Ingredients
- 4-1/2 to 5 lb. English-style beef short ribs (8 to 12 ribs)
- 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup medium-diced carrots
- 2/3 cup medium-diced onions
- 2/3 cup medium-diced fennel
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
- 1 to 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 to 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. minced anchovies
- 1-1/2 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup lower-salt beef broth
- 1 to 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap), and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.
Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, carrots, onions, and fennel to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic, paprika, coriander, and anchovies, and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour 1/2 cup of the red wine into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 1 minute.
Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour 1-1/2 cups water, the tomatoes, beef broth, and remaining 1/2 cup red wine over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2-3/4 hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender.)
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the ribs with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with chopped parsley.