Osso buco style beef short ribs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 8-10 pieces beef short ribs — bone-in and boneless mix
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 whole onion — coarsely chopped
• 3 ribs celery — coarsely chopped
• 3 large carrots — cut into 1/2″ discs
• 1 pound crimini mushrooms (baby bellas) — thick sliced
• 1 whole red pepper — coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic — finely chopped
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley — finely chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup dry Marsala wine, or hearty red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 14 ounces Italian stewed tomatoes — crushed by hand
• 1/2 cup Israeli couscous — uncooked (optional)
• Salt and pepper — to taste

You may like

Beef bourguignon - video recipe !

Preparation

• Position oven rack low in the oven, preheat oven to 300°. Trim beef ribs of excess outer fat, careful to leave meat attached to the bone. Dry meat with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dust lightly with flour on all sides.
  
  In a large Dutch oven or pot with a secure lid, heat the butter over med heat. Sear the ribs on all sides, add a little olive oil if needed. Browning the meat is very important to the flavor of this dish. Remove the seared meat and reserve on a platter.
  
  Add onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley to the pot and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat just a little and add the wine to deglaze the pan.
  
  Return the ribs to the pan add the stock and tomatoes, stir to incorporate all the ingredients and make sure the meat is mostly covered. Bring it to a simmer, and then drizzle with a little olive oil. Secure a lid on the pot and place in the preheated oven; cook for 4-41/2 hours.
  
  Optional: Once ribs are done, remove from the oven and turn oven off. Stir-in couscous, replace lid and return to the oven (still off), for 10-15 minutes.
  
  When ready to serve, make a bed of the vegetables on a plate and set ribs on top. Serve with French green beans or a side salad.