This Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate comfort food and is perfect for busy fall weeknights!
It is definitely feeling like fall in Philadelphia now. The days are getting shorter, and there is a chill in the air. Which means my slow cooker is back in full force!
I absolutely love my slow cooker (paid link). It makes me so happy to come back to an awesome comfort food meal at the end of the day. This recipe for Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is basically a really thick meat sauce, made with shredded boneless short ribs. And. It’s fantastic.
This can be served over pasta, egg noodles, polenta, or even mashed potatoes (I went with pappardelle pasta for this round). The recipe makes quite a bit, so you can stock your freezer for nights you just don’t feel like cooking.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds boneless short ribs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 bay leaf
To make your Short Rib Ragu, pat dry your short ribs and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add some of your short ribs and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove the short ribs and add to your slow cooker. Continue with your remaining short ribs, adding to the slow cooker once browned.
Add your carrots and celery to the pan, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Transfer to your slow cooker.
Add in the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, stirring to evenly coat the vegetables.
Add in your wine and can of tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits, while also breaking up the tomatoes a bit.
Pour the mixture into your slow cooker. Add the cornstarch to your beef broth, mixing to combine, then pour into the slow cooker.
Add spices, mixing everything in the slow cooker to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the short ribs are fall apart tender.
Remove the short ribs from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Also remove the bay leaf and discard.
Using an immersion blender (or a normal blender), blend what is left in the slow cooker until smooth.
Add back in the shredded meat, stirring to combine.
Serve the short rib ragu over pasta (or other starch you prefer).
Oh yeah. This is the ultimate comfort food meal!
This dish is a spin on my usual Sunday night tomato sauce and is just perfect for cold nights!
Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless short ribs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Pat dry your short ribs and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Add some of your short ribs and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Remove the short ribs and add to your slow cooker.
- Continue with your remaining short ribs, adding to the slow cooker once browned.
- Add your carrots and celery to the pan, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Transfer to your slow cooker.
- Add in the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, stirring to evenly coat the vegetables.
- Add in your wine and can of tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits, while also breaking up the tomatoes a bit.
- Pour the mixture into your slow cooker. Add the cornstarch to your beef broth, mixing to combine, then pour into the slow cooker.
- Add spices, mixing everything in the slow cooker to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the short ribs are fall apart tender.
- Remove the short ribs from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Also remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Using an immersion blender (or a normal blender), blend what is left in the slow cooker until smooth.
- Add back in the shredded meat, stirring to combine.
- Serve over pasta (or other starch you prefer).
