Short Ribs in Barolo (Brasato al Barolo) - featuring KOBE BEEF

I ordered some waygu beef (AKA Kobe) from Snake River Farms online. I also ordered a whole pork belly, which we haven't cooked yet.

In any case, we shelled out for some good Barolo to have with this. Waygu beef is the finest in the world, which has everything to do with how the animals are reared. Check out the fat marbling:


This was amazing. Deep, rich and sexy. Also, dead simple to make. I highly recommend it next time to want to drop some money and some really quality ingredients.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
2 cups BASIC TOMATO SAUCE (recipe follows)

Basic Tomato Sauce

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4" dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
½ medium carrot, finely shredded
4 cans whole tomatoes
salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat all over, turning frequently, until dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Pour the excess oil out of the pot. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the meat and bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter.

Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the meat, and serve immediately.