There's nothing better than pasta dish like Pappardelle with Short Rib Ragu to end the perfect week. Braised on the stovetop until fork tender. The only thing that could make it better is making your own Homemade Pappardelle pasta with this easy recipe.
Like pasta dishes? Try my Pasta with Ricotta and Peas, Quick and Easy Pasta with Garbanzo Beans, or Sicilian Baked Lolli.
Jump to:
- Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- The Difference Between Veal and Beef
- The Different Cuts of Beef Short Ribs
- Why Braising is Important when Cooking Tough Cuts of Meat
- Should you Remove the Membrane on Short Ribs?
- How to Remove the Membrane on Short Ribs
- Ingredients
- How to Make Pappardelle with Short Ribs Ragu
- Top Tips
- Substitutions and Variations
- Add a Dessert to Your Meal
- Recipe Details
- Top Tips
- PIN it for later here
- Food Safety
- Comments
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- flavors are always more enhanced when you use bone in meats
- hearty dish when you combine pasta with a meat
- traditional dish that's love by all
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The Difference Between Veal and Beef
Both Beef and veal come from cattle. One of the main differences is that veal is younger in age and cuts of meat from beef come from mature cattle. Beef has a more robust flavor and is darker in color and has a firmer texture than its younger counterpart of veal.
Since veal comes from younger calves, usually under 6 months old, the meat will be lighter in color and have a tender texture. Veal's mild flavor makes it a favorite in dishes like scallopini, osso buco, or cutlets.
The Different Cuts of Beef Short Ribs
There are two popular cuts for short ribs. There is Korean cut and there is the English cut short rib.
Korean cut short ribs are sliced thinly across the bone, resulting in multiple small pieces of meat with small bone fragments. This cut is usually thin and are ideal for quick cooking like grilling or cooking on the barbecue.
On the other hand, short ribs that are English cut, are cut parallel to the bone. This results in the short ribs being thicker and rectangular with a single bone in the middle. English cut short ribs are typically 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 2 inches thick. English cut short ribs are better suited for slow cooking methods in braising or for simmering for longer periods of time.
This cut is often used in traditional dishes like pot roast or beef stew, where the longer cooking time allows the flavors to develop deeply, connective tissue to break down and the meat to become fall-off-the-bone tender.
Why Braising is Important when Cooking Tough Cuts of Meat
Braising is important when cooking touch cuts of meat like English cut short ribs because they contain a lot of connective tissue. Meats with connective tissue require long periods of cooking like braising either in the oven or on the stove top.
Cooking for longer periods of time allow for the tissue to break down and for those flavors to be absorbed in to the meat resulting in an enhanced taste.
Should you Remove the Membrane on Short Ribs?
Removing the membrane on short ribs is often debated. It really depends on the desired texture you hope to achieve in your cooking method and the recipe.
The membrane keeps everything intact and prevents the meat from falling apart completely. And while it is a bit chewy, braising the ribs allow for the connective tissue to loosen during an extended period of cooking.
Keeping the membrane on may also prevent the flavors and herbs to deeply infuse with the meat. If your desired presentation is to keep everything in tact, then leave the membrane on.
On the other hand, if you want a tender and infused flavor, removing the membrane can be beneficial to the overall texture and flavor of the recipe.
Ultimately the decision comes down to personal preference.
How to Remove the Membrane on Short Ribs
If you want to remove the membrane, here is a step by step process that will help you:
Locate the membrane on your short ribs by flipping it over so the bone side is facing up.
Loosen the edge by using a dull knife like a butter knife to lift a small section from the corner, you can also slide your knife underneath.
Pull and Trim the membrane. Use a sharp knife or scissors to trim away the membrane exposing the meat.
Ingredients
To make this recipe for short ribs ragu, you'll need English style cut beef (veal) short ribs, red wine, celery, carrots, onion, bay leave, wine tomato puree, garlic, herbs and seasoning.
For exact measurement details see recipe card...
How to Make Pappardelle with Short Ribs Ragu
Start off by washing and chopping the carrots, onions, 1 clove of garlic and celery. Set aside.
Prepare your short ribs and season with salt.
In a medium pan, place 4 tbsp of olive oil and cook garlic until fragrant then discard. Sear the short ribs on all sides, then place in a bowl and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with red wine scrapping the bits of beef stuck on the bottom. Once the liquor has evaporated, add in the chopped carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Sauté until translucent then add the tomato puree.
Season with salt, if needed.
Return the short ribs to the pot ensuring that they are fully covered by the sauce. Add the bay leaf and thyme leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn down to simmer with the lid on.
For veal short ribs, they will be ready in about 2 hours. However, if you use beef short ribs, they will be tougher and need longer to break down the connective tissue.
Once the short ribs begin to fall apart, remove from sauce and using a fork pull apart the meat and discard the bones.
Return the meat back to the pot. You can also leave the ribs intact and serve them whole with your pasta.
Prepare your pasta and serve the short rib ragu on top of the pasta. Serve with your favorite grated cheese.
Storage:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in microwave or over the stove top.
To re-heat on the stove top place the pasta and short rib ragu in a pan and heat up with a bit of olive oil. This tastes even better when you let the pasta caramelize and get crunchy. In some ways, leftover pasta tastes better the day after!
You can also freeze leftovers, then thaw them out then follow the stove top re-heating instructions.
Top Tips
If using beef short ribs, plan to add more cooking time as beef short ribs will require more time do to the toughness of the connective tissue.
It's totally optional to pull apart the meat from the bone. You can also serve the full rib on the side with the pasta.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some great ideas to make this recipe for short ribs a little different.
- Pork - instead of using beef short ribs, use pork ribs for a version of pasta in tomato sauce with pork rib sauce
- Ground Meat - you can also use ground meat instead of whole cuts of meat like a ground veal ragu
- Spice it up - by added some hot oil or chilli flakes.
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Add a Dessert to Your Meal
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Pappardelle with Short Rib Ragu
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 2 lb beef short ribs english cut
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt to taste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots, chopped
- ½ onion chopped
- 24 oz tomato puree
- 1 tsp thyme leaves only
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 oz pasta pappardelle or long pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Start off by washing and chopping the carrots, onions, 1 clove of garlic and celery. Set aside.
- Prepare your short ribs and season with salt.
- In a medium pan, place tbsp of olive oil and cook garlic until fragrant then discard. Sear the short ribs on all sides, then place in a bowl and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine scrapping the bits of beef stuck on the bottom. Once the liquor has evaporated, add in the chopped carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Sauté until translucent then add the tomato puree. Season with salt, if needed.
- Return the short ribs to the pot ensuring that they are fully covered by the sauce. Add the bay leaf and thyme leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn down to simmer with the lid on.
- Check in on the short ribs often to turn them as you want to make sure they don't get burned.
- For veal short ribs, they will be ready in about 2 hours. However, if you use beef short ribs, they will be tougher and need longer to break down the connective tissue.
- Once the short ribs begin to fall apart, remove from sauce and using a fork pull apart the meat and discard the bones. Return the meat back to the pot. You can also leave the ribs intact and serve them whole with your pasta.
- Prepare your pasta and serve the short rib ragu on top of the pasta. Serve with your favorite grated cheese.
Notes
Top Tips
If using beef short ribs, plan to add more cooking time as beef short ribs will require more time do to the toughness of the connective tissue. It's totally optional to pull apart the meat from the bone. You can also serve the full rib on the side with the pasta.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Maya says
This was so delicious. I wonder if how much longer it would take if you used beef short ribs?
AmyG says
That's a good question, I would allow for another hour at least, but it could take longer as beef is much tougher than veal. Good luck 🙂