Braised Beef Short Ribs

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

3 to 4 lbs. beef short ribs, cut into serving-sized pieces
Ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth or beef stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Season the ribs with the black pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ribs in 2 batches and cook until they're well browned on all sides. Remove the ribs from the skillet. Add the celery, carrot, onion, tomatoes and garlic to the skillet and cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the broth, wine, vinegar, rosemary, bay leaf and ribs and heat to a boil. Cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the ribs are fork-tender. Remove the ribs from the skillet. Cover and keep warm. Stir the flour and water in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat to medium. Stir the flour mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Discard the bay leaf. Serve the sauce with the ribs. Makes 6 servings.