Short Ribs

I was watching Down Home with the Neelys on food network when they came on. I watched the episode & the short ribs & they looked so yummy. I thought about it for a couple of days & decided to make them, however I was going to make them in my crockpot instead of the way they did it. They were so good. Leftovers were yummy too!

Servings 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
6 pounds beef short ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in thick puree
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 orange, zested
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Please read note at bottom if going to make them in the crockpot.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat about 2-tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the short ribs well with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown ribs for 6 minutes on each side. You will need to do this in batches. Remove the browned short ribs to a plate and repeat with remaining ribs and oil.
Add onion, carrots, garlic, celery, and salt and pepper to the Dutch oven (large pot) and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine to the vegetables and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Return the browned short ribs and any juices that have accumulated back into the Dutch oven. Add orange zest. Cover with a heavy lid and place in the oven and braise for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
Once the ribs are tender, remove the ribs to a platter. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Note- If using the crockpot, do not heat up oven. After browning the short ribs, place them in crockpot. After adding the stock to the pot where you cooked the short ribs, pour this mixture into the crockpot. Be-careful as it will be hot & might splash.