Beef Short Rib Ragu with Porcini Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1.2 - 1.3 kg (2.5-3lbs) beef short ribs
• 20 g (1/3 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Celery
• 1 Onion
• 700 g (24oz/3 cups) Passata (tomato puree US)
• 2 tablespoons Tomato concentrate (paste) (past)
• 1 litre (4 cups) beef stock (low sodium)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) red wine
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb (500g) Pappardelle pasta or other pasta of choice ((use half the ragu for this much pasta))
• Parmigiano Reggiano (for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the porcini mushrooms to a dish or jug and pour over 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water. Set aside to steep.

2. 2

   Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion. Sprinkle salt over both sides of the beef ribs.

3. 3

   Add around 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a deep pot on a medium heat. Brown the beef ribs on all sides (about 1-2 minutes each side). Remove the ribs to a plate.

4. 4

   Add the soffritto (carrot, cleelry and onion) to the pot with the bay leaves and saute on a medium-low heat until softened (about 8-10 minutes).

5. 5

   Remove the porcini mushrooms from the liquid and finely chop them. Add them to the vegetables alongside the red wine and tomato paste. Stir and let it simmer for 1-2 minuted to reduce the alcohol.

6. 6

   Add the ribs back to the pot with any juices. Add the beef stock, passata, 250ml (1 cup) of porcini soaking liquid (be careful not to add any grit that may be at the bottom of the jug) and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid on for 3.5 hours. Make sure to stir it every now and then so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.

7. 7

   Turn off the heat and skim off any fat on the top of the ragu. Remove the bones and any sinew, overly fatty parts then break up the meat.

8. 8

   Turn the heat back on medium-low and simmer the ragu uncovered for another 30 minutes to let it reduce slightly.

9. 9

   The ragu is ready to be served with pasta. Alternatively, you can let it cool completely, then store it in the fridge until needed. A layer of fat may solidify on top when cold. Just scrape this off before reheating.

10. 10

    Add just as much ragu as you need for serving to a pan then add the cooked pasta and toss it together. This is a big batch of ragu, so half of it is more than enough to serve 4 with pasta.