A Dull Woman's Van Life

This takes some time, and a little attention & love but worth it!

Serves 4

• 2 large, thick Beef Short ribs
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 2 stalks Celery, diced
• 1 medium Onion diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
• 4 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 8 plum Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 bottle of good rich Red Wine
• 1/2 beef stock cube; I like gallo low salt
• 4 sprigs of  Fresh thyme
•  3 Bay leaves
•  Olive Oil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Optional step: Cover the ribs with red wine seasoned with a few dried bay leaves, black peppercorns, garlic cloves (left whole but slightly crushed) and a cinnamon stick. Leave to rest overnight. Remove from the wine, saving the liquid and go to the next step.
2. Pat the beef short ribs dry and season them generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, then remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add the diced carrots, celery, and onion. Cook slowly over a gentle heat, stirring often until they’re deeply browned and caramelised. Be patient! This will take about 20-35 minutes. Stir in the crushed garlic and tomato puree, cooking for an additional 5 minutes, keeping the heat low and stirring well to prevent sticking.
4. Carefully pour in some of the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift the browned bits. Add the remaining wine and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reducing the wine slightly. Crumble in the stock cube, add the herbs and season with a little salt and black pepper.
5. Return the seared short ribs to the pot, adding in the chopped tomatoes. Turn up the heat and bring everything to a boil, then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Simmer at about 120’ for 4 hours* gently turning the ribs partway through until the meat is tender. *This is where you will have to use judgement as it depends on the size and thickness of your ribs.
6. Once done, return the pot to the stove top. Remove the short ribs and set aside. Check the seasoning on your sauce and the thickness; if necessary you can turn up the heat to gently thicken the sauce here.
7. Shred the meat, discarding the bones and the excess fat. Return the shredded beef back into the pot with your choice of cooked pasta; I went with tagliatelle, adding a bit of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. You could also add a splash of double cream if you like a creamier sauce.
8. Serve with fresh parsley and dusted with Parmesan. A green side salad will balance the richness.
9. Wine choice; this dish is heavily red wine based, so you might want to consider a contrast. A Gavi or Soave will balance the rich flavour beautifully.