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1
Blot the meat dry with paper towels and then sprinkle it all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 11/2 teaspoons pepper. Warm 1 table-spoon of the oil in the pot on saute high. Add the beef to the pot, working in batches to avoid crowding (so the meat sears and browns rather than steams). Let the short ribs cook undisturbed until deeply browned on all sides, flipping with tongs, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (When the meat is sufficiently seared, it will release from the pot without tugging and lift easily with tongs.) Transfer the browned pieces to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more oil as needed if the pot looks dry. Reduce the heat and add a few drops of water if the browned glaze on the bottom of the pot begins to scorch or does not loosen. (The multi cooker might issue a burn warning message if there are solids stuck to the bottom of the pot during pressure-cooking.)
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2
Reduce the heat to saute medium and add the onions and garlic. Stir to scrape up every speck of the browned bits and glaze from the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of water if necessary to loosen the browned bits. Cook until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring often.
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3
Stir in the cola, chili sauce, Worcestershire, soy sauce, dried thyme, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the beef to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Let stand for natural release of the pressure.
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4
Use a spider or large slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving the cooking liquid and vegetables in the pot. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the surface or use a fat separator.
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5
Puree the cooking liquid and vegetables with an immersion blender directly in the pot. (Alternatively, puree in batches in a stand blender, filling it no more than one-third full with hot liquid. Return the puree to the pot.) Stir in the bourbon and season the gravy with salt and pepper.
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6
Return the ribs to the pot, nestling them together and coat-ing them in the gravy. Let the meat rest in the gravy on warm medium until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh thyme.
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7
Hint: Braised beef always tastes best the second or third day, so when time allows, let the finished dish cool to room temperature, which you can speed up by setting the inner pot in a large bowl or sink of ice water. When it's time to serve the dish, discard the fat that collects and solidifies on top. Wipe the outside of the inner pot dry, return it to the multi-cooker, and reheat the meat and gravy on WARM HIGH before serving.
