Beef or bison ribs will be the best here, but you could use ribs from elk, moose, bear, nilgai or oryx. If you use elk or moose ribs, trim most of the fat.
1 to 2bottlesdark, malty beer(see above for styles)
1tablespoonjuniper berries(optional)
1tablespoondried marjoram or lovage
2tablespoonsDijon mustard
A splash of Worcestershire sauce
black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the top third of the heads of garlic off. Set them in a foil packet. Drizzle some olive oil over the cut tops, then close up the packet. Pop into the oven for 1 hour. If this is the first thing you do, you will be mostly done chopping and browning things by the time it's ready.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot, sear the short ribs over medium-high heat, starting with the fattiest side down. This renders fat for browning everything else. If you are using elk or moose ribs, or your ribs aren't fatty, add some olive oil, lard, bacon fat or butter. Salt the ribs as they cook. Brown them well on every side except for the side that's just bone and membrane. Take your time and do this in batches if need be. Remove the browned ribs for now.
When all the ribs are done, add the sliced onions, some salt, then brown them well. You might need to add more fat or oil. This step can take a solid 10+ minutes. When this is done, check the garlic to see if it has browned and softened. If not, wait until the garlic is ready before proceeding. Just turn the heat off the pot.
When you are ready to add the garlic, squeeze it into the pot, stir and add the flour. Cook this over medium heat for a few minutes. Again, this step takes some time because you want the flour to brown. If you use Wondra flour you'll save a few minutes.
Once the flour has browned, add some beer to the pot and use a wooden spoon to deglaze it. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well, and then return the ribs to the pot. If the level of beer isn't up to the top of the ribs, add some water or stock. Cover the pot and put in the oven, which should still be hot from the garlic. Drop the heat to 300°F and simmer for at least 2 hours, and in some cases as much as four hours. (Five hours is not unheard of, but is rare.)
When the ribs are tender, gently remove them to plates. Add salt and black pepper to taste, then spoon sauce over them. Serve with mashed potatoes or other root vegetables, bread or roasted root vegetables.
Notes
If four pounds seems like a lot for 6 people, remember most of that weight is bone. I am using 12-ounce bottles of beer. You can roast the garlic up to a few days in advance.