adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 3-4 inch pieces (I used boneless)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon (or more broth)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 head of garlic, with the top removed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 2 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Brown the beef in a large, oven-safe, sauce pan over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes per side, and set aside. Save about a tablespoon of grease for cooking your veggies, add butter if needed.
3. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add in your mushrooms, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
5. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the broth, wine, tomato paste, head of garlic, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and beef, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and transfer to your preheated oven.
7. Cook until the beef is fall apart tender, about 2-3 hours.
8. After your cook time, remove meat and place your pan on the stove top over medium heat. You’re going to cook down your sauce a bit. I also ladled out about 1/2 cup of the liquid into a measuring cup and added 1 tablespoon of flour to it, whisking until blended. I then stirred my broth/flour liquid back into the pan. This helps to thicken the broth.
9. Add your meat back in when you are happy with the thickness.

Remove the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the head, serve over mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of parsley. It would also be really yummy served over french fries or just as a stew with a side of crusty bread.