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1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place short ribs on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until deeply browned all over, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.
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2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large lidded casserole over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 20 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaves and cook 2 minutes more. Add tomato paste, wine, thyme, parsley sprigs, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Place ribs on top of vegetables in casserole.
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3. Stir sugar into stock and pour over vegetables and ribs. Deglaze pan, scraping up browned bits. Return to a simmer, cover and cook until meat is almost falling off the bone, 2-3 hours.
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4. Carefully remove ribs from pot. Skim excess fat off liquid. (If cooking a day or more in advance, leave ribs in pot with liquid and vegetables and let cool, uncovered, then refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days. Skim fat off top, bring to room temperature and then reheat, covered, in a 350-degree oven or on the stove top over low heat, 25 minutes. Remove ribs from pot and continue with recipe.) Decrease heat to low and continue to cook vegetables and sauce, occasionally skimming fat off top, until a light gravy-like consistency is reached. This step may not be necessary or may take up to 20 minutes. If too thick, add stock or water. If too thin, increase heat and reduce liquid. Return ribs to pot and warm until heated through. Serve with vegetables and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.
