Cooking Casebook: Beef short ribs with pasta

We've been living like nomads since the start of our home renovations, and have been staying either with my parents in SG, or with the in-laws over in Penang. Whatever the case, I know I miss home, and the kids do too. I also miss having our own simple home-cooked meals (though not so much the slaving over the hot stove!), and I can't wait to take out my pots and pans when the dust from the reno has settled (literally!).

Anyway, speaking of cooking, this recipe for beef short ribs is one of my favourite recipes to cook if we want a simple pasta meal, that is yet elegant enough to serve for guests. It's really fuss-free to prepare, tastes great, and best of all, is freezer friendly! It was a modification of this recipe, and I use my Le Creuset French oven in this case, as I find it brings out the flavours better than the slow-cooker.

BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH PASTA

(serves 8-10)

Ingredients

1.5 kg of beef short ribs 

2 tbsp olive oil 

4 tbsp of butter

1/2 cup of red wine

2 cans of whole, peeled tomatoes

3/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (those that are stored in oil)

1 small can of tomato paste 

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large carrots, cut into thick slices

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp shredded fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Pasta for serving (we use papardelle)

Method

1. Add and heat the olive oil in a cast iron pot (we use a round, 26cm Le Creuset French oven) over medium-high heat. 

2. Season the ribs with salt and pepper, and add them to the pot. Sear the ribs all over, taking about 1 minute per side.

3. Add the butter, taking care not to let the butter burn.

4. After butter has melted and starts to froth, add the garlic and onions, and brown them for a few minutes. 

5. Add the red wine, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes (drain away the oil that they are stored in first), tomato paste and the dried herbs. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally. 

6. Add and stir in the carrot slices, and cook for an additional hour. If the sauce appears too dilute, remove the lid during the last hour of cooking. (Leave the lid on if the sauce is the right thickness, and add a splash of water if you feel the sauce is too thick.) 

7.  After 5 hours of cooking (you can cook it even longer if you wish), remove the pot from heat, shred the meat and remove the rib bones. Stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.

8. Cook pasta until al dente, and drain. Serve the sauce with the pasta. (This sauce goes amazingly well with pappardelle!)

Tips

1. Beef short ribs can be rather pricey, so we buy the frozen ones from the wet market, as they are relatively cheaper.

2. You can replicate this recipe in the slow-cooker, just that it is more troublesome, since you would need to sear the ribs in a pot before putting them into the slow-cooker. I also find that the flavours develop more if you use the French oven instead of the slow-cooker.

PS: This post is the sixth in a series of posts written in collaboration with Le Creuset Singapore. You can find the entire series of posts here.