This Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu is so decadent and delicious. The instant pot makes the short ribs so tender. They slide right off the bone, making the shredding of the meat effortless. When I served the final recipe to my family, I received a standing ovation, I’m not kidding. It was like ordering takeout from the local Italian restaurants between the ragu and cheesecake we made for dessert. Not my words, I promise I’m not just going to brag for this entire post!
Gianna’s Short Rib Ragu
My idea from for this recipe comes from a beautiful restaurant in Yonkers, NY called Gianna’s. I’ve only been there a few times, usually once a year with Phil’s family. But every year, we all split some of the short rib pasta. It’s one of my favorite things on their menu. So I set out to re-create this meal at home for Phil and I. Considering, I will most likely not be able to attend the yearly Gianna’s dinner due to COVID-19.
So a few months ago I started experimenting, praying I could get the recipe right in time to see Phil. I’m going to be honest, the first time I made this was a total bust. The sauce was delicious. However, the short ribs were extremely tough still, and would not shred the way I wanted. Even though I had them braising in the sauce for over 3 hours. But short ribs are notoriously tough, and need to cook for a LONG time. So I decided to braise them for a couple more hours, but they still didn’t come out right. The meat in the Gianna’s sauce is so tender and succulent, and I was still trying to achieve that part. Can’t have a short rib ragu without the shredded ribs!
Instant Pot Short Ribs
Then, when I was making the Instant Pot Pancetta, Leek, and Mushroom Risotto, it dawned on me. I could use the instant pot for the short ribs as well! My mom has always made short ribs in the instant pot, and they come out falling off the bone. The instant pot is great for tough cuts of meat, like the ribs. I’m still new to using the instant pot, but I think after making this Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu, I’m more confident using it than ever before.
And, my favorite part of the instant pot, easy clean up! All I used was a cutting board for my vegetables, a bowl for an easy assembly line, the pot I used to make the pasta, and the instant pot. I even cleaned up while the ribs were cooking! If you know anything about me, you know that’s a big deal. I figured I had about an hour and a half between the pot coming to pressure, the 65 minutes it cooked for, and the natural release of the pressure. So I could clean up and relax all before it was ready to eat!
Using the instant pot was a great idea for this meal, it cut the cooking time down by several hours. And I got much better results this time! And Phil LOVED IT. He’s the only one who’s been to Gianna’s with me. So he was the only one who could help me compare my recipe to the restaurant’s. He said I nailed it! (I only cried a little bit, I promise!) Thankfully he wasn’t around the first few times I tried this recipe, third times the charm and it was perfect.
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 3 lbs short ribs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp gourmet paprika
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 28oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 6oz tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of red pepper
Instructions
- Combine flour, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in small shallow bowl. Set instant pot to brown setting.
- Dredge short ribs in flour mixture, and begin browning the ribs in 2 Tbsps olive oil, 4 – 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. You will need to do this is batches.
- After all the ribs are browned and removed from pot add onion and garlic, and stir. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes, until onion is getting soft and garlic is fragrant. Add carrots, and bell pepper and remaining Tbsp olive oil. Stir to coat veggies in the oil, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add can of tomato paste, and mix together with veggies. Cook additional 2 minutes to toast the tomato paste.
- Add the wine, and stir until tomato paste and wine are combined. Let come to a simmer, and then add the crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Add dried herbs and a pinch of red pepper. Stir to combine
- Return ribs to instant pot, and lock lid. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Let the instant pot naturally release the pressure.
- After the instant pot is finished and open, you will need to skim the top of the sauce with a large ladle to remove as much of the fat as possible. It's time consuming but worth it, I promise!
- Remove all the ribs from the instant pot and begin shredding with two forks in a separate bowl, removing the bones. Return the shredded ribs to the instant pot and stir to combine.
- Serve over your favorite pasta!
Make sure you get email updates whenever I post new recipes, so you can stay on top of my experiments. And if you want to see what else is inspiring my cooking, head over to my Instagram!
Recent Comments