Beef short ribs in wine sauce

Ingredients:

• Sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp. l. brown sugar
• 6 cups beef broth
• 6 short ribs of beef, fat removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small fennel root, cut into large cubes, greens trimmed
• 1 leek, washed and cut into large cubes, white part only
• 1.5 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
• 4 cups celery, 6 large stalks, cut into large cubes
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into large cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bottle of Cotes du Rhone (750 ml) or other dry red wine
• Fresh sprigs of rosemary

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the fennel, leek, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine, bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme with kitchen string and add to the pan.
3. Place the seared ribs on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish and add brown sugar and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the casserole dish and roast for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
4. Carefully remove the ribs from the pan and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim off any excess fat. Simmer the vegetables in the sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes. Return the ribs to the pan and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.