Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs, bone in (about 8 ribs)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 ½ cups yellow onion, medium-diced
1 cup celery, medium-diced
1 ½ cups carrot, peeled and medium-diced
½ cup white wine
2 quarts beef stock
1 quart chicken stock
1 handful fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel)
4 ounces tomato paste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the cornstarch slurry:
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Gremolata to garnish:
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium or large garlic clove, minced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the gremolata: In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until combined; cover and keep at room temperature or refrigerate for several days until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.

In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, combine the flour with the dried oregano, basil and thyme; set aside.

Sprinkle the top and bottom of each short rib with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture until evenly coated , shaking off any excess flour.

Using a Dutch oven or other deep, oven-proof baking dish, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat until hot. Place the short ribs in the pot and sear on top and bottom until browned, about 2 minutes per side – you may need to work in two batches to complete. Remove browned ribs from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil and the diced carrots, celery and onion to the pot and sauté over medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and translucent, and slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a medium, heat-proof bowl.

Add the white wine to the pot and deglaze over medium high heat, scraping any brown bits from the bottom, about 3 minutes.

Return the short ribs and vegetables to the pot, and add all of the remaining ingredients. All ingredients should be fully submerged in the liquid; water may be added if needed. Stir just to combine, cover pot and place on the lower middle rack of the oven; roast for 2 hours.

Remove the cover and continue cooking the ribs for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is just about falling off the bone. Remove pot from oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees. Transfer ribs to a baking dish, cover with foil and return to 200 degree oven to keep warm.

Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the liquid into a medium saucepan; the vegetables may be discarded or kept and served with the ribs. Cook the liquid over medium-high heat until reduced by half, at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, create the slurry by combining the cornstarch and water until smooth. Once the liquid has reduced, add the slurry, starting with one tablespoon, and whisk constantly to thicken until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, adding more slurry as needed. Remove pan from heat when desired consistency is achieved.

To serve, place braised short ribs over whipped potatoes and drizzle generously with the sauce. Add a sprinkling of gremolata over the short ribs to garnish.

Sarah’s Tips:

• Use bone-in short ribs for best flavor.
• To save time, you can prepare this dish in advance and refrigerate overnight before roasting, or roast up to 3 days in advance, refrigerate and reheat before serving.
• The sauce may be refrigerated and reheated before serving.
• For gluten-free version, skip the flour-dredging and just brown the meat in oil.