Braised Short Ribs

I guess it must be winter, since I am preparing so many 'winter foods'. This is a great recipe that you can put together and then leave in the oven for a bit while you do other things. Read a book, play board games, enjoy a nice fire... You get the idea. It's also nice, since the oven is already on, to cook the side dish in the oven at the same time.

Braised Short Ribs

3 - 3 1/2Pounds Beef Short Ribs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Cups Onions, Diced
1/2 Cup Celery, Diced
1/2 Cup Carrots, Sliced
1/4 Cup Shallots, Diced
3 or 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Pressed
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Dried Thyme
1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
2 Bay Leaves

Preheat the oven to 350

Trim the excess fat from the short ribs. Season them with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Heat the canola oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the short ribs, in batches, and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Remove the short ribs from the dutch oven and pour off all but about 2 Tbsp of the fat. Add the vegetables, pinch each salt, pepper, and dried thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Return the short ribs and add the bay leaves. Bake, covered, until the ribs are tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove the ribs and tent with foil. Remove the vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour the broth into a gravy separator. Pour back into the pot, leaving the fat behind. Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until syrupy, then add back the vegetables and short ribs. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or butternut polenta.

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