1. Trim any excess fat from the ribs. Sprinkle each rib on all sides, except the bone-side, with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Put the ribs on a rack atop a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 325F. Dry the ribs with paper towels and then sprinkle them with the ground pepper. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add three of the ribs and brown them well on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the ribs. Brown the remaining ribs and remove them from the pot.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the water and simmer 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to dislodge any brown bits.

4. Transfer the vegetables and liquid to a roasting pan. Arrange the ribs, side by side, on top of the vegetables and add any accumulated juice. Pour the wine over the ribs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the oven until tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

5. Remove the ribs and keep warm. Pour off most of the fat from the roasting pan. Strain the braising liquid into a medium saucepan and press the vegetables to get all the liquid. Discard the vegetables. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat and continue boiling until the liquid is reduced to 2-1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Serve the ribs with the jus poured over them.