braised beef short ribs

Short ribs are a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, and easy to prepare: this recipe takes less than 15 minutes of hands on time. The oven does the rest! Make twice as much as you need, the leftover meat shreds nicely and makes great sandwiches or tacos.

serves 4

3 lbs beef short ribs
1 small onion, cut into chunks
handful baby carrots
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. When oil is hot, brown short ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd pan. While ribs brown, process onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until finely diced. Remove short ribs and place on a platter. Add vegetables to pan and cook until lightly browned. Add tomato paste, wine, stock, and herbs to pan and stir to combine and bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan, cover with a lid, and braise in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Serve short ribs with braising liquid.