Braised Short Ribs

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or some other dish you can cover and leave cooking for hours on end. Salt and pepper the ribs. With the pan at medium-high heat, brown the short ribs until they develop a bit of a crust, turning so each side gets browned, about 5-7 minutes per side. Don't crowd them in the pan; just do them in batches if need be. Remove the ribs to a plate, lower the heat to medium low and give the oil a chance to cool just a bit so you don't burn the onions. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the red wine to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring to loosen up any browned bits, and let it simmer a few minutes. Add the coffee, then return the ribs to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook a few hours, turning the ribs now and then. The meat will be falling off the bone by the time you're done, or falling apart if you used boneless ribs.
Take the meat out of the pan and turn the heat up a bit, simmering the sauce until reduced a fair bit.