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I think that braised dishes were invented to survive the winter blahs. They do a superb job of creating hearty and flavorful dishes that we find so satisfying when the temperature drops. Zinfandel braised short ribs, braised pot roasts; thick saucy chicken and vegetable side dishes make your everyday dinners or dinner parties a success without spending hours in the kitchen. That’s because the beauty of this cooking method is that low heat and long cooking time do most of the work, leaving you free to relax and spend time with your family and friends. What, exactly, is braising? Quite simply, braising is partially immersing meat or vegetables in a liquid such as stock or wine and cooking it over low heat for anywhere from a few hours to days, until the food is very tender and the flavors of the braising liquid and food combine. The end result is a flavor-packed hearty dish. The best cuts for braising have a higher amount of fat and connective tissue than leaner roasting cuts. These melt down during cooking to make the meat tender and succulent. Braising works with tough cuts of meat. That's because collagen, a key connective tissue, converts to gelatin when cooked slowly in water, which softens the surrounding muscle tissue. The highest amount of collagen is found in the parts of the animal that is used most often. For example, the shoulder in beef is used in walking and standing, and is quite tough, while the tenderloin is used hardly at all and is very tender. Braising doesn't work well with tender cuts because they have little collagen, the meat will merely self-destruct in the long, slow cooking. Pot roasts, chuck roasts, ribs and shanks, and poultry legs and thighs are best for braising. Recipes: Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs Ingredients: 6-8 Beef Short Ribs Directions: Preheat oven to 300 Degrees F. Season beef short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Dredge ribs in flour. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Brown beef well on all sides, remove, and set aside. Add vegetables and garlic cook until lightly browned. In a separate large saucepan, add Zinfandel. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until reduce by ½ approximately 25 minutes. Add beef short ribs back to the Dutch oven, add reduced wine and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours or until tender. Remove from and allow cooling. Remove all fat, set aside beef short ribs, re-heat liquid and then strain. Reduce liquid to a light sauce consistency, add beef short ribs and gently heat, and carefully remove beef short ribs to a heated platter. Serve. Osso Buco Ingredients: Brown Veal Shanks in oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove shanks and season with salt; reserve. Pour off drippings. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chicken stock, garlic and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add shanks to tomato sauce and continue cooking, covered 1½ hours or until meat is tender. Pot Roast Ingredients: 1 (4-5 lb.) boneless chuck roast Directions: Season roast with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Over medium high heat brown roast on all sides in Dutch oven. Add onion and wine to roast in Dutch oven. Combine and crush whole tomato, oregano, mustard and bay leaf; stir well. Pour over roast. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 1-1/2 – 2 hours. Add potatoes, carrot, and celery; cover and simmer 1 more hour or until roast and vegetables are tender. Transfer roast to a serving platter; spoon vegetables around roast, using a slotted spoon. Discard bay leaf. Spoon any remaining pan drippings over roast and vegetables. Garnish if desired. Yield: 8 servings Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Olives Ingredients: 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Cut whole chicken into 8 pieces. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken in olive oil, beginning with skin side down, in 2 batches, over moderately high heat, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer browned chicken with tongs to a plate. Lower heat, add onions, garlic, carrots, olives and mushrooms to skillet and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add stock and vinegar to skillet and bring to a simmer. Braised Carrots Ingredients: 10 carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces on a diagonal Directions: Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing with a knife or skewer. Discard rosemary stems before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ten Commandments of Braising 1. Use tougher, flavorful cuts of meat like short ribs and pot roast. Tender meat like filet mignon will merely self-destruct in the long, slow cooking. 2. Do not overcrowd the pan. The meat or vegetables should be distributed in a single layer. 3. Use an acidic component such as wine, vinegar or lemon juice that will help with the tenderizing process. 4. Don’t use water as your primary liquid. The more flavorful the braising liquid is, the more flavorful the finished dish will be. Stock or a combination of stock and wine is recommended. 5. Make sure that whatever cuts of meat or vegetables you're using are roughly the same size so they cook evenly. 6. Use aromatic vegetables such as onions, carrots and celery. 7. Do not fully submerge your meat or vegetables. They should be partially immersed in the liquid. If you fully submerge the meat or vegetables it is stewing not braising. 8. Never let your braising liquid boil. Once it reaches a simmer (185 degrees), turn the heat down. Protein and connective tissue begin to soften at 120 degrees. At 170 degrees, they begin to firm up again. Boiling the liquid will ensure tough meat. If the liquid should boil, the remedy is to continue cooking it at a reduced heat, until the protein softens again. If you are using your oven to braise do not set it over 350 degrees. 9. Use a heavy pan with sides that are high enough to hold the food and liquid easily, such as a large casserole dish or a Dutch oven. See our Dutch oven round up article. 10. If you want to use the braising liquid as a sauce, you can leave the pan uncovered so moisture can evaporate, thus concentrating the flavors. Often other ingredients are added to flavor the liquid along the way, such as vegetables or herbs and spices. But make sure the liquid level doesn't get too low, or you'll be baking and not braising, and the result will be totally different. Also, only do this with cuts that take less than 90 minutes or so to cook. Otherwise, just cover the pan. I hope you will give braising a try at your next dinner party. The flavor of braised dishes often improves over time, so with forethought, dinner can be made today for tomorrow, and leftovers are always a welcome sign. Have a question or comment? Contact us. |
