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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 fresno chile, halved

½ cup tomato paste

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled

1 quart (4 cups) Chicken Stock

2 cups dry red wine

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

Pickled Green Tomatoes

The day before cooking the short ribs, season them with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

The next day, remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook them.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the short ribs to the pan and cook on all sides until browned, a few minutes for each side. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and ribs.

Pour off all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and chile to the pan along with a large pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock, wine, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the short ribs to the pan, cover, and braise in the oven for 1 hour.

Lower the oven temperature to 225°F and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs to a large bowl and strain the liquid into the bowl. Discard the solids. Refrigerate overnight.

To serve, skim the congealed fat off the liquid and reheat the ribs in the liquid. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and cover to keep warm while you simmer the liquid to reduce it by half. Pour the sauce over the ribs and top them with the pickled tomatoes.

Fresh Bacon: The Glories of Braised Pork Belly

The first time I had fresh pork belly was at Gramercy Tavern when Tom Colicchio was the chef. I’ve had many dishes in my life that have changed how I feel about food. Colicchio’s pork belly, with cranberry beans and pearl onions, was one of them and it reinforced what I’ve always believed: Pork is king.

I immediately returned to Lola and started trying all different ways to cook the versatile fresh belly. Once we had perfected it, we couldn’t sell it to save our lives. Few people in Cleveland in 1998 understood what it was. But from the first time I had it, I knew that it would appeal to my customers. It has good textures and a great ratio of fat to meat; it’s succulent and satisfying with a soulful richness. When I told Colicchio about the problem, he said, “So call it ‘fresh bacon.” We did—and it immediately started selling like crazy.

I don’t think there are two better words in the English language than pork belly. My preference for the breed when it comes to pork belly is the heritage Duroc because it’s such a fatty hog.

If you don’t have a specialty butcher or meat market that carries fresh pork belly, most grocery stores can order it for you. These commercial bellies are acceptable, but they tend to be a little skinny and lean. For the best-quality pork belly, order it online (see Sources), or find a local farm that raises hogs and order it from them.

There are many different ways to cook pork belly: It can be slow roasted, cured and hot smoked (resulting in bacon), confited, or braised. My method of choice is to braise it in stock loaded with aromatics. It’s already got so much fat on it, I don’t think you need to poach it in more fat. Regardless of your preference, though, the main thing you need to know about it is that it’s a tough muscle, so it requires long slow cooking to tenderize it.

Pork belly is best cooked, cooled in its cooking liquid, and then finished later, so it’s great to prepare a few days before you serve it.

I like to sauté the braised pork belly to reheat it. It becomes crisp on the outside and stays tender and moist on the inside. Or