Super Bowl Sunday Short Rib Stew

With the big game just around the corner it's only proper to share a Super Bowl recipe.. Enjoy the game and eat as much stew as you want! Have fun this Sunday!!!
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Super Bowl Sunday Short Rib Stew

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed of fat (boneless will work if that’s all you can find, but bones add nutrition & awesome flavor!)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
4 – Bacon slices,
1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, large-diced
9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
8 oz. (1 pkg.) – White button mushrooms, rinsed and halved
1 leek, cleaned and large-diced, white part only
1 can (14.5 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
4 cups large-diced celery (6 large stalks)
2 carrots, peeled and large-diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
6 cups beef stock

Method:

Place bacon strips in a large (5 to 6 quart), thick-bottomed Dutch oven. Set the heat to medium high and cook the bacon until much of the fat has been rendered. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat from pot.
Brown the Meat. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper. Add the short ribs to the pot with the bacon fat, taking care to not crowd the pot (work in batches if necessary). Brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. If you want to get good browning, do not stir the short ribs unless to turn. While the short ribs are browning, chop the bacon and set aside.
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the short ribs from the pot to a bowl.
Add the chopped onions to the pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the stock and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and their juices and reserved bacon. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and thyme.
Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.
After 2 hours add halved potatoes, carrots, fennel, leek, celery, and mushrooms, along with sugar. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, cook until the vegetables are tender and meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 30-45 minutes.Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Remove bones from stew and cut meat into bite size pieces put back into stew. Garnish with chopped parsley.