Gluten Free Beef Short Rib Ragu

How do you say “I love you” in Italian? Technically it’s “ti amo” but I think it’s really gluten free beef short rib ragu, or Ragù di costolette di manzo. Decadent, rich, luxurious, with the unctuous bite of fall apart tender beef, this dish is perfect for date night and a way to let those in your life know how endearing they are to you.

There’s something special about a dish that simmers and cooks low and slow all day. The way it perfumes the home, the anticipation of seeing the beautiful shreds of short rib, the way the wine and tomatoes intensify and deepen in flavor. You know the anticipation is building as you read this.

Despite the longer cook time, this dish comes together easily with just a few steps at the beginning that will guarantee an incredible finished dish.

It All Starts With The Ingredients!

It starts with picking your ingredients. Tomatoes play a very important role in this sauce. Pick quality Italian crushed tomatoes, such as those from Flora Foods.

Naturally sweeter, that inherent sweetness will develop even more as it simmers away. You want tomatoes that taste like they have just been picked from the vine at peak ripeness after basking in the sun.

Always Pick a Wine That You Enjoy Drinking

One mistake people make is using a cheap wine for cooking. As wine cooks down, the flavor will concentrate. So a bitter wine will become even more bitter in your dish.

Sippable & Delicious Bone Broth

Bone Broth already has that all day simmered flavor so imagine what it brings to this dish. I used The Osso Good Co. Signature Bone Broth. You can find a link to The Osso Good Company in my pantry.

Organic chicken, organic turkey, grass fed and finished beef, and pork broths combined with a bounty of vegetables create a broth delicious on its own, and a superstar of flavor added to this dish.

Color = Flavor

Another key to this dish is browning the short ribs. By building that beautiful deep caramelized crust, you’re locking in the moisture, adding another layer of flavor, and creating texture.

The technical term is the Maillard reaction. As the sugars in the protein hit the heat and reduce, the outside develops that gorgeous browned crust.

Noodle Perfection

I serve this beef short rib ragu over gluten free pappardelle. The wide delicate eggy noodles play perfectly against the thick delectable sauce. Every twist and turn of your fork will capture the chunky sauce in a twirl of noodle.

Make sure to salt your water when cooking your pasta as it’s your chance to season the pasta from the start.

Now that I know you’re hungry, open the bottle of red, pour yourself a glass, and save ½ cup for your ragu.

Gluten Free Beef Short Rib Ragu

This delectable Italian dish with a twist is the perfect homemade recipe for Valentines' Day.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Dutch Oven
• Spoon
• Tongs

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Beef Short Ribs
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 28 oz Canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 2 Celery stalks, diced
• 2 Carrots, diced
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp  Pepper
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Red wine
• 2 cup Beef broth or bone broth
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 2 Bay leaves
• 8 oz Portabella mushrooms, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat on the stovetop.
• Add the short ribs and sear all sides, allowing them to fully brown. You don’t want to crowd the pan as the short ribs will steam instead of brown so you may need to brown in batches. Set aside.
• Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Allow to sauté for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the wine, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Add the short ribs back to the dutch oven along with the bone broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a low boil, cover, and place in the oven.
• Cook for 5-6 hours, or until the beef is fall apart tender and easily shreds with a fork.
• Remove the short ribs from the pot and shred, adding the meat back to the pot.
• Remove the bay leaves and add the tomato paste and mushrooms.
• Mix well. Serve over your favorite pasta. Buon appetito!

Notes

I used Fora Foods crushed tomatoes in this dish. Located here in Florida, they have a full line of incredible Italian imports, from canned tomatoes and olive oil to marinated vegetables and olives.

Imported Traditional Italian Food | Flora Fine Foods (florafoods.com)

The Osso Good Co. Sippable Bone Broth played an important role in adding dimension to this dish. Having that all day cooked flavor, it’s delicious to drink on its own, or add to any of your recipes. They have a line of bone broths as well as sippable soups.

Organic and Grass-Fed Bone Broth and Paleo Soups – The Osso Good Co.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheSaltyCooker or tag #thesaltycooker!