SLOW-BRAISED BEEF SHORT-RIB PASTA

by Café del sol Botanico

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

400g beef short rib 

1.5t each salt and pepper 

cake flour for dusting 

2T olive oil 

1 large onion, sliced 

2 medium leeks, chopped 

3 garlic cloves, sliced 

2 carrots, thickly sliced 

2 celery ribs, thickly sliced  

50g brown mushrooms 

2T tomato paste 

1T Dijon mustard  

2C Pinotage or good-quality red wine 

2C home–made beef stock  

2 sprigs thyme 

2 sprigs rosemary 

2 bay leaves 

Rummo or good-quality bronze-cut penne pasta (the sauce sticks better to bronze-cut) 

roasted vine cherry tomatoes  

gremolata 

toasted pine nuts 

Parmesan cheese 

METHOD

1. Start your cooking journey by preheating your oven to 160C. 
2. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper and a light dusting of cake flour. 
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat.  
4. Add the ribs a few at a time and allow them to brown by turning them until coloured on all sides (5 – 7 minutes in total) then remove the ribs from the pan. 
5. Using the same pan, turn heat down to medium.  
6. Add onions to the same pot and sweat until translucent and caramelised, add leeks and garlic into the same pot and sweat well. Do not burn any of these ingredients as it will alter your final flavours. 
7. Add your carrots and celery and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes until carrot is softened and sweet. 
8. Add tomato paste and Dijon mustard and mix well. 
9. It is time to add the magic, add the wine, stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.  
10. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved. 
11. Return all the browned beef pieces into the liquid, arranging them so they are under the liquid. 
12. Cover your pan with a lid and transfer to oven for 3 – 4 hours, or until the meat can easily be pried apart with forks.  
13. Once the beef is tender, remove the beef from the liquid. At this stage you can start pulling it apart with a fork. 
14. Using a fine strainer, strain all liquid in the pot to another bowl.  
15. Return the liquid into the same pot and simmer until it thickens.  
16. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
17. Keep simmering until it becomes a gravy. If it gets to thick add a touch of water. If there is excess fat, allow the sauce to cool and scrape off the fat layer.  
18. Once this is done put the sauce back on the stove to continue reducing.  
19. This dish can be served the same day or kept for the following day where the flavour develops even more.  
20. Cook your pasta in salted boiling water as per packet instructions.  
21. Once cooked, add the pasta to the warm gravy with the pulled short rib and baby spinach leaves (optional).  

PLATING 

Serve your pasta with roasted vine cherry tomatoes (optional), a sprinkle of gremolata (a pesto of fresh herbs and lemon zest) and toasted pine nuts and don’t forget the Parmesan.