This rich, bold and seriously flavorful Short Rib Ragu is fall-apart tender. It's seasoned with a beautiful spice blend, fresh thyme, broth, aromatics and other vibrant vegetables for the ultimate hearty tomato based homemade ragu sauce.
Serve over a bed of rice as a lighter meal or with these Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or simply toss into pasta for the most comforting Italian dish. However, you choose to serve up this dish, will have you coming back for more.
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Why this recipe works
Making short rib ragu in an instant pot is easy enough to have as a weeknight dinner. Who would have thought that something so delicious would require little effort and come together in about an hour. Let's not overlook the fact that everything is done in this one pot which is an added bonus; therefore, no need to dirty up several dishes. From the searing, deglazing, to the fall-apart tender meat, this instant pot is magical.
What goes into this recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce as tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor and is thicker in consistency compared to tomato sauce.
- This recipe calls for English cut beef short ribs, when choosing, ask your butcher to pick out the meatier short ribs, so you'll end up with a heartier short rib ragu.
- You can use either yellow, orange, or green bell pepper or a combination.
- Although sweet onion is used in this recipe, white onion, yellow onion, or shallots will work just as good and will also help build that amazing flavor.
- If you do not have herbs de provence, Italian seasoning can be used as a substitute.
- Do not use water instead use beef broth or chicken broth as your liquid of choice as this will enhance the flavor of the ragu.
How to make short rib ragu
- Wash and pat dry each short rib thoroughly using paper towels as this will ensure you get the most perfect sear.
- Drizzle the ribs with grape-seed oil then season with (garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and herbs de provence.
- Add a drizzle of cooking oil to the instant pot, press saute and sear the short ribs for about 6 to 8 minutes (work in batches if necessary to avoid over-crowding the pot).
- After searing, place the short ribs on a clean baking sheet or clean plate then add the chopped onion, bell peppers and garlic and saute for 15 seconds then add the tomato paste and continue to saute for an additional 15 to 20 seconds (reset the saute option if/when needed).
- Add the broth, then the seared short ribs, and toss a sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Place the lip on a set to sealing, click press cook and set to 45 minutes.
- Remove short ribs from instant pot, place on baking sheet, remove the bone and any excess fat and discard the bone and excess fat.
- Use a fork to cut the short ribs into large chunks.
- Skim off the layer of grease from the instant pot and discard.
- Add the slurry to the pot and stir until juices have thickened.
- Add the chunks of short ribs back to the instant pot and stir gently.
- Serve ragu over a bed of rice as a lighter option although you can also serve over mashed potatoes or pasta).
FAQs
Beef short ribs should be cooked long and slow in a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot or in a pressure cooker or instant pot for the appropriate amount of time for them to come out fork tender.
If you're going for a rich bold flavored ragu, choose English cut beef short ribs or chuck roast for a hearty and meaty ragu.
Skim off the layer of grease sitting at the top of the sauce if any and discard. Create a slurry which is a mixture of equal parts water and cornstarch and whisk then stir into the sauce until you have the desired consistency. Depending on the amount of liquid, I suggest first starting with 1 tablespoon of both water and cornstarch.
Expert Tips
- Short ribs naturally are considered a tough cut of meat and therefore must be cooked properly for them to come out for tender and delicious.
- The #1 component in building incredible flavor starts with searing the short ribs (this step is a MUST and shouldn't be left out.
- The 2nd component is scraping those brown bits from the pot and knowing that plays a huge role in building on the flavor.
- The 3rd component is deglazing the pot with a liquid such as beef broth or chicken broth.
- Skim off the layer of grease from the sauce before thickening with a cornstarch slurry.
- Makes great left-overs and is even better the next day as the flavors have had time to meld together.
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📖 Recipe
Short Ribs Ragu
Short Ribs RaguEquipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs (English cut)
- 4 tablespoon grape-seed oil (divided)
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt (PLUS ½ tsp)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon herbs de provence (you can substitute for Italian seasoning)
- ¾ cup sweet onion (chopped)
- 1-½ cups bell pepper (½ yellow pepper + ½ orange bell pepper chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-½ cup chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 4 sprigs thyme (fresh)
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry each short rib thoroughly using paper towels as this will ensure you get the most perfect sear.
- Drizzle the ribs with grape-seed oil then season with (garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and herbs de provence.
- Add a drizzle of cooking oil to the instant pot, press saute and sear the short ribs for about 6 to 8 minutes (work in batches if necessary to avoid over-crowding the pot).
- After searing, place the short ribs on a clean plate then add the chopped onion, bell peppers and garlic and saute for about 1 minute then add the tomato paste and continue to saute for an additional minute or 2 (reset the saute option if/when needed).
- Add the broth and the seared short ribs to the pot and toss in sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Secure the lid and set valve to 'Sealing'. Press Pressure Cook and increase time to 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, allow the pressure to come down naturally then do a manual release after 15 minutes then wait until the pressure value drops down.
- Remove short ribs from instant pot, place on baking sheet, remove the bone and any excess fat and discard the bone and excess fat.
- Remove from broiler and serve immediately.
- Use a fork to cut the short ribs into large chunks.
- Skim off the layer of grease from the instant pot and discard.
- Add the slurry to the pot and stir until juices have thickened.
- Add the chunks of short ribs back to the instant pot and stir gently.
- Serve ragu over a bed of rice as a lighter. You can also serve over mashed potatoes or pasta.
Notes
- Really get to know your instant pot to prevent risk of injury.
- You only need a little liquid for this recipe it will form a lot of liquid during the pressure cooking process.
- Short ribs naturally are considered a tough cut of meat and therefore must be cooked properly for them to come out fork tender and delicious.
- The #1 component in building incredible flavor starts with searing the short ribs (this step is a MUST and shouldn't be left out).
- The 2nd component is scraping those brown bits from the pot after searing and sauteing and knowing that plays a huge role in building on the flavor.
- The 3rd component is deglazing the pot with a liquid such as beef broth or chicken broth.
- Skim off the layer of grease from the sauce before thickening with a cornstarch slurry.
- Makes great left-overs and is even better the next day as the flavors have had time to meld together.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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