Beef Stew, Classic and Easy

Don’t buy the beef stew pre- packaged from your grocer, it is a bunch of (s)crap. Use short ribs, the result will be a better sauce and more tender and succulent meat.
1 cup flour
2 lbs short ribs
2 cups WHITE wine
1 lb onions, diced
1 lb fingerling, new red, or other very small potatoes, whole unpeeled
1 lb baby carrots whole
1/2 lb celery rough chopped
FRESH herbs: sage, rosemary, and/ or thyme
1 Bay leaf
Extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
2 quarts beef broth (use a good one, spend the 2 extra dollars)

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil to coat lightly, then coat with flour. In a heavy pot on medium high heat, brown the meat on all sides, and be glad when some sticks to the bottom. Throw in half the onions and sauté, and when the bottom of the pan starts to look a bit dark, deglaze with the wine, add 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low, and cover. Walk away for at least an hour and a half. Return and add potatoes. Have a glass of wine.

Taste stew and adjust seasoning. Add your herbs at this point, and STOP adding when it smells really good. Everything that is left, goes into the pot. Reduce until the liquid is, well, stewy, and the potatoes are done. The short ribs at this point should almost fall apart when you look at them sideways (if not let it simmer some more). Remove bones from the pot, adjust seasoning, add more fresh herbs for the aromatic effect if you feel like it, cover the pot, turn the heat off and let it rest while you have another glass of wine.
Don’t be shy, use garlic and truffle oil if you so desire… garlic near the beginning, and truffle oil during final resting phase…

Pass the warm baguette, please.