Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in beef short ribs
• to taste olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 celery stalks
• 4 carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 bottle red wine
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Steps

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Remove any large fat deposits on the sides of the ribs (your butcher should have done this, but sometimes it needs a more tender hand) and salt and pepper all sides.
4. Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
5. Add the ribs and brown on all sides (about 2–3 minutes per side).
6. Work in batches as not to crowd the pan.
7. While the meat is browning mix the tomato paste with enough wine to thin (⅓ bottle).
8. Remove the meat and set aside.
9. Sauté the vegetables until soft (about 5–10 minutes).
10. Deglaze the pan with wine and scrape up any fond.
11. Add in the tomato paste mixture, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
12. Add the ribs (nestle in the vegetables).
13. Add sprigs of thyme.
14. Add the remainder of the wine to just almost cover the ribs.
15. Pour the rest of the wine in your almost empty glass.
16. Cover and braise in the oven for 2.5–3 hours (turning the ribs once while cooking) until the ribs are fork tender and fall off the bone.
17. Serve the ribs with the braising liquid and vegetables over mashed potatoes, along side new potatoes, or over egg noodles.