Pot-au-feu (short rib, after America's Test Kitchen's method)

Stud a halved onion with cloves; slice the white of a leek; halve garlic cloves; thinly slice celery.

Put the onion, leek, celery, parsley, thyme and marrow bones into the braising pot and prop the short ribs on top, as much meat as possible above the bottom.

Add water or beef broth to come about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Cover and bring to a boil, skimming off scum.

Partially cover and braise in a 325F oven 2.5 to 3 hours, flipping the beef once; the exposed meat browns without searing.

Remove the beef and marrow bones; strain out about three cups of broth and return it to a low simmer on the stovetop.

Dig out the marrow and chop very fine; mix in a medium bowl with the chopped parsley, chopped cornichons, minced chives, Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of white wine vinegar.

Let the broth sit 10 to 20 minutes, skim off the fat, add the fat back to the pot, and add water to about 5 cups total. Bring to a boil.

Add halved red potatoes and simmer about 6 minutes.

Add the carrots; ten minutes later add the halved asparagus, cover and steam 3 to 4 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

Lift the vegetables into a large bowl and toss with a few heaping tablespoons of the sauce.

Plate in shallow bowls: vegetables, slices of short rib, a couple of ladlefuls of broth, a dollop of sauce and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.