Description
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu. Beef ragu sauce that tastes like it simmered all day, thanks to pressure cooking for 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 ounces tomato paste (half a 6-ounce can, about ⅓ cup)
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup water (or chicken broth)
- 2 (28- to 35-ounce) cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes (or plum tomatoes), crushed by hand or pureed, with juices
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (If using Italian tomatoes - American canned tomatoes have extra sodium and don't need more)
- 3 fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Minced parsley for garnish (optional)
- Grated parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sear the short ribs on one side: Sprinkle the short ribs with 1 teaspoon of salt. Heat the olive oil in an Instant Pot using Sauté mode, adjusted to high (medium-high heat for other pressure cookers) until the oil starts to shimmer, for about 3 minutes. Sear the meat in two batches. (Don't crowd the pot, or the meat will steam, not brown). Sear the first batch of beef ribs until browned, about 4 minutes. Move the browned ribs to a bowl, then add the remaining ribs to the pot, meaty side down. Sear the second batch of ribs until browned on the bottom, about 4 more minutes, and move them to the bowl with the other ribs.
- Sauté the aromatics: Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of meat or onion.
- Cook the tomato paste and deglaze with wine: Stir the tomato paste into the onions and cook, stirring and scraping often, until the paste darkens, about 3 minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute.
- Everything in the pot: Stir in the cup of water, then scrape the bottom of the pot one last time with a flat-edged wooden spoon to ensure nothing sticks. Add the tomatoes, basil leaves, and dried oregano, then add the meat and any meat juices to the bowl.
- Pressure Cook for 45 minutes with a Natural Release: Pressure cook on high pressure for 45 minutes in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot) or for 40 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker. Let the pressure come down naturally. (If you are in a hurry, let the pressure come down for at least 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.)
- Shredded meat into the sauce and serve: Gently lift the ribs out of the pot with tongs and/or a slotted spoon and set them on a platter. Pull the short rib meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any large pieces of fat or gristle. Stir the shredded short ribs back into the pot. Use about 4 cups of sauce from the pot to sauce a pound of pasta - preferably a firm tube-shaped pasta that will hold the sauce, like Rigatoni, Ziti, or Penne. Put the pasta in a bowl, spoon the 4 cups of sauce over the pasta, and toss to coat all the pasta with sauce. (Freeze the rest of the sauce for another meal.) Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian