Hearty and not the least bit complicated, this slow cooked beef short rib ragu gets added depth of flavor from fennel bulb and a surprising bright note from the addition of orange zest. Serve it over pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta – or polenta – with a grating of parmesan and a sprinkling of fennel fronds. Oh so cozy on a cold day, it can be prepared in a slow cooker or the oven – and the leftovers? Even better the next day!
I had a bunch of fennel bulbs on hand for another recipe that I was pondering – I still am – but that concept was literally put on the back-burner when the air outside hit single digits and knew those boneless short ribs tucked in the back of the freezer were in order. There is nothing like the smell of beef braising with wine and aromatics to warm the house and fill it with a good dose of “cozy”.
This makes for the best leftovers that will likely taste better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld. I've used it as a topping on pizza. As a hearty filling for a grilled cheese sandwich, and folded into an omelet.
Fennel Bulb
I absolutely love the subtle anise flavor of fennel – it might be my second favorite vegetable next to anything allium. (And I particularly like that I don’t have to think too hard about a garnish for photography. The feathery fennel fronds make the perfect delicate garnish!)
Fennel bulb is harvested from the base of the Florence fennel plant and is known for its crisp and crunchy texture and its mild and sweet anise notes. It can be used raw – in salads for example – or cooked. It's popular in Mediterranean cuisine, and while wonderful in this beef braise, is an also a great complement to seafood and citrus.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this with a green salad. I like these from The Savory Tart:
- Pear, Fennel and Arugula Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing and Pistachios
- Arugula and Orange Salad with Serrano Ham and Manchego in Citrus Dressing
Or assemble a leafy green salad using mesclun or power greens and mix with a few staples from The Savory Tart:
Ingredients
- thick-cut bacon
- olive oil
- boneless beef short ribs
- salt and pepper
- fennel bulb trimmed
- yellow onion
- carrot
- celery
- garlic cloves
- tomato paste
- fennel seed
- red pepper flakes
- dry red wine
- beef broth
- San Marzano style tomatoes
- thyme
- bay leaf
- orange
- parmesan cheese and rind
- pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
- butter
See recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until browned and crisp. With a slotted spoon remove bacon to a paper towel to drain.
Prep fennel, onion, carrot and celery.
Pour all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat out of the skillet. Add one tablespoon olive oil and heat for one minute. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In batches add them to the skillet in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd.
Brown the meat until it is golden brown on all sides.
Transfer to a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker along with the cooked bacon.
Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the fennel, onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes.
Stir until tomato paste has deepened in color and is fragrant.
Add the red wine and deglaze scraping up any remaining brown bits. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
Transfer vegetable mixture to slow cooker.
Add the tomatoes, parmesan rind, bay leaf and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.
Using a spoon, remove any oil accumulated on the surface and discard. Using tongs, transfer short ribs to a cutting board and using two forks, shred the short ribs. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir to coat.
Prepare the pappardelle or tagliatelle according to package directions, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Add butter and parmesan cheese to pasta and stir to combine.
Thin with reserved pasta water if needed. (I used about ⅓ cup.)
Serve short ragu over pasta and top with parmesan cheese and reserved fennel fronds.
Hint: If you don't have a slow-cooker, you can prepare the short rib ragu in the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare the recipe in a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot through Step 5, Transfer the covered pot to the oven. Braise for 2-½ to 3 hours, until the beef ribs are tender. Continue preparation with Step 6 in the recipe.
Substitutions
- Fennel Bulb – if you don’t have easy access to a fennel bulb, add an extra teaspoon of dried fennel seed, and add an extra stalk of celery and an extra carrot.
- Bone-in Beef Short Ribs – I used boneless beef short ribs, but bone-in short ribs will work as well. If you use bone-in short ribs and you are braising in the oven, add an extra hour to the cook time. If braising in a slow cooker, add an hour to the cook time.
- Chuck Roast – Substitute 2-½ pounds of beef chuck roast, cut into 3” pieces instead of boneless short ribs. Chuck roast comes from the same shoulder area and has a similar flavor and a texture that becomes tender when braised or slow cooked. (It’s a great budget friendly alternative.)
- Fresh Thyme – Substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme for the fresh thyme sprigs. Add it when you add the fennel seed.
- Pasta – Instead of pappardelle or tagliatelle, substitute rigatoni, bucatini or fettucini – even ravioli.
- Gluten Free – Serve the short rib ragu with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
Variations
- Rosemary – Add a sprig or two of rosemary instead of the sprigs of thyme
- Balsamic – For extra body, add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the slow cooker an hour before finishing
- Make it Spicy – Add a few extra pinches of hot pepper flakes for added kick
- Make it Smoky – Add ½-teaspoon of smoked paprika when you add the tomato paste to the vegetable mixture, and add a diced jarred roasted red pepper an hour before braising ends.
- Dress it up – Serve topped with a half ball of burrata and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic reduction.
- Cocoa – It is relatively common in to add dried cocoa powder to ragus. Add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder when you add the tomato paste to the vegetable mixture.
Equipment
- 6 to 7 quart slow cooker (or Dutch oven if prepping in the oven)
- large skillet or saute pan
- pasta pot
Storage
Store cooked and cooled short rib ragu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. This is the kind of recipe that will likely get even better as the flavors have the chance to dance around together.
Short rib ragu freezes quite well. Cool the ragu and transfer to an airtight container or freezer zipper bag. (I like zipper bags because you can store them in the freezer flat.) Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a quicker thaw, put ragu in a saucepan on the stove top over low heat.
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🍽️ Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Short Rib and Fennel Ragu
Equipment
- 6 to 7 quart slow cooker or Dutch oven or oven safe pot*
- large skillet
- pasta pot
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 ½ - 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs cut into 2” pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium fennel bulb trimmed cored and diced, fronds reserved
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1-½ cups beef broth
- 1 28- ounce can San Marzano style tomatoes crushed or coarsely chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- zest from one orange about 1 tablespoon
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 pound prepared pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta reserve 1 cup pasta water
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- (See notes for preparing in the oven instead of a slow cooker.)
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until browned and crisp. With a slotted spoon remove bacon to a paper towel to drain.
- Pour all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat out of the skillet. Add one tablespoon olive oil and heat for one minute. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In batches add them to the skillet in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd. Brown the meat until it is golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker.
- Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the fennel, onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, stirring until tomato paste has deepened in color and is fragrant.
- Add the red wine and deglaze scraping up any remaining brown bits. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, parmesan rind, bay leaf and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.
- Using a spoon, remove any oil accumulated on the surface and discard. Using tongs, transfer short ribs to a cutting board and using two forks, shred the short ribs. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir to coat.
- Prepare the pappardelle or tagliatelle according to package directions, reserving one cup of pasta water. Toss with butter and parmesan cheese and thin with reserved pasta water.
- Serve short ragu over pasta and top with parmesan cheese and reserved fennel fronds.
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