STEVE’S SHORT RIB RAGU AND HANDMADE PASTA
PREP AND COOK TIME: 2 HOURSSERVES: 4
1.2kg beef short ribs
sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
10 thyme sprigs
5 large rosemary sprigs
1 bay leaf (fresh if available, dried if not)
½ cup red wine (we use a good shiraz)
½ cup Marsala wine
2 cups Beef Stock
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 anchovy fillets freshly ground black pepper
PASTA:
250g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
water, if required
GARNISH:
100g pecorino, shaved
1 handful of micro herbs
1. Take the beef ribs out of the fridge and leave for 10 minutes to come up to room temperature. Season the beef on all sides with salt.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker over high heat, add the beef ribs and seal on all sides until browned, about a minute each side. Remove the beef from the pan.
3. Now add the onion, carrot and celery to the hot pan and brown the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wines to deglaze the pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes and anchovies. Seal the pressure cooker with the lid, wait for it to come up to pressure, then turn down the heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Release the pressure and the lid and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Note: If you do not have a pressure cooker, use a stock pot instead and cook the meat for 2 hours on a very low heat.
4. Meanwhile, to make the pasta, sieve the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg, egg yolks and a pinch of salt and mix with a fork until the ingredients come together to form a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
5. When the ragu has cooled slightly, using tongs, remove the beef ribs and their bones. Also remove and discard the bay leaf and any stalks from the herbs. With two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, return to the pressure cooker and stir. Place the ragu back on high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, around 10 minutes.
6. While the ragu is reducing, cut the pasta ball into six equal portions and roll each one out on a lightly floured work surface until about 2mm thick. Halve the sheets and then cut into thin ribbons, toss in a little extra flour and rest on a baking tray under a damp tea towel while you work on the rest of the pasta. Alternatively, a pasta machine can be used to roll out and cut the pasta.
7. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 2 minutes until al dente. Drain well.
8. When the ragu has reduced, season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine with the pasta and gently fold together, making sure the ragu coats the pasta. Using tongs, divide the pasta and ragu between serving bowls, twisting as you place the pasta into the bowl. Garnish with some micro herbs and serve with a bowl of pecorino to the side.
STEVE Let me make this clear, I have nothing against lasagne, so if any beautiful nonnas out there want to make me one and send it over, I will always be a willing recipient.
What I’m trying to do here is throw a bit more skill into the cooking, for instance, making my own pasta and using a cut of beef that will give far more back to the dish than a regular mince would. Although this doesn't look too fancy when it’s plated, the flavour and richness that comes through in the ragu would definitely make it a popular special at any great Italian restaurant.