Braising – Meats

Braising

Once you understand a few simple principles it’s easy to create braises as elegant and flavorful as those you find in great restaurants.

As a technique, braising couldn’t be simpler. You just brown whatever it is you’re going to braise (in oil or butter), add liquids like wine, stock or even cider or Armagnac, cover, and cook slowly until it’s tender. Add your aromatics (onion, carrots, celery), to the liquid, herbs, spices, and the flavors will infuse whatever you’re braising. The simmering can happen on top of the stove or in the oven. I prefer in the oven. One of the great things about braising is the marvelous aromas that fill the house as a veal shank or pork shoulder roast simmers slowly throughout a lazy afternoon.

The secret to achieving superlative braised meat dishes is twofold.

First, make sure to brown the meat really well. Use olive oil or butter, depending on the flavor you’re looking for, or a combination, if you want the old-world richness of butter and the flavor of olive oil. Use a heavy pan, one so you can deglaze the pan and release all the caramelized flavor that was cooked into the braising liquid, which will become the sauce.

Second, use flavorful liquids to braise. Red or white wine and homemade stocks ensure delicious results. And don’t be afraid to raid the liquor cabinet: Vermouth, Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados, all these can add elegance and depth of flavor to a braise.

Where larger cuts of meat are concerned, tough or fatty ones work best. The fat in the meat is a natural baster in the long, slow cooking process that tenderizes tough cuts and melds all the flavors. For stew, using meat with enough fat is essential for ensuring tenderness.

To braise meats, choose a covered, heavy pan that isn’t too much larger than whatever you’re braising; that way you won’t need too much liquid and the flavors will concentrate. Dutch ovens work well.

Braising is forgiving. You can easily overcook a lamb chop, but when you braise, you can’t really make any mistakes. You could braise an old boot in veal stock and red wine and that would probably taste good. Although the process takes a couple of hours, it’s not at all labor-intensive. Once the pot is simmering on top of the stove or in the oven, the braise cooks itself.

As the braising progresses, the flavors of the meat, seasonings and aromatic vegetables infuse the braising liquid, which can then easily be turned into a sauce. Fennel seeds, garlic and sliced fresh fennel work gorgeously with pork; thyme or rosemary are naturals with lamb. Adding tomato to just about any meat takes a sauce into a different dimension. Bay leaves, mirepoix (diced onion, carrot and celery), dried fruit, the possibilities are endless.

Making the sauce can be as simple as skimming the fat from the braising liquid, then reducing it a little. Or, if you want more body, you might whisk in a little beurre manie, equal parts of flour blended into softened butter with a fork. Dusting the meat with flour before browning achieves a similar effect, though sometimes it’s nice to brown meat without flouring it.

Braising is ideal for do-ahead cooking, in fact, most braises are even better the next day. They’re the perfect thing to make on a weekend, when you can take your time and bask in the aromas. The next day (or a couple of days later) the flavors will have deepened, and you can breeze in after a long work day, lift off any solidified fat, reheat the dish and enjoy an amazing, warming dinner.

Tags: Beef recipes, Cooking Tips, Healthy cooking, kitchen tips