🍳 Short Ribs with Cognac Cream Ragu 🍳

Ragu, the ultimate comfort dish. It starts with a mirepoix, braised meat, tomatoes and a lot of love. This dish is one that fills the whole house with its delicious aroma creating anticipation while it slowly simmers on the stovetop.

1. Pat short ribs dry with a paper towel. Season all sides of short ribs with salt and pepper. Let the meat sit at room temperature for ~30 minutes. I used this time to prepare all my other ingredients.

2. In a dutch oven (I used a 7Qt). Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. On medium high heat, sear short ribs on all sides until a crust forms (3 minutes each side). Once all sides are seared remove from the pot and set aside.

3. Drop the heat to medium low. Add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted add onions, , and celery. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until it starts to tenderize. Add shallots and garlic. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant and vegetables are soft.

4. Add in tomato paste. Stir. Cook 2-3 minutes until paste is no longer bright red. Drop the heat to low. Add in cognac. Raise the heat back up to simmer and cook out the alcohol. Once reduced by half add in Red Wine. Simmer and reduce by 75%.

5. Add in Crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Drop in Parmesan Rind and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer add in the seared short ribs, herbs and bay leaves. Cover and let simmer on the stove top for 3 hours.

6. Skim off any excess fat laying on the top of the sauce. Once bones are easy to slide off of short ribs, remove and shred the meat. Remove herbs and parmesan rind. Add meat back in. Simmer with the lid of for ~20 Minutes while you cook your pasta, this helps to thicken up the sauce. Add in 1/2 C of cream. Stir and continue to simmer for 3-4 Minutes.

7. Add in cooked pasta, a ladle of pasta water, knob of butter and parmesan cheese. Stir until combined.

8. Garnish with parsley and extra parmesan cheese.

Wine Pairing: Meaty sauces pair best with full bodied, dry Red Wines. I personally paired this with Ercole Barbera Del Monferrato DOC that I found at my local Whole Foods. Another suggestion is a peppery Cabernet Sauvignon that gives a bit of a bite!