Beef short ribs

1 Season the ribs with the salt and paprika, then leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2. Put 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. When hot, fry the ribs on all sides until you achieve a deep, roasted look (6-7 minutes). Take off the heat and set aside on a plate.

2 Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper, then add the remaining oil to the pan. Sweat the onions over a low-medium heat, until softened but without colour (about 7 minutes). Then add the garlic, thyme, star anise, peppercorns and ale; increase the heat to reduce the mixture by ½ (1-2 minutes), then add the stock and reduce by ⅓ (2-3 minutes).

3 Put the ribs in a small-to-medium ovenproof saucepan, then cover with the liquid and aromatics so they are as submerged as possible. Cover and braise in the oven for 4 hours. Remove the lid, turn the ribs over if not fully submerged and cook for a further 1 hour. Remove from the oven and use tongs to transfer the ribs to a plate to rest. Put the pan over a high heat and simmer the sauce until it reaches your desired consistency. Remove the thyme sprigs and star anise before serving the ribs coated in the sauce.