Penne With Braised Short Ribs (Oven or Slow Cooker)

The Dijon adds an amazing taste to this dish and is not over powering in the least. . The flavor of the gravy is AMAZING! I adapted this for the crock-pot. I followed the instructions for browning the ribs, added onions, garlic, tomatoes, wine and broth and threw it in the crock pot with the lid propped open with a tooth pic to allow some of the steam to be released and allow the gravy to thicken up beautifully. If using the crockpot, start on high for about one hour and set to low for 4-5 hours. The meat should fall apart and shred when done. Serve over pasta as Giada does or make some mashed potatoes (hold the parmesan). Both are fabulous! I made both. Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis /Food Network

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  beef short ribs, bone in, I used 2 # boneless
•  kosher salt, to taste for seasoning
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste for seasoning
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1  large onion, diced
• 3  garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 5  roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 1  cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 3  tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2  cups low sodium beef broth
• 1  lb penne pasta
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated is best
• 1⁄4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the ribs to the pan (or add to crock pot).
5. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.
6. Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor (or use a stick blender). Process until the mixture is smooth. At this point I added mushroom slices.
7. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
8. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
9. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl.
10. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.
11. Notes: I decided to serve over mashed potatoes and omit the parmesan cheese. I also added sliced crimini mushrooms, white mushrooms will work too.