Great on a cold winter night. Original recipe in Sacramento Bee. See Mark’s take on balsamic below the recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 Cloves of garlic, smashed and diced. Do this first and let them sit to preserve the good stuff.
• 1 Tablespoon of olive or other oil.
• 6 Bone-in short ribs (about 3 pounds). Ideally grass fed beef.
• 2 Leeks, sliced. (Only the white parts.)
• 2 Medium onions, sliced.
• 2 Carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces.
• 2 Stalks of celery, sliced.
• Handful of sliced mushrooms.
• 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• 1 Teaspoon sea salt (optional).
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper.
• 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. 
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard.
• 3 Sprigs of fresh rosemary (or equiv. dried).
• 1/2 Cup balsamic vinegar.
• Original recipe added 1/4 cup brown sugar, which I did not use and did not miss. Add something like honey if you want.
• Water or broth to come to half height of ribs.

 Directions

1. Using dutch oven or other heavy duty pot, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Sear the short ribs on all sides. Don’t crowd the pot.
3. Remove ribs.
4. Brown mushrooms,  garlic, leeks, onions, carrots and celery.
5. Add pepper flakes, salt, pepper and tomato paste.
6. Cook 6-7 minutes, until tomato paste turns reddish brown.
7. Add dijon and balsamic. Scrape up browned bits in pot.
8. Return ribs to pot.
9. Add broth or water to half way up the ribs.
10. Place rosemary sprigs on top of ribs.
11. Cover pot and adjust heat to simmer.
12. Cook for 2 hours. (Can alternatively put pot in 300 degree oven.)
13. Taste and adjust seasonings.
14. Remove meat and veggies, and boil liquid to make a glaze.

From Mark’s Is It Primal post of January 15, 2013:

Vinegar itself, regardless of the origin, lowers the blood sugar response to a meal, improves the glucose tolerance, and even increases the satiety of a meal when taken before or during the meal. Acetic acid is the key here, so rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and even white vinegar will work just as well as the best balsamic vinegar. But some benefits are unique to balsamic vinegar:

• Balsamic vinegar inhibited LDL oxidation and macrophage accumulation to a greater extent than rice wine vinegar. In other words, balsamic vinegar – regular old stuff purchased at a Japanese supermarket - may inhibit atherosclerosis.
• During simulated digestion of meat, melanoidins that arise during traditional balsamic vinegar fermentation reduced lipid peroxidation and heme iron absorption.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-paleo-balsamic-vinegar-chestnuts-apricot-kernels-chitosan-nori

Photo Credit: © Jesse Kunerth | Dreamstime.com