Short Rib Bolognese Recipe: Tips for Making Short Ribs
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 15, 2024 • 3 min read
Nothing satisfies comfort food cravings better than simmering a large pot of Bolognese for a few hours, then enjoying it on top of your favorite pasta. Learn how to make tender short rib Bolognese.
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What Is Short Rib Bolognese?
Short rib Bolognese is a hearty variation on the classic Italian meat-and-tomato sauce that calls for tender shredded beef short ribs instead of ground beef and pork. Bolognese is the international name for ragù alla Bolognese, a long-simmering Italian meat sauce that traditionally accompanies lasagna, tagliatelle, or rigatoni. Bolognese sauce starts with a base of olive oil simmered soffritto—an aromatic flavor base of diced onion, carrot, and celery. Typically, ground, diced, or cured meat (like pancetta) gives the sauce a savory body. Wine, stock, and tomato purée (or crushed tomatoes) form the braising liquid.
Short ribs are cuts of meat from the serratus ventralis muscle: a “short” portion of a cow’s rib. The cut has a high ratio of fat and connective tissue, so it’s a popular choice for hands-off, low-and-slow cooking methods like braising.
4 Tips for Making Short Rib Bolognese
Follow these tips to craft a delicious short rib ragù:
- 1. Experiment with ingredients. Adjust this classic short rib recipe to suit your personal preferences or the ingredients you have on hand. Substitute red wine (like a Cabernet Sauvignon) for white wine to make a fuller-bodied sauce. Swap half-and-half or heavy cream for the milk for a creamier dish. Use beef broth instead of chicken broth for an extra meaty flavor. For freshness, incorporate additional spices and Italian herbs, such as red pepper flakes, basil, bay leaves, and sprigs of fresh thyme.
- 2. Adjust the cooking time. The cook time for your piece of meat will vary depending on whether you’re using bone-in or boneless short ribs. The goal is to reach a tender, fall-off-the-bone texture in the meat.
- 3. Slow cook the sauce. Prepare Bolognese in a slow cooker for an easy make-ahead meal. Brown the short ribs and sauté the veggies, then add them to a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook the sauce on low heat for 3 to 4 hours.
- 4. Store properly. Store this hearty sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the Bolognese to cool to room temperature before storing it in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to eat the sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in a pot on the stovetop.
Homemade Short Rib Bolognese Recipe
makes
prep time
30 mintotal time
4 hr 25 mincook time
3 hr 55 minIngredients
- 1
Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel. Season the meat generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and a ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- 2
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
- 3
When the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the pan. Sear each side of the short ribs until the skin is brown and slightly crispy, about 3–5 minutes for the front and back, and 1–2 minutes for the narrow sides.
- 4
While the ribs are searing, prepare the soffritto. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onion, carrot, and celery and pulse until finely chopped. (Alternatively, mince the soffritto by hand.)
- 5
Remove the seared short ribs from the pot and set them aside.
- 6
Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pot used to cook the short ribs, add the soffritto. Sauté the mixture until it is very soft, about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 7
Add the wine, tomato paste, nutmeg, and remaining salt and pepper, and cook until the wine has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- 8
Add the short ribs back into the pot. Add the stock and milk and reduce the heat to low.
- 9
Braise, uncovered, occasionally stirring, until the meat is extremely tender and the sauce has a thick texture, about 3 hours. If the sauce dries out during cooking, add a ½ cup of water. Season the meat with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- 10
When the meat is fork-tender, remove the short ribs from the pot, discard the bones, and shred the meat.
- 11
Add the shredded short ribs back to the pot and stir to warm through.
- 12
Remove the sauce from the heat, and serve with pappardelle pasta (or the pasta of your choice) topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
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