Guinness Braised Short Ribs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 to 4 pounds pork short ribs (4-6 ribs)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced ½ inch thick
• 3 large carrots, rinsed, peeled, and sliced ½ inch thick
• 6 large cloves garlic peeled and diced
• 11.2-ounce bottle Guinness or other stout beer
• 1 ½ cups beef stock or broth, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Whipped potatoes (optional)

Preheat a large stockpot over medium heat, add olive oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add short ribs and sear until they brown, then turn them over and sear until each side is brown and the bottom of the pot is well coated with caramelized bits. Remove the ribs from the pot and set them aside.

Add onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and cook until they begin to soften, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Deglaze the pot with Guinness, stirring to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in 1 ½ cups beef stock and tomato paste. Place flour in a small bowl and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons beef stock to form a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the pot and stir well until the broth thickens slightly.

Return the short ribs to the pot, add fresh thyme sprigs and the bay leaf, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is fork tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with whipped potatoes, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings