A Short Rib Ragù is a Perfect Topping for the Homemade Gnocchi
If you like pasta, try gnocchi with short rib ragù. These little pillows of perfection are easy to make and are a nice alternative to pasta, and the rich beef short rib ragù goes great with gnocchi.
Pasta is popular in my family, and we have some variation of a pasta dish at least once a week. But, it can get a bit repetitive so I'm always trying to make something different. My pantry must have 10 different shapes of dried pasta, and they all taste exactly the same. Gnocchi is a great alternative to pasta. A couple of baked potatoes, a few eggs, some flour and a little kosher salt is all you need to make fresh gnocchi. Add some short rib ragù and you have a wonderful, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that everyone will love. Gnocchi with short rib ragù is a winner.
Sear the Short Ribs
Add a little canola oil, or other vegetable oil, to a 5 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Don't use olive oil because olive oil has a low smoke point and is not suitable for searing meat over high heat. It will impart a taste that you do not want. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10-12 minutes. Removed the ribs and set them aside. Then remove and discard all but on tablespoon of the rendered fat in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Make the Sauce
Sauté the vegetables until nice and soft. Add the garlic, flour, tomato paste and port wine. Then assemble the herbs and put them in a cheesecloth bag. Then add the bag to the Dutch oven along with the beef stock and stir.
A little cheesecloth bag is perfect for this kind of sauce where you don't want bits of herbs in the final sauce. Just remove the bag before serving. Cheesecloth bags are easy to find online.
Braise the Short Ribs
Add the short ribs to the Dutch oven along with enough water to just cover the ribs. Cover and bake at 325˚F for three hours. Warning: Your house will smell great!
Make the Gnocchi
While the ribs are braising, make the gnocchi. Rub the potatoes with a little canola oil and season them with kosher salt. Bake the potatoes at 350°F for one hour, then remove them from the oven.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the peels. Run the potatoes through a ricer or thoroughly mash them with a potato masher.
Stir in egg yolks then the flour. Transfer the mixture to a floured cutting board and kneed until it comes together. Periodically sprinkle the mixture with additional flour as needed. The dough has enough flour when it is no longer sticky.
Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a log ½" in diameter.
Then cut the logs into 1" pieces and transfer the pieces to a well-floured baking sheet. Gently roll each piece of dough diagonally across a gnocchi board. Return the gnocchi to the floured baking sheet.
Finish the Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù
Remove the ribs from the Dutch oven and allow them to cool. Cut the meat off the ribs and remove any remaining fat. Also remove any fat floating in the Dutch oven.
Chop the meat and return it to the Dutch oven and simmer it over low heat for 20 - 30 minutes.
Cook the Gnocchi
Add two tablespoons of kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the gnocchi and plate. Top with ragù and shaved pecorino romano. Serve the gnocchi with short rib ragù with a light dinner salad. Enjoy!
More Great Pasta Dishes
Watch How to Make Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù on YouTube
Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù
Equipment
- Potato ricer
- Gnocchi board
Ingredients
Short Rib Ragù
- 2.5 lbs beef short ribs
- 2 tbs canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs rosemary fresh
- 4 sprigs thyme fresh
- 2 sprigs parsley flat leaf
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 tbs all-purpose flour
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- ¾ cup port wine
- 1 ¾ cup red wine like cabernet sauvignon
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 tbs pecorino romano shaved
Gnocchi
- 3 russet potatoes large
- 1 tbs canola oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 egg yolks
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
Instructions
- Add oil to a 5 qt Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10-12 minutes. Removed the ribs and set aside. Remove and discard all but 1 tbs of the rendered fat in the Dutch oven.
- Add the carrots, celery, onion and shallots and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, flour and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add the port and scrape up all of the brown bits on the bottom. Add the red wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the herbs in a cheesecloth bag. Add the bag and the beef stock. Stir to combine.
- Add the ribs back to the dutch oven. Add enough water to raise the liquid to near the top of the ribs. Cover and bake at 325°F for three hours.
- Rub the potatoes with a little canola oil and season with kosher salt. Bake the potatoes at 350°F for one hour.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and discard the peels. Run the potatoes through a ricer or thoroughly mashed using a potato masher.
- Stir in egg yolks. Stir in the flour. Transfer the mixture to a floured cutting board and kneed. Periodically sprinkle the mixture with additional flour as needed. The dough has enough flour when it is no longer sticky.
- Cut the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a log ½" in diameter. Cut the logs into 1" pieces and transfer the pieces to a well-floured baking sheet.
- Gently roll each piece of dough diagonally across a gnocchi board. Return the gnocchi to the floured baking sheet.
- Remove the ribs. When cool enough to handle, cut the meat off the ribs and remove any remaining fat. Remove any fat floating in the Dutch oven. Chop the meat and return it to the Dutch oven. Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.
- Add 2 tbs of kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the gnocchi and plate. Top with ragu and shaved pecorino romano and serve.
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