Short Rib Ragu and a Special Announcement!
Happy Sunday to you! I hope that you are enjoying your weekend. I am not normally a fan of Sunday posts, but I have so many things that I want to share with you, I may need to add a few extra days of posts and articles over the next several weeks to catch up.
I have two announcements today and some other exciting news and giveaways are coming in the weeks ahead.
First, is this awesome giveaway for a Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart Dutch Oven in their new shade of Fennel! If you are a regular reader of Bunkycooks, I am sure that you often hear me recommend Le Creuset cookware.
These pieces are some of my favorite kitchen items and I love the way they conduct heat and cook so evenly. I also love the interior finish and how well they clean up after some pretty heavy duty braising, sautéing or oven baking.
These Dutch Ovens take on a patina over the lifetime of their use with all of the fabulous dishes you create in them. Each time I cook with my Dutch Oven, I see a new addition of the brownish shade that adds to the character of the cookware. It means you love and use your Dutch Oven!
I have prepared a Short Rib Ragu which is an ideal dish for a Dutch Oven. The meat sears beautifully and it goes right from the stove top to the oven and everything comes out perfectly.
I have been craving this Short Rib Ragu for a long time. It is comfort food at it’s best and I wanted to get one more round in before the warmer weather sets in for good. It is definitely something that you will want to make again and again after trying it!
On another note (besides this very special giveaway), I have mentioned several times over the past few months that there was some exciting news and business ventures related to Bunkycooks to be announced and I would like to tell you about one of those exciting ventures now, with more news to come in the near future!
Last Summer we started visiting chefs, farmers and interesting local businesses. We have met some truly special people along the way and we have tried to share this experience with you in our On the Road articles, chef interviews and other stories.
So many people have contacted me personally and said they wanted to be able to do what we do. We have been in the planning mode since last Fall and we’re now ready to raise the curtain on our On The Road Culinary Adventures. It has been hard work and so much fun at the same time. These Culinary Adventures will initially focus on the Southeast.
Our first event in this series will take place in Asheville, North Carolina. This two night, three day adventure will allow all of the guests to have a true “Farm to Table” experience. The dates are June 15th through the 17th. This very special culinary adventure will take place at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville and the surrounding area. We are so excited to partner with Chef Adam Hayes at The Red Stag Grill and a number of local farmers to bring you this event.
We are launching the website later this week, so there will be complete details coming soon! We will then announce the other culinary adventures including dates and cities for the remainder of 2011.
We want to thank everyone that has supported and read Bunkycooks since I started the site in November 2009. We truly have been blessed by meeting and getting to know so many new friends along the way. It has changed our lives for the better and I cannot express and thank all of you enough for that.
I hope that you will be interested in experiencing some of the adventures that we have had On the Road and that you will join us in June!
Now, I know everyone wants to win this Le Creuset Dutch Oven, so here are the rules.
** THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATS TO MELISSA (COMMENT #522). SHE WON THE LE CREUSET DUTCH OVEN. **
Here is how you enter:
Regretfully, due to the weight and contents, this package can only be shipped to a winner in the U.S. I apologize to my readers that live outside of the U.S.
Leave me a comment telling me what you would like to prepare in your new Le Creuset Dutch Oven.
Extra Entries:
Here are four additional ways that you can enter.
1. Follow @bunkycooks on Twitter. Leave a comment here indicating that you are now a follower. If you are already a follower, you can leave a comment saying you are.
2. Tweet about this giveaway. Here is the link to tweet http://tinyurl.com/3v5b4by. Leave a comment and tell me that you have tweeted it.
3. Become a fan of Bunkycooks on Facebook. Leave a comment here indicating you are now a fan. If you are already a fan, you can leave a comment saying you are.
4. Subscribe to Bunkycooks by RSS feed or email. Leave a comment saying you are now a subscriber. If you are already a subscriber, you can leave a comment saying you are.
*** Please be sure to leave separate comments! I will count one comment as one entry. Thank you!
The more times you leave a comment, the more chances you have to win! That would be 5 chances total (but, who’s counting?!). I will be using random.org to pick the winner.
This giveaway ends at 5 pm EST on Wednesday April 20th, 2011.
I will notify the winner by email. Please get back to me with your shipping information within 48 hours.
Good Luck!
Now for this fabulous Short Rib Ragu!
Start with the best short ribs you can find.
Sear them on all sides to retain their juices.
Be sure they have a nice brown crust before turning them over.
I am working on a nice patina for my Dutch Oven!
This is so delicious! Look at how rich the sauce is after cooking for hours.
Enjoy!
Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle and Pecorino Romano
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 to 4 pounds short ribs, each about 2-inches long, cut flanken style, across the ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 dried bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 small carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium shallots, diced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup ruby port
2 cups red wine, such as Cabernet
1/2 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
3 1/2 cups homemade beef stock
1 pound pappardelle or other long, flat pasta
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Grated Pecorino Romano, for garnish
Directions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place a 5-quart casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, and heat until it is almost smoking. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add short ribs to the hot oil. Cook ribs until browned on both sides. Remove ribs from casserole, and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare bouquet garni: Place bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in the center of a square of cheesecloth. Bring edges together, and tie with kitchen string. Set bouquet garni aside.
Add carrots, celery, onion, and shallots to oil in the casserole, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes.
Add flour and tomato paste to the casserole, and stir to combine. Add ruby port; stir with wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan and the bottom of the casserole is clean. Add red wine, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add garlic, beef stock, and the reserved bouquet garni.
Return browned ribs to the casserole. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the casserole, and place it in the oven. Cook until ribs are very tender, about 3 hours.
Remove the cooked ribs from the casserole. Set the casserole on the stove top over medium heat, and simmer to thicken sauce just slightly. As soon as the short ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and shred into small pieces. Degrease the sauce and discard the bouquet garni. Return shredded meat to casserole, and simmer to reduce sauce by about half.
Fill a large pot with water and add a few tablespoons of salt. Set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Salt well, and stir in pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta, and serve with short-rib ragu, sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with freshly grated Percorino Romano.
Cook’s Notes: I used grass-fed beef this time and noticed that there was not as much flavor as when I prepare the dish with grain-fed beef. I needed to add a bit more tomato paste, Ruby Port and a few other spices at the end to boost the flavor. It then was as delicious as usual, especially with the garnish of chopped Italian Parsley and grated Pecorino Romano.
Recipe Courtesy of Bobby Flay
Food Network