Rustic Slow-Simmered Mushroom and Meat Sauce

My daughter and I love a rustic slow-simmered tomato sauce with meat that has beef short rib meat shredded throughout the sauce and it’s amazing. I decided to make another batch recently, but this time I made a rustic slow-simmered mushroom and meat sauce loaded with button and cremini mushrooms. It was a hit! The mushrooms gave an extra depth of flavor and made it a much heartier sauce–perfect for these cold rainy days! This mushroom and meat sauce is amazing on nearly any pasta, gnocchi, polenta, or bread.

Rustic Slow-Simmered Mushroom and Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1¾ lbs beef short ribs trimmed of excess fat
• Garlic powder to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced thickly
• 8 oz button mushrooms sliced thickly
• 1 small sweet yellow onion minced
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes

How to Make a Rustic Slow-Simmered Mushroom and Meat Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the short ribs with garlic powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place into the hot Dutch oven and sear all sides of the short ribs, turning with tongs, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Really make sure you render the fat so the sauce won’t be greasy later! Transfer the ribs to a plate then pour off all but 1 teaspoon of grease.

Add the onion and sliced cremini & button mushrooms then sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan with the wine, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, until the wine has reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes.

Add the short ribs and their juices back to the Dutch oven then add the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently, turning the ribs several times, until the meat is very tender and falls off the bones, about 2-3 hours.

Transfer the ribs to a clean plate. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred with fingers, discarding the fat, gristle, and bones.

Return the shredded meat to the sauce in the Dutch oven. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, for about 5-10 minutes. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Serve over pasta of choice. Enjoy.