Preheat your oven to 300°F. Cut the short ribs in half and arrange them in a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Season them with salt and pepper.

In a small jar, add the vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and thyme. Whisk or shake well to combine. Pour the sauce over the ribs and use your hands to toss and coat all the pieces.

Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake the ribs until cooked through and tender, 2.5 hours.

Remove the foil (carefully - hot steam will escape). Baste the tops of the short ribs with the braising liquid and continue baking them for 30 more minutes, allowing the tops to brown.

Serve the ribs with the braising liquid. I like to place a small bowl filled with the braising liquid on each plate. This allows the diners to dip their meat into the yummy liquid.

When the ribs are fully cooked, transfer them to an oven-safe dish and cover them. Lower the oven to the "keep warm" setting (170°F) and place the ribs in the oven to keep them warm.

Pour the cooking liquids through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan and heat them over medium-high heat, whisking often, until they thicken, 5-10 minutes.

You can speed this process up by mixing in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1.5 tablespoons cold water). Heat, whisking, over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as the sauce thickens.

Brush the ribs with the gravy and serve.