This week I'm bringing you what I hope is a very scintillating alternative to braised short ribs. Slow-roasting is one of my most treasured hands-off techniques, and I use it on everything from whole chickens and chicken legs to winter squash and, in this case, short ribs. Slow roasting is a dry heat method, unlike braising, which is a wet heat method. The key in either case is to cook the meats gently enough to cause their inter-muscular fats and cartilage to melt away, while simultaneously causing the proteins to soften (instead of seizing and tightening, which can happen with high-heat methods). With slow roasting (or at least, my version!), you season the ribs with dry spices and then ... stick them in the oven. Unlike braising, there's no browning, no bubbling, no babysitting. They come out tender as a kitten's undercarriage and you walk away with a concentrated pan jus for spooning over. This is so tailor-made for holiday entertaining, it's RIDICULOUS. The only trick here is