How to Braise Meats and Vegetables
December 19, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Sacramento
• 0 Comments
How to Braise Meats and Vegetables
Le Cordon Bleu alumni will recognize braising as a wet cooking technique in which the main ingredient is seared in fat and then simmered in a cooking liquid on low heat in a covered pot. Cooking times are normally longer than two hours and result in moist and tender dishes with full, robust flavors. Braising is typically done in a Dutch oven, crock pot, or pressure cooker. Foods may be braised in an oven or on a stove top.
Benefits of Braising
In addition to the strong flavor of braised foods, braising is popular because of its “set it and forget it” cooking style. Once the initial prep is done, braising requires very little attention until the food is done cooking.
Braising is also a way to use less expensive and tougher cuts of meat to produce a family-sized meal that is both delicious and easy on the budget. Some of the best cuts for braising are ribs, brisket, and blade cuts of both pork and beef. Chicken is also great for braising, but you should avoid breast cuts. The dark meat of thighs and legs works best with the long cooking times.
Braising is also a great way to make tough root and tuber vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, beets, and onions into tender succulent side dishes.
How to Braise
When braising meats, there are two distinct stages of braising:
For vegetables, there is only the braising stage.
Let’s take a look at how to properly sear cuts of meat for braising.
The Sear
Braising can dramatically change the taste and feel of the inside of meat, but does very little for exterior. That’s where searing comes in. A good sear will add complex flavors to the exterior of the meat as well as give it a better physical appearance. Searing traditionally involves cooking the meat in a hot pan with a few tablespoons of a hot fat. Canola oil works well because of its ability to withstand high temperature without burning. A few minutes on each side is all that is necessary.
Once a good browning has been applied to all sides of the meat, it’s ready for braising.
Braising
Braising like barbequing is a low and slow cooking method, where the food is cooked at temperatures below 250 degrees F. Dutch ovens and crock pots are excellent ways to maintain the proper low temperature required. Place the meat in the cooking vessel and cover the meat half way with a cooking liquid like water, wine, stock, juice, or any combination. Vegetables should be added at this stage. The meat should now be covered and cooked until completely tender, usually 1-10 hours depending on what is being cooked.
Once done cooking, the cooking liquid can be strained from the meat and vegetables to make a delicious pan sauce or gravy. If making a pan sauce simply reduce the liquid to your preferred thickness and serve. You may also add some diced shallots and/or mushrooms for deeper flavors.
If making gravy, add a roux of equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour to thicken the liquid. Stir constantly as the gravy comes to a boil and thickens. Season to taste.
Fish and Chicken
Thinner proteins like fish and chicken are best to braise on the stove top for shorter periods of time. The steps are the same, except that you only sear the fish or chicken on one side. Turn the fish or chicken over and immediately add the braising liquid, cover, and braise on low heat until tender.
Be sure to use cooking vessels that have tight fitting lids. If your cooking liquid evaporates during cooking, then your braised foods will not only be dry and flavorless, but they stand a good chance of burning.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with seasonings used for searing and cooking liquids for braising. This cooking method is very forgiving for both the Sacramento culinary amateur and Le Cordon Bleu alumni who want to try something new.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Sacramento. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Sacramento offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Sacramento, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Sacramento for more information.
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