It's been unusually cold this spring, and while this is normally a fall or winter favorite, it's become a labor-of-love I am happy to endure with all these chilly nights filled with downtime.
Ingredients:
Short Ribs:
1/2 cup roughly diced pancetta (about 1/4 lb)
4 boneless short ribs (about 2 lbs), cut into thirds
1 heaping tbsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, sliced thinly
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
20 canned whole tomatoes (2 28-ounce cans, about 4 cups), preferably San Marzano, plus their juice; or 4 cups crushed tomatoes, plus their juice
Topping:
1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped roughly
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably on the branch
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
a pinch of salt and coarse ground pepper
2 tbsp. tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Short Ribs:
FIRST: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pancetta in a large, dry, ovenproof saucepot over medium-high heat until the fat renders, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.
THEN: Season the short ribs on both sides with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and brown the meat, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until it softens about 1 minute. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, mix well and continue cooking.
FINALLY: Crush the tomatoes over a bowl with your hands, then add them to the pot along with their juice. Bring the mixture up to a low boil. Remove the pot from the stove and place it in the oven. Check the ribs about every 15 minutes or so to make sure they're not boiling too hard. Cook until the meat is super-tender and a fork can pass through it without sticking, about 2 1/2 hours.
For the Topping:
FIRST: Toast the pine nuts in a dry saute pan over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally to avoid burning or sticking about 8 minutes. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the panko bread crumbs and continue cooking over low heat, mixing occasionally, until everything is toasty brown, about two minutes.
THEN: Add the oregano and parsley: Season with the salt and pepper and cook together for a few seconds, so everything is warmed but the parsley does not wilt. Remove from the heat and then add the Parmigiano-Reggiano (not before -- otherwise you'll have a melted mess).
FINALLY: Remove the pot from the oven and immediately remove the ribs, using tongs, placing them on a plate. Add 1/2 a cup of water to the sauce and stir to bring it together. Place 4-5 pieces of meat on each plate. Pour the sauce from the pot directly over the short ribs and sprinkle the topping generously over each dish. Serve immediately.
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