Vodka Beef Short Rib Ragu
If you're looking for the ultimate comfort food, this vodka beef short rib ragu is guaranteed to become a favourite. Rich, slow cooked beef melts into a silky tomato sauce that's finished with cream for the most luxurious texture. The vodka intensifies the flavour of the tomatoes while the parmesan rind adds incredible depth, creating a vodka beef short rib ragu that tastes like it's been simmering all day in an Italian kitchen.
Equipment
- Large dutch oven
Ingredients
- 500-600 g beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 carrot
- 1 stick celery
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tube tomato puree 200g (tomato paste)
- 150 ml vodka
- Sprig rosemary
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 600 ml chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 parmesan rind plus grated parmesan for serving
- 80 ml double cream
- Chilli flakes and basil for serving
- 350 g pasta rigatoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 140°C/284°F. Pat the beef short ribs dry with kitchen paper before seasoning generously with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy casserole dish over a high heat. Sear the short ribs for a couple of minutes on each side until they develop a deep golden brown crust. Remove them from the pan and set aside500-600 g beef short ribs, Salt and pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onion, carrot and celery to the same pan. Cook gently until softened and sweet, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.1 carrot, 1 stick celery, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Squeeze in the tomato purée and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until it darkens slightly and begins to catch on the bottom of the pan. This step develops a much deeper tomato flavour.1 tube tomato puree
- Increase the heat slightly and pour in the vodka. Stir continuously, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes until the vodka has reduced and been absorbed into the tomato mixture. Pour in the chicken stock and stir until smooth.150 ml vodka, 600 ml chicken stock
- Add the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves (I like to tie them together with an extra thyme sprig so I can easily remove them later) along with the sugar and parmesan rind before nestling the browned short ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook in a 140°C/284°F oven for 3 hours until the beef is incredibly tender and falls apart easily with a fork.Sprig rosemary, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 parmesan rind, ½ tsp sugar
- Towards the end of the cooking time, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook your chosen pasta until al dente. Remove the short ribs from the sauce and shred the meat, discarding the bones and any large pieces of fat as well as removing the parmesan rind, herbs stems and bay leaves.350 g pasta
- Return the shredded beef to the sauce and stir well. Pour in the double cream and gently simmer until the sauce becomes silky and fully combined.80 ml double cream
- Reserve a little pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. Add the pasta directly into the sauce and toss everything together, adding a splash of pasta water if needed until every piece is coated in the rich vodka beef short rib ragu. Serve with plenty of grated parmesan, fresh basil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes if you like a little heat.Chilli flakes and basil for serving
Notes
Don't rush cooking the tomato purée. Letting it cook until it darkens and begins sticking slightly to the pan removes its raw taste and creates a sweeter, more concentrated tomato flavour that makes the finished ragu much richer.