Short Rib Ragu Bucatini

Short Rib Ragu Bucatini

Nothing Short Of Spectacular!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 9+ hours

Ingredients

Bucatini pasta

2 1/2- 3lbs boneless short ribs

1 sweet onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced or sliced

1 celery stalk, small dice

2 cups veal demi-glace

2 cups red wine

3 cup of Marinara sauce or Passata

7 cloves garlic, whole

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Herb de Provence

3 bay leaves, whole

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp sugar

olive oil

grated Parmesan cheese, garnish

minced parsley, garnish

salt

pepper

Cooking Tools

Large slow cooker

Stock Pot

Large frying pan/skillet

Directions

Salt and pepper short ribs, in a large skillet with a coating of olive oil on medium high heat, sear and brown short ribs on all sides. Place all the browned short ribs in the slow cooker, add; onions, carrots, celery, demi-glace, red wine, marinara sauce, garlic cloves, seasonings, sugar, salt & pepper.  Save the tomato paste towards the end of cooking.  Slow cook on high for about 8-9 hours. After the 9 hour cooking time, remove short ribs and shred, but leave some large chunks, place back in cooking liquid and then add the tomato paste to thicken, remove bay leaves and discard. Continue to cook the ragu, also in the meantime cook pasta to al dente.  Drain pasta completely and add to the sauce in the slow cooker and toss until pasta is coated, cover and let cook 10 more minutes for the sauce to penetrate the pasta.  Dish pasta and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley. You may also drizzle with some olive oil.

Serves 6

Serve With Some Crusty Bread and Red Wine!

Sugo Di Carne

Sugo Di Carne
A Slow Cooker Meat Sauce That Is Perfect With Any Pasta!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Ingredients
1/2 rack pork ribs, cut individually
4 beef short ribs, bone in
1 beef bone with marrow
12 meatballs (recipe below)
2 jars Passata (tomato sauce)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp oregano, minced
1 cup Chianti red wine
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Favorite pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese, grated
minced parsley fro garnish
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools
Slow cooker
Sheet pan
Skillet
Medium mixing bowl 

Directions
Preheat oven to broil.  Place pork ribs, beef ribs and bone with marrow on a sheet pan, salt and pepper.  Place under the broiler to roast until browned, about 10-15 minutes.
Prep and fry meatballs (recipe below) set aside. Remove roasted meat from the oven and place in the slow cooker. Pour in passata, Chianti, garlic, olive oil, oregano and bay leaves, mix well. Place fried meatballs on top of sauce and place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 8-9 hours.  Remove meat from the slow cooker to a serving platter and pour some sauce on top with Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.  Save the rest of the sauce for your favorite pasta!
Serves 6

Served With Rigatoni Pasta!

Meatballs

Ingredients
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, bulk
1 slice of Italian bread
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 egg

Directions
In a mixing bowl, add; milk and the slice of bread.  Let the milk soak into the bread.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well by hand.  Make golf size meatballs and pan fry in 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.  Pan sear on all size and cook only half way done.  Add fried meatballs into the slow cooker.

Pappardelle Bolognese

Pappardelle Bolognese 
This Recipe By Far, Is My Favorite Bolognese Sauce!
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-8 hours

 

Ingredients
Pappardelle pasta for 6
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. chicken livers
5 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup carrots, minced
1/2 cup peppadew, minced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 whole bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese

 Cooking Tools
Slow cooker
Skillet
Food processor

Directions
In a skillet on medium heat, add; butter and chicken livers.  Cook chicken liver until nice and crispy, almost black and fully cooked, about 20 minutes.  Remove chicken liver and set aside.  De-glaze pan with 1/2 cup of red wine, scraping all the bits and piece from the bottom. Take skillet with the red wine reduction off the heat and set aside.  Place the cooked chicken livers into a food processor and pulse until the livers are finely minced. In the slow cooker on medium-high heat, add; chicken livers, red wine reduction, beef, veal, pork, marinara sauce, garlic, onions, carrots, peppadew, vinegar, sugar, olive oil, bay leaves, oregano and thyme.  Mix all ingredients together, the meat will break down.  Slow cook for at least 7 hours, salt and pepper to taste, towards the end of the cooking.  Cook the pasta, drain.  Toss pasta in the Bolognese sauce, don't over dress the pasta. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Cook's Note: You do not have to cook the ground meats, before placing in the slow cooker, but if you prefer to do so, the meat will be chunky and not break down as well.
Serves 6