Ask a Chef

People love tender cuts of meat like rib-eye roast (Prime Rib), pork tenderloin and even chicken breast but buying products like this can be very expensive. So sometimes we have to budget a little and buy less expensive cuts of meat like rump roast, pork shoulder and chicken thighs. Does this mean that they are not any good the answer is a huge no. They just tend to be a little tougher and need to be cooked a little different. This is where braising comes into play.

Braising is a slower cooking method that uses a liquid to cook that product in till it is fork tender. This is easily my favorite cooking method for a couple of reasons; first it is cost effective meaning I don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a gourmet meal, second it is normally done in one large pan so there is less to clean up and with a little planning one dish can be made into many. I do a braised pork shoulder (which you can use beef, turkey or chicken) (recipe will be up soon) that I normally turn into four to five common store bought frozen dishes (Burritos, enchiladas, stuffed bell pepper, ect.) and this is all from one dish talk about saving some money.

Sorry I have gotten a little off track.

The question is how to braise. Like any cooking the first step is always to get all your ingredients ready before you start cooking and with braising you will also be using the oven so that will need to be preheated.

Steps on how to braise:

First: You start by using the sautéing method to brown the meat. So we need a either a large braising pan or stock pan, heat the pan to medium low, add little oil and brown the meat on all side. Once all sides are browned take the meat out of the pan and set aside. (Keep that pan on the heat)

Second: You need to add your flavoring vegetables (onions, carrots, celery) and allow them to sauté for a few minutes until they get a little color and soften. (Not all recipes will use this step)

Third: At this point we need to deglaze the pan. Although this sounds hard all you do is add some of the liquid (if using wine or something with alcohol use that to deglaze with so the alcohol has a chance to cook off) that you are going to cook with to the pan then run your spatula along the bottom of the pan to release any thing that has gotten stuck. These particles have a lot of flavor so you want them in the dish.

Forth: Add that meat back to the pan then add enough of then cooking liquid to cover 2/3 of the meat. Then increase the heat to bring to a simmer. Simmering is not a boil there should only a few bubbles coming through. As soon as this happen you want to cover and put into the oven.

Fifth: During the cooking process about every 15-20 minutes you want to turn the product. Cooking times will vary depending on what type of meat you are cooking. But it is done when you stick a fork in to the meat and the meat flakes apart.

Sixth: This step will not always be used but most will now turn the liquid that the meat was cooked in into some sort of sauce. Take the meat out and strain the liquid into a sauce pan then adjust season and consistency to your liking.

With so many different braising recipes out there learning how to braise can be a little confusing but hopefully these guidelines help you on your way to make great braised dishes.

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