• In a heavy ovenproof pot, add enough oil to cover the bottom about ¼" (5 mm).
• Put some flour on a plate and dredge the short ribs (or your choice of meat) on all sides and shake off the excess.
• When the oil is hot, add the ribs/meat and brown on all sides—you may have to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan and steam instead of sear. You want to form a nice crust on the beef meat. There is lots of flavor in this.
• Remove the ribs/meat and drain on paper towel.
• Preheat the oven to very low 250°.
• Drain off any remaining oil, and wipe pot clean.
• Add a little canola oil to coat the bottom of the pot, add half the onions and cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.
• Add a sprinkle of salt.
• Add half the carrots and all the celery (refrigerate the onions and carrots for use later). Cook for 5 minutes—the longer you cook the vegetables and they caramelize you develop flavor—so you can brown them up.
• Add tomato paste and stir around to heat through.
• Add the wine (or stock/water if using)—3 cups is just about the entire bottle and if it’s too early to enjoy a glass then you can add the entire bottle!
• Add the garlic (its ok for the cloves to be unpeeled but remove the outer layers) Add the honey and peppercorns. Add the bay leaves, and season with a sprinkle of salt.
• Place the ribs/meat in the pot (its ok if they go on top of each other now). Bring to a simmer.
• Cover pot with the lid ajar or make a parchment lid to fit. Place in the oven and cook for 4 hours.
• Remove the pot from the oven and allow cooling. Remove ribs meat and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Strain the braising liquid and allow chilling - then removing the congealed fat.
• Sear mushrooms by placing them in a hot dry sauté or frying pan and cook for a minute or two each side, while pressing down with the spatula.
• Melt butter in your braising pot.
• Add the remaining onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ribs and mushrooms. Add the reserved braising liquid.
• Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until carrots a fork tender.
• For the Gremolata, stir together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Don’t skip this part—the Gremolata adds so much to this dish. You can also use orange zest too!
• Serve ribs with mashed potato, buttered egg noodles or polenta—garnish with the Gremolata.

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:

• The ribs/meat may be prepared 1-2 days in advance. Ensure that the ribs/meat is are covered in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.