Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu
So, this Short Rib Ragu isn’t much different than my first Bolognese recipe.. But this one is quicker and easier. You’re welcome. Honestly, these recipes are more or less identical and interchangeable.
This version, however, I’ve:
A. grated the vegetables so they’re already incredibly fine and I don’t have to blend to fool my family
B. dumped everything together in the slow cooker so no time standing over the stove sautéing.
C. used short ribs because I love my life and I love you and think we all deserve something special occasionally.
I absolutely love making Bolognese (or Ragu) with a roast, it’s so hearty and comforting. The juice of the roast ramps up the richness of the sauce. My absolute favorite dish to pack up and take to a friend or family member in need of a hassle-free meal. But short ribs? Short ribs elevate even the simplest – throw it together – kind of sauces. They’re richer than a roast, and they fall apart with a fork.
Food porn, plain and simple. One last note that I used trusty ole Google for because I truly didn’t know: what’s the difference between Ragu and Bolognese?
I knew Bolognese was a variation of ragu, but they’re just so similar! Well, the main difference, ragu is thicker, typically because its more tomato based.
Bolognese is thinner and highlights the meat and vegetables more.
So, that’s why I called this recipe ragu, it’s pretty thick and definitely heavy on the tomato sauce. Long explanation that no one asked for.
I know, don’t sue me for not knowing this ‘til now. Remember I’m completely self-taught in the kitchen and all of my food knowledge comes from Food Network, my self-taught mother, Pinterest, and now Instagram.
Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu
Ingredients
- 2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 3 lb short ribs
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- 1 T. butter or bacon fat
- 1 small onion, grated or finely
- chopped
- 1 T. tomato paste
- 2 carrots, grated or finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 T. basil paste (fresh or dried is fine too)
- 2 fresh thyme springs
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ T. celery salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Tagliatelle, or noodles of choice
- Freshly grated parmesan for the top.
Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients to the slow cooker, stir well.
- Add the short ribs and make sure they’re covered in the sauce.
- Let cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Removing the short ribs from the slow cooker if you need to, shred them well and add them back to the sauce. Discard the thyme sprigs
- Spoon the meat sauce over pasta, shave parmesan on top, and enjoy!
