I absolutely love short ribs. They’re melt in your mouth good – if you cook them right. And this version sitting on top of a cheesy pizza with a smoked gouda cream sauce? Makes them all the better. This pizza is rich and decadent, with so many flavor profiles going on. The short ribs are a snap to cook, and you’ll most definitely have leftovers (I did) to make sandwiches, top pasta, or even just sit down with a plate of them and some roasted root vegetables which would go great with a glass of wine.

After I made this short rib pizza, I asked my brother, who is a 2nd level sommelier, what wine would pair well with this – and he said, without thinking, a Northern Rhone red, like a Crozes Hermitage. I wouldn’t necessarily use that wine to cook the short ribs with (I just used a cab sav), but after the pizza is baked and hot out of the oven, I would definitely pour a glass or two of a Northern Rhone red and pair it with a slice of pizza. You’ll probably only need 1 or 2 slices of it, since it is a rich pizza, but it’s the perfect game day food or even just for a night staying in watching one of your favorite movies with a glass of red.

More short rib deliciousness: here // here // here

Short Rib Pizza with Smoked Gouda Cream Sauce

For the short ribs:
(Adapted from Food52)

6-7 short ribs
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp bacon fat
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 anchovies
1 cup red wine
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 28 oz can of plum tomatoes
1 cup beef broth

For the pizza:

1 16oz ball of pizza dough
Flour, for dusting
1/2-1 cup “tomato sauce” made from the short ribs, recipe below
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella (use as much/as little as you like and don’t buy pre-shredded!)
Caramelized onions (I LOVE this how-to guide – the step by step photos are so helpful if you don’t caramelize onions often)

Smoked gouda cream sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup smoked gouda, shredded
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne

Begin by heavily seasoning both sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large pan over high heat and put in the vegetable oil and bacon fat. When the pan is hot, place the short ribs in and sear them on all sides; don’t worry about cooking the short ribs fully, all you want is a nice brown color on all sides. Take the short ribs out of the pan and place in the crock pot, set to low. In the same pan that was used to sear the meat, turn down the heat to medium and  place the onions  in and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the anchovies and continue to cook until the anchovies melt into the sauce – about 2-3 minutes. Add the red wine in and cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Pour the liquid mixture into the crock pot with the short ribs. Add the can of plum tomatoes, crushing them a little with a spoon. Add the beef broth and make sure the meat is covered by the liquid. Place on the lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the short ribs fall off the bone.

Remove the short ribs from the crock pot. Take out the bones (they should just slide off the meat) and cut/shred into large chunks. Set aside.

Skim the fat off the top of liquid/tomatoes that were used to cook the short ribs in. You may have to let it come to room temperature to do this. Take about 2-3 cups of the mixture, making sure to get as many tomatoes as you can and place in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the pizza, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees. Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle (or rectangle), the dough should be pretty thin. Spread a generous amount of “sauce” onto the dough. Top with shredded mozzarella, the chopped/shredded short ribs, and some caramelized onions. Place on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

While the pizza is baking, make the smoked gouda cream sauce. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter. Once it has melted, add the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes so that the flour-taste cooks out. In a steady stream, add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the cheese in small batches, continuing to whisk. Once all of the cheese has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth, add the nutmeg, cayenne, and season to taste with salt. Drizzle over the pizza when it’s hot out of the oven and serve immediately.

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