Gordon Ramsay’s slow-cooked beef short ribs with garlic and pancetta, 'slips off the bone'

Slow-cooking meat ensures that it is juicy and tender. Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for beef short ribs is infused with lots of flavor thanks to the deep, strong, slightly salty flavor of the pancetta.

These ribs are great with a side of creamy mashed potatoes or hearty mac and cheese. You won’t forget the garlicky taste packed into every bite and your friends and family will be lining up for more after getting a taste of these delectable, mouthwatering pieces of meat.

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for frying
• 6 thick-cut meaty beef short ribs
• 1 large head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 750ml bottle red wine
• 1 litre beef stock
• 150g pancetta lardons
• 250g small chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and halved
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3.

Heat a deep-sided roasting tray on the hob and add some olive oil. Season the short ribs thoroughly, then fry for 10–15 minutes to brown very nicely on all parts.

Add the halved garlic head with the cut side down, pushing it to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato purée and heat for a minute or two to cook it out. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the pieces at the bottom. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 minutes until the liquid is decreased by half, then add stock to almost entirely cover the ribs (you’ll require a smaller amount of stock if your roasting tray isn’t super big). Bring it to a boil once again, basting the ribs with the fluids.

Cover the roasting tray with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 3–4 hours, basting now and then until the meat is very tender and slipping off the bone.

Roughly 10 minutes prior to the short ribs being ready to come out, fry the pancetta for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain off any surplus fat.

When the short ribs are ready, take them out the oven and move to a serving plate. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pass through a sieve. Take any extra fat from the beef cooking juices, then strain it through the sieve and combine with the garlic. (If the sauce is too light, decrease the cooking liquid by warming for 10–15 minutes more after straining.)

Serve the short ribs topped with the hot pancetta and mushrooms and the sauce poured around. Decorate with diced flat leaf parsley.