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Short Rib Lasagna

Ingredients

  • I measure with my heart for this recipe but this is a rough guide to follow!
  • FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 2-3 carrots
  • 2-3 celery stalks
  • (roughly 1.5 cups of each vegetable)
  • 7 pieces bone in short ribs
  • 1/2 - 1 cup bacon, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3-4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of Rosemary or Thyme
  • 150 - 200ml red wine (a whole mini bottle)
  • 1 - 2 large cans of pureed tomato
  • FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
  • 1/2 - 3/4 stick of butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 - 2 cups grated parm and/or pecorino. (I have made this sauce with mozerella before and it worked great but parm and pecorino was my favourite cheese combo so far)
  • ASSEMBLY
  • 1 package of fresh pasta or make your own! (It will be cooked before assembly so you could probably get away with dried lasagna noodles in a pinch but fresh is better)
  • Lasagna/casserole dish
  • Large oven-safe pot

Steps

  • I usually make this recipe over the course of 2-3 days. 1 day to cook the sauces and assemble, day 2 for assembly if I didn't on day 1 and the last day to bake, prepare sides and dessert. I recommend letting it sit, absorb, and intensify in flavour overnight in the fridge.
  • FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
  • 1. Dice onion, carrots and celery into small cubes
  • 2. Add olive oil to a large oven-safe pot and salt the short ribs generously before searing on all sides
  • 3. Remove ribs from the pan and cook the bacon in the same pot.
  • 4. Add vegetables, garlic, rosemary/thyme to the bacon and cook until they get soft.
  • 5. Stir in tomato paste until everything is coated and starting to stick.
  • 6. Deglaze with red wine and cook down until jammy.
  • 7. Add 1 of the cans of tomato puree to start, add your short ribs back in and cover with more tomato until they are covered. Use at least a can and a half, even if they are covered.
  • 8. Put the lid on and slow roast in the oven at 325 degrees for around 4 hours or until the shortribs are falling off the bone.
  • 9. Let it cool. Once cool, you will be able to see if there is too much fat and be able to scrape a little off. Whether or not there will be too much depends on how fatty your short ribs, bacon are and how much oil is used to sear.
  • 10. Take out short ribs and, shred the meat and throw out the bones. Add the meat back to the sauce.
  • 11. Set aside for assembly or refrigerate if you want to assemble the next day.
  • FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
  • 1. In a medium saucepan, brown butter lightly - too dark and the cheese flavour won't shine through. Wait until it smells nutty and golden.
  • 2. Add flour and whisk until dissolved and thick.
  • 3. Whisk in milk and keep whisking until thick
  • 4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • 5. Grate in cheese.
  • 6. Cool, then set aside for assembly or refridgerate if you want to assemble the next day.
  • ASSEMBLY
  • 1. In a pan with high sides or large pot, boil water and salt well.
  • 2. Cook lasagna noodles on both sides. 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta
  • 3. Grate mozerella
  • 4. You should have your meat sauce, cheese sauce, mozzarella and a plate of cooked lasagna noodles in front of you. If the sauces were in the fridge, bringing them back to room temp/warm makes it easier to assemble.
  • 5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • 5. Put a light layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the lasagna pan, then a layer of noodles. Another thin layer of meat sauce and drizzle cheese sauce over top and spread. Cheese sauce layer should be even thinner. Add another layer of noodles. Keep stacking until you have 5 layers of noodles. When the final layer of noodles are placed all of the meat sauce should be gone but there should be enough for a thick layer of cheese sauce which you will pour on top followed by the mozzarella.
  • 6. Bake for around 40 minutes or until the top of the lasagna is brown and bubbling. You may need to broil for a minute or two at the end but keep an eye on it.