I have dreamed of having my very own Le Creuset Dutch Oven for a long time. And for a “long time”, I mean longer than I even knew what it really was or how fabulous they really were. I think the first memories I could recall of it was back in the day when “The Frugal Gourmet” had one on his stove in the 80’s. And although as a kid I thought it was just a “pretty pot”, I knew I wanted one when I grew up.
As I grew older and found out how much they actually cost, I could not bring myself to buy one. This is not to say that I didn’t think it was worth it but a few hundred bucks is pretty steep! Alas, I had to be content to utilize my siblings’ when the chance arose. 🙂
But this past Christmas…my Culinary Life changed when my awesome sister gave my boyfriend and I a gorgeous 7.25 quart round Dutch Oven. I squealed in delight as I hugged our new beauty—finally, we had one of our very own. Dreamy.
Then the next question arose….what were we going to make to break in our new dutch oven??? As silly as this may sound, I wanted a recipe that would require us to utilize as many components of the pot as we could—searing, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc. Heck, it was the first time we would be using it after all! 🙂
I finally settled upon a recipe by Bobby Flay for a Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle. Although I have NEVER been a fan of how Bobby Flay portrays himself on television, his food more times than not, looks delish.
We followed the recipe with the exceptions a few edits and were happy to find that it was pretty simple (although somewhat laborious and lengthy). The end results? D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. The ribs were succulent and tender with the aromatics giving the meat a rich flavor.
A few things about our take on the dish:
- We omitted the Port & substituted with beef stock. Ruby Port is often too sweet for me in my savory dishes.
- We decided not to remove the beef from the bones and served it directly over the pasta. Next time, I think we’ll do it though to get rid of some of the excess gristle and fat.
- Although the recipe doesn’t state to, season with extra salt and pepper before dishing over the pasta. My “Better Half” thinks a bit of heat would complement the dish. Perhaps some red chili flakes?
- This recipe could easily serve 6 adults.
- We had the leftovers a few days later and served the ribs over mashed potatoes—YUM!
I would definitely recommend this recipe and will make it again (with a few tweaks). If you’re planning on tackling this one, keep in mind–it needs at least 3 hours in the oven for the ribs to get tender. It’s okay though, time goes by quickly if you have a snackie and a glass of vino. 🙂
ENJOY! 🙂
Heavily season the Short Ribs with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt.
Browning the ribs. The more brown bits the better! 🙂
Browned Ribs = Tons of flavor! 🙂
Cooking down the Shallots and Mirepoix
Short Ribs back in with the liquids & bouquet garni and ready to be put in a 325 degree oven for 3 hours. Yup, I said THREE! 🙂
The finished Short Ribs (with bone -in) over Pappardelle. Garnished with Pecorino Romano and Flat Leaf Parsley.
Did I mention how much I LOVE our new Dutch Oven! And yes, it really does make a difference! 🙂
theculinarychronicles.com 
OMG! So jealous! I’ve wanted one too!! Looks divine! :c)
Thanks Jason–it REALLY is worth it! I know, I know… . LOL! 🙂
shut-up. get the hell out of here. you are driving me nuts with this yummy looking food. what are you doing in higher education, you seriously need to open up your own restaurant.
Oh Mary–you’re too much! I’ll leave Higher Ed when you leave to open your fabulous Boutique! 🙂 Must have you over to dinner sometime soon 🙂
The ragu looks really good. It’s probably good with rice as well and yes, LeCrueset dutch ovens are awesome!
Thanks so much! I, too, thought it would be great over some rice. Heck–even toast for that matter! 🙂 Cheers!
it’s a 7.25 qt. wouldn’t get you anything less.
Eeek! I knew it was a 7.25–don’t know why I wrote down anything else! Post edited! 🙂
I adore this dish and yours looks scrumptious.Now, in my middle age, I finally got a cast iron Dutch oven for the holiday. It’s on the stove 4-5 days a week!
Thanks so much! I know what you mean—if I’m not using it, it’s still on my range. Gorgeous with that added pop of color for the kitchen. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
yum-oh-my! that looks frickin’ good. i’m so going to try that recipe and agree about the stock substitution over port (maybe i’ll try a nice red?).
i need to learn not to look at your blog in the mornings, especially when i haven’t had anything to eat yet. it’s just not right! sorry tummy. you’ll just have to be satisfied with instant oatmeal. bleh…
p.s. whenever i make anything braised, stewed, osso bucco-style, i sprinkle a bit of lemon zest mixed with black pepper and kosher/sea salt and finely diced italian parsley on top to cut the richness. (copied it from giada). : P
Oooh, a Gremolata would be divine on this!
p.s.s. our sister introduced me to the bar keepers friend, which is a cleansing agent that you can buy at most stores including target. it cost a little more than similar products like ajax or comet, but it’s totally worth it!
i can’t believe i never knew it existed until now. i HATED cleaning my dutch oven until i started to use this. just make a little paste with some water, and it will polish your dutch oven like brand new! (it will also take all of the grease stains – even old ones – off your stainless steel pans).
did i say how much i love it??
Just picked up some Bar Keeper’s friend the other night 🙂
Wow..you have completely sold me. I received a dutch oven for Christmas and have not taken it out of the box. I will give it a try this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
You will definitely love it! Let me know how it goes with your dishes this weekend. Cheers! 🙂
Wow! I love short ribs! That’s a nice piece of meat to break in the dutch oven. This dish looks great. I need to get me a dutch oven.
Thanks for checking out this post, Janice. Aren’t short ribs divine? So delish! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
I don’t know why Dutch Ovens, along with Clay Cooking Pots are not more popular than they are. They do wonders for food. Just compare Crockpot cooking to Dutch Oven cooking. For my tastes there is no comparison. Best to you and your family!
Hi Thom-
Thanks for stopping by! I think Clay Pots are wonderful and lend such a delicious flavor to their dishes. I have yet to pick one up but it is on my “MUST HAVE” list.
Cheers! Nam
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