Short Rib Ragu
5-6 lbs. short ribs
kosher salt
1 tablespoon bacon fat, lard or oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 bottle red wine
1/2 28-oz. can whole fire-roasted tomatoes and sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 oz. dried mushrooms reconstituted with 2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
chicken stock or water
gremolata, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season ribs well with salt. Heat oil in large, heavy pot (I used a 5-qt. enameled cast iron dutch oven) over medium heat until shimmering. Brown ribs in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, then set aside. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of accumulated fat from pot, then sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.
Create a hot spot in the pot by moving vegetables aside and leaving about a 3-inch radius bare. Add tomato paste and anchovy paste to the hot spot and stir vigorously until caramelized, then stir into the vegetables. Add red wine to deglaze and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add tomatoes, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms and soaking liquid (minus the last 1/4 inch to keep sediment out of your dish), plus herbs.
Add ribs to pot and fill with chicken stock or water until ribs are nearly covered. Bring liquid to a boil, then cover tightly and braise in oven for at least 3 hours or until ribs are fall-apart tender.
Remove ribs from liquid and set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, using an immersion blender, purée the braising liquid until thick and set over medium-low heat to reduce. When ribs have cooled down, discard bones and large pieces of fat, then shred the beef and return it to the pot. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, skimming any large pools of fat from the surface.
Refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove additional fat from the surface before reheating. This recipe makes a LOT of ragu, so you may want to reheat only a small portion. Serve over polenta, sprinkled with gremolata.
Gremolata
1 large clove garlic, minced
zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil