Short Ribs Braised in Balsamic and Tomatoes with Cloves

Finally a new, original paleo recipe that comes out of nowhere!  When I lived in Milano, Italia I was broke as shit.  I was eating canned lentils, tomatoes, and dried pasta seriously 5 times per week.  My protein cravings were through the roof, but I had no money, so when I had two euros to spare I bought as much protein as possible.  People living in the USA have no idea what meat actually costs (we have huge CAFO farms, massively subsidised commodities, etc.), so when I saw things like short ribs on sale I jumped at it.  They sold these ribs at about 2 euro/kilo so I bought a ton of them when I could afford them.

This recipe is a gem and worth trying.

Short Ribs Braised in Balsamic and Tomatoes with Cloves

Rub 3p+ of short beef ribs with lots of salt, pepper, and lots of dried oregano.

Grill them briefly, like 7+ minutes per side on a medium grill.  This is a timing move on my part.  A better move is to pan sear the ribs.  Meanwhile, saute 6 semi-crushed cloves of garlic (pounded to remove skin, but not cut up), one minced medium onion, and 1/2T full cloves in a copious amount of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste (fuck, be careful! there is salt all over your grilled ribs). Once translucent, add a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes (which I cut up), 4T of balsamic vinegar, a 1/2t celery salt, some supplemental water, and bring to boil.  Add ribs.  Simmer slowly for as long as possible.  I'm at 1.5h +, so far so much better.

Addendum:  You can taste cloves, expect that when pairing this dish with anything else (wines, desserts, etc.)

Double Addendum:  I've been eating this as left overs, and I can tell you that this silly little recipe is fucking awesome.  If you went to a fancy Italian restaurant they may still use these gnarly pieces of cheap meat, but I bet they go with higher quality and serve it with a basil and tomato salad, or a clove and cinnamon flavored pumpkin/ butternut squash soup (with lemongrass infused olive oil floaters), chianti, and a spiced dessert.