delicious, meaty sauce that coats pasta perfectly.
Short rib rigatoni
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com | Serves 2-3
1.5 pounds short ribs (about 6 hunks)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry wine (I had Pinot Grigio on hand; red would be even better)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 cup beef stock
1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked al dente
Preheat oven to 325.
Heat olive oil in cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper short ribs and place, fat side down, in single layer on bottom of pan. Sear on all sides until brown. Remove meat from pot. (You’ll have a lot of fat left in the bottom of the pot. Don’t get rid of it — it’s what makes the sauce yummy.)
Add onion and garlic to pot and sprinkle with salt. Saute until onions are clear. Add tomatoes, mustard, wine, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then bring liquid to boil. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add short ribs back to pot. Pour in beef stock. Cover pot tightly with foil, then lid, and transfer to oven. Cook 3 hours.
Remove short ribs from pot. Pull the bones from meat (they should slide right out) and discard. Separate any big hunks of fat from meat and discard. Shred meat. Toss with rigatoni.
Meanwhile, remove bay leaf from sauce and discard. Transfer sauce to food processor and puree. (You can add the sauce back to the Dutch oven and keep it warm on the stovetop, if desired.) Add about a cup of sauce to the pasta and meat. Toss and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.
Get the roasted Brussels sprouts recipe here. I added a touch of maple syrup to them just before serving. They were a big hit.
Nicole M. Markle 