Short Rib Sauce
This sauce is different from my typical Sunday Sauce in that the only meat used here is the beef short rib. The distinct flavor of this meat is not to be confused by meatballs or other cuts that can take away from its unique and deep taste. For those reasons I really limit what else goes in this sauce and I use my own jarred crushed tomatoes as it imparts a truly fresh and clean texture. However, if you don't happen to have jars of tomatoes around, you can crush fresh tomatoes or buy jarred, boxed or canned crushed tomatoes instead.
Ingredients
Olive oil
6 beef short ribs
1 white cooking onion, chopped
3 ft cloves of garlic, chopped
A pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
60-70 ounces of crushed tomatoes or enough to cover the ribs completely
A handful of fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces
Salt and crushed black pepper
Directions
Slick the bottom of a heavy duty sauce pot with the olive oil and heat to medium-high. Brown the ribs all over, then remove from heat and set aside on a plate. Sprinkle with salt.
In the same pot, lower the heat and add the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the garlic and the red pepper. Stir and let cook for one minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the onions and garlic completely. Add the ribs back and then cover with the tomatoes. Stir in the basil and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. Give it a stir and then simmer, cover slightly ajar, for 5 hours. Stir it occasionally to make sure it is not boiling too rapidly; you want a simmer. The meat is ready when it is literally falling off the bone, but I don't recommend taking it off the stove any earlier than 4 1/2 - 5 hours.
Remove the ribs from the sauce and either serve on a platter as is, using the sauce to cover pasta, or shred the meat with two forks, remove the bones, and add the meat back to the sauce. Then toss with pasta or serve over polenta. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano and crusty bread.
