Short ribs braised in red wine

This is the perfect Sunday evening dinner.  You can put it on in the early afternoon and let the amazing scent of cooking herbs, red wine and meat fill your house for hours.  By the time you actually sit down for dinner you are ready to devour this dish!  The meat is very tender and melts as you chew.  I served this dish over my garlic peppery mashed potatoes.  It could also be served with plain noodles or rice if you prefer. 

10 fresh parsley sprigs
3.5 lbs boneless beef shortribs
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 750 ml bottle of full-bodied red wine
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Pull the parsley leaves off of the stems. Chop the leaves and set aside. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, at the olive oil and brown the ribs on all sides (cooking for about 12-15 minutes).  Remove the ribs from the pot and set on a plate.  Add the carrots and onion to the pot.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Return the ribs to the pot, along with any juices. Add the parsley stems, oregano and bay leaves.  Add enough water to barely cover the ribs.  Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and cook the ribs for 4-5 hours (even longer is fine), turning the ribs occasionally while cooking. In the last hour, check the sauce, it should be reduced by half. If it is reducing too slowly, remove the cover entirely for the remainder of the cooking time. When the ribs are done, remove the bay leaves and parsley stems. Stir in the chopped parsley leaves and adjust seasonings as needed (more salt/pepper if desired). Serve over potatoes, noodles or rice.