Ingredients:

  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp high-heat oil (such as olive or canola)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 750 ml dry red wine (such as Cabernet or Pinot Noir)
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef stock
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions:

  1. Pat the ribs bone-dry. Season fiercely with salt and pepper, then lightly dust them in flour.
  2. Heat the oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs in batches (do not crowd the pot!) for 3–4 minutes per side until they develop a deep, mahogany brown crust. Remove the ribs and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Scrape up any beautiful, stuck-on brown bits (fond). Sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the red wine. Bring to a rolling simmer and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom vigorously, incorporating all the fond. Reduce the wine by half; this concentrates the flavor and cooks off the harsh alcohol taste (about 10–15 minutes).
  5. Return the seared short ribs to the pot, tucking them snugly between the vegetables. Pour in the beef stock until the ribs are almost, but not entirely, covered. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
  6. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Once simmering, cover the Dutch oven tightly. Transfer the pot to a preheated oven set at 325°F (160°C).
  7. Braise for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the meat is so tender it threatens to slide right off the bone when gently prodded with a fork.
  8. Carefully remove the ribs and herbs from the pot and cover the ribs loosely with foil to rest. Skim any large pools of fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the spent vegetables. Return the liquid to the stovetop and reduce over medium heat until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  9. Return the short ribs to the finished sauce and serve immediately over mashed potatoes or polenta.