Short Rib Beef Stew in Ale with Winter Vegetables

This recipe was mostly inspired by one I found in Simply Recipes. I love the taste of short ribs and have been longing for the comforting taste of a good hearty stew.

Ingredients

2 lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 strips bacon
1 onion
3 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1 bottle brown ale
1 can whole peeled plum tomatoes
2 red potatoes
2 parsnips
3 turnips
2 stalks celery
5 carrots
fennel bulb
1 can beef broth
1 package frozen peas
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Directions

Prepare the leeks by stripping off the outer skin, discard the green leaf part, slit the white leek down the center and slice horizontally, place the chopped leeks in water to soak.
Prepare the onion by removing the skin and chopping roughly.
Place 4 bacon strips in the bottom of a thick bottomed Dutch oven. Cook the bacon over medium high until the fat has been rendered. Remove and place on a paper towel.
While the bacon is cooking, trim excess fat off the beef short ribs and cut into 2 inch cubes. If you can only get short ribs on the bone, just trim excess fat.
Put 1/2 cup flour on a plate and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the meat with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss the meat in the flour.
If there is not enough fat in the bottom of the pan, add a little oil and saute the meat until browned  on all sides. For a good browning do not stir the short ribs unless to turn.
Place the browned meat aside.
While the meat is cooking, remove the leeks and drain in a colander.
In the same pan the meat was cooked in, add the chopped leeks and onions. Saute until just starting to become translucent.
Chop two garlic cloves and add to the onions and leeks. Stir for two minutes.
Add a can of chopped peeled plum tomatoes and the juice to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Add the meat, chopped bacon and 1 bottle brown ale.
Simmer the meat mixture for two hours until the meat is tender.
At this point you can let the whole pot cool overnight in the fridge.
The next day, you can skim off any fat from the top. Skimming the fat is really important as the short ribs produce quite a bit.
Peel and chop 2 red potatoes, 2 parsnips, 3 turnips, 2 stalks celery, 5 carrots and 1 fennel bulb. Add to the pot. Add 1 can beef broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until the vegetables are tender.
Just as I was tasting the stew, I decided to add a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin and 1/4 cayenne pepper. I then popped in a package of frozen peas.