Short Rib Ragu.- One of those dishes that everyone loves!!!

Sort Rib Ragu.- It's a wonderfully comforting dish with amazing beef flavor, but can also be made with other types of meat, just choose meat that gets extra tender with long, slow cooking and can be shredded. Afterwards it can be served over Polenta or Pasta, maybe even Mashed Potatoes or whatever you like best. It could also be served in sandwiches... Make a good sized batch since it can be frozen in portions for up to 3 months and have it available at any time!

2 Lbs Short Ribs or Boneless Shortribs or Chuck Roast (this time I used Shank)

1 Tbl Olive oil

1 onion, chopped                            

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl Tomato Paste

3 Anchovy Fillets, rinsed and dried

1/2 tsp 5 Spice Powder- If you don't have it this is a combination of Cinnamon, Fennel Seed,                                             Star Anise and Clove, so a little bit of each

1/2 cup Red Wine

1 14 1/2 oz can of Chopped Tomatoes or the equivalent of fresh

1 1/2 cup Beef Broth

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Use a heavy oven-safe pot with a lid for this dish.

Put the olive oil into the pan over medium heat until it's hot, add the onion and stir until it gets golden, you add the garlic cloves and cook for a minute, then you add the Tomato Paste and Anchovies and the 5 Spice Powder. You need to mix all these ingredients together so the spices will "bloom" and get fragrant for about 3 minutes, don't allow to burn.

You'll notice that you've created a great "fond" at the bottom of your pot, now you will "deglaze" the "fond" with the Red Wine which means the wine will clean the bottom of the pot and allow all that flavor that was created there to be part of your sauce. You need to let this reduce for about 3-4 minutes which will reduce almost by half.

Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the Beef Broth, let this simmer while you get the meat ready.

Salt and pepper the meat generously on both sides and place the meat into the pot and cover.

Place your pot into the preheated oven for 1 hour in the middle rack of the oven. After the hour you will take the cover off the pot and cook for another 1 1/4 hour, or a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Once you remove the pot from the oven, remove the meat from the pot and place on a plate to rest and cool a little. Skim the fat from the sauce in the pan.

After about 5 minutes or so you can begin to shred the meat using two forks until it's all done. At this point you will return the meat into the pot and mix everything really well.

There are so many ways to serve this, you can serve over Polenta, or Pasta, or Mashed Potatoes or in Sandwiches or come up with your favorite way.