Ree Drummond Adds Savory Depth To Beef Short Ribs With This Flavorful Sliced Meat

One of the hallmarks of perfect short ribs is their tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Ree Drummond uses a special method to make sure her short ribs are both incredibly tender and flavorful. She cooks them with pancetta to infuse the rib meat with rich, savory flavor and to help the fat on the rib meat get crispy.

Pancetta is an Italian cured meat with a very rich flavor. It is similar to bacon but made from pork belly using a different curing process. Rather than being smoked, it is cured with salt for several weeks. It may also be cured with other spices like nutmeg or juniper. It is usually sold in thin slices or cubes and used in stews, soups, pasta carbonara, antipasto platters, or dishes that you want to add a little extra oomph to.

To use Drummond's method for cooking short ribs in pancetta fat, which she shared on her Pioneer Woman website, dice up six pieces of pancetta and cook them over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. When it is crispy, take the pancetta out of the pot, leaving the grease behind. Add 2 tablespoons of high-quality olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add your short ribs, allowing them to brown on each side. Then remove the ribs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate and cover them loosely with foil, and move on to the next step of Drummond's recipe (or your favorite short rib recipe).

Of all the lessons we have learned from Ree Drummond, this secret short rib ingredient might be our favorite. She also has some other great tips for making tender, flavorful short ribs that just fall right off the bone. First, a Dutch oven is really the best tool to use for her short rib recipe. Dutch ovens cook food slowly and evenly and are perfect for braising. They are heavy-duty and can withstand high heat, and they also have a tight-fitting lid that traps moisture and heat so that your ribs get maximum tenderness and flavor. Plus, you can move them straight from the stovetop to the oven — just make sure your Dutch oven lid is oven-safe.

Another tip Drummond offers is to choose bone-in short ribs, not slender, flanken-style short ribs. She recommends short ribs that have been cut parallel to the bone and that are 3 to 4 inches long. She also recommends using a dry red wine to braise your ribs. The best red wine for cooking short ribs is a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir.

If you don't have pancetta, you can use thin-sliced bacon, as long as it isn't peppered. Finally, she recommends serving the short ribs with cheesy polenta and roasted root vegetables, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and an Italian salad, or classic, creamy grits and a fresh, tangy coleslaw. And of course, don't forget to pair the perfect wine with your short ribs.