Beef short rib stew: Low and slow cooking at its best

Method

• Preheat oven to 150°C.
• In a large cast-iron pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon with a bit of oil and set aside.
• While the bacon is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, hot paprika, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Dredge the short ribs in the flour mixture.
• Add the short ribs to the pot with the bacon fat, taking care to not crowd the pot (work in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. If you want to get good browning, do not move the short ribs except to turn them when they easily release from the pot. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ribs and set aside with the bacon.
• Add the chopped onions and carrots to the pot. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the ale and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
• Add tomatoes and their juices and reserved bacon. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.
• Return the short ribs to the pot, cover, put in the 150°C oven, and cook for 2 hours. (Alternatively, you can do the cooking on the stove-top, just lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover)
• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm pieces. Add to the pot, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender and meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 30 to 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon off the excess fat (it helps if you have a fat separator). If you want, remove the bones before serving and cut any big pieces of meat into smaller chunks.
• For the garnish
• Combine chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Serve your stew with a tablespoon of the garnish and enjoy.