Slow-cooked Short Rib Ragout

Ingredients

• 2kg beef short ribs (approximately 4 ribs) 
  
• 2 tablespoons plain flour  
  
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper  
  
• Rapeseed oil, for frying  
  
• 1 large carrot, finely diced 
  
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced   
  
• 2 shallots, sliced 
  
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed 
  
• 4 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped  
  
• 4 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped  
  
• 50g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped into a paste 
  
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree  
  
• 300ml good-quality red wine  
  
• 500ml beef stock  
  
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, approximately 800g in total 
  
• 1 bay leaf 
  
• 2 heaped teaspoons soft brown sugar, optional 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 130˚C/ Gas Mark 2 
  
• Using a little kitchen roll, dry the ribs. Combine the flour and salt and pepper in a bowl before dusting the ribs until fully coated. Place the Cast Iron Oval Casserole over a medium heat and heat a tablespoon of oil. Place the ribs in the pan and brown on all sides until caramelised. Remove the ribs and set aside. 
  
• Add another dash of oil into the pan before adding the diced carrot, celery and shallots. Sauté over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary along with a pinch of salt and continue to fry for a further 2 minutes. 
  
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes and puree to the pan and keep stirring until all the vegetables are coated. Pour in the red wine and bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 3 minutes before adding the stock and bringing back to the boil. 
  
• Allow it to simmer for 5-7 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half. Return the ribs and any cooking juices to the pan before adding the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and sugar. Stir, place on the lid and put in the preheated oven for 4 ½ hours. 
  
• For the last hour, remove the lid to allow the sauce to thicken. If the sauce is thickening too quickly, add a dash of water and replace the lid. 
  
• When the meat is tender and starting to come away from the bone, take out of the oven and using a slotted spoon, remove the ribs from the sauce onto a plate. Using two forks, pull the meat away from the bone and return the shredded meat to the casserole. 
  
• If the ragout needs additional thickening, simply simmer on the hob until the desired consistency is achieved. Serve with potato and celeriac mashed potato and seasonal greens. 
  

Cook's Notes

• This recipe is perfect atop freshly cooked pasta or used as a pie filling. Simply spoon the ragout mixture into a baking dish and top with pre-made puff pastry. Egg wash and bake until the pastry is crisp and golden. 
  
• Ensure that the meat remains submerged in the cooking liquid, particularly when the lid is removed. This will ensure your meat is tender and doesn’t dry out.