French Short Ribs

Cut meat into serving-size pieces.

In a heavy, large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown short ribs in hot oil over medium-high heat. Drain off fat.

Add broth, rosemary, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, clean mushrooms. If using morel mushrooms, soak in a bowl of cold, lightly salted water for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain well.

Wash other mushrooms by wiping with a damp towel. Halve mushrooms. For beets, remove roots and all but 1 inch of stems, then wash beets well. Do not peel. Cut in half lengthwise.

For leeks, remove tough outer leaves. Trim roots and cut away tops leaving white portion. Slit lengthwise and wash well. Cut crosswise into 2-inch slices.

Add beets or carrots and lemon peel to meat mixture. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Add mushrooms and leeks. Simmer covered for about 10 minutes more or until vegetables and meat are tender.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat and vegetables to serving dish, then cover to keep warm.

Measure 1 cup cooking liquid. If necessary, add more chicken broth to make 1 cup. Return to large saucepan.

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and flour. Stir into the cooking liquid. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir for 1 minute more.

Spoon meat and vegetables into serving bowls. Ladle sauce over meat and vegetables.