Braised Beef and Tortelloni

Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe was AMAZING. Takes forever to make, but soooooo worth it. The meat was melt in your mouth, the house smelled amazing, and even the leftovers were delicious. I got a dutch oven for Christmas this year and thank goodness I had this recipe picked out to try. Doug and I usually have a pretty quiet Christmas day so I figured we would try this very intense recipe when we wouldn't be rushed for time. The new dutch oven was an added bonus!

If you're wondering if I made a spelling mistake on the pasta part, no I didn't. Tortelloni is different than tortellini. Not very different, but still different. According to Google, tortellini is smaller and often meat-filled. Tortelloni is larger and usually cheese-filled. Both are delicious.

• 3-4 lbs beef short ribs, bone left in
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large portabello mushroom caps
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into eight pieces
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 20 oz Asiago-filled fresh tortelloni (or any fresh cheese-filled tortelloni)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper all sides of the short ribs. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed oven-proof pot with an oven-proof lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. 

Add the beef ribs and sear on all six sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the seared meat to a platter and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Remaining fat will be used later. 

Add onions and saute for three minutes. Add basil and cook for one more minute before adding Marsala wine. Reduce by half and the add the beef stock, water, and bay leaf.  Add seared ribs back into the pan. Liquid will not cover the tops of the beef. Cover pot and place in the oven for 2 hours.

While beef is braising, prepare and cook the mushroom caps. Remove stem if present and discard. Use a soup spoon to scoop out the dark ribs and also discard. Cut remaining cleaned mushroom caps into 1/2 inch sized pieces. In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of reserved beef fat and once hot, add mushrooms. Saute for 5-6 minutes or till tender.

Add tomatoes, cook for 1 minute and then add balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 more minute and remove from heat. Set aside.

After 2 hours is up, remove the pot from the oven and pick the beef pieces out onto a cutting board with tongs. Bones should slip off and be discarded. Once cool enough to handle, remove fat and gristle from beef with a knife. Cut remaining pieces of beef against the grain into slices.

Cook tortelloni according to package directions.

In a small saute pan, melt butter. Add flour. Cook for three minutes over medium heat, remove from heat. Heat liquid left in pot of beef over medium high and allow to boil. Add butter and flour mixture and whisk to combine. Once thickened, add heavy cream and whisk again. Add beef, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Stir to combine.

Drain cooked tortelloni and add back to pot it was cooked in. Add a little beef sauce to coat. Pour tortelloni into a serving platter and pour finished beef over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours

Recipe from www.AFamilyFeast.com