Braising Techniques

 

There are entire books dedicated to the topic of Braising and many chapters in some fine cookbooks.  What they all agree on is that braised meats and vegetables are so remarkably tender and flavorful.

Molly Stevens illustrates it best in her book, All About Braising.  She offers stages of braising and why each one is critical in the process.  I've given a shortened version of her process here and guarantee that the more you braise the more familiar and comfortable you will become with the process. 

When braising you must first understand what cut of meat works best to give the most moist, tender and flavorful outcome.  The best cuts for long braising, whether beef, veal, lamb or pork, are the tougher, coarser-grained cuts from the shoulder (also known as the chuck), breast, neck and legs (also known as the shank).  The reason lies in the fact that these cuts have coarsely grained fiber as opposed to finely grained cuts like tenderloin.  The coarse grain is mottled with bits of fat which give off flavor while braising.  The tougher cuts also contain more collagen which melt into gelatin creating fork-tender morsels.

The characteristics of a good braising pot are that it is heavy on both sides and bottom, that the sides are high enough to contain the braising liquid plus a few inches, and that it has a lid that fits tightly.  An ideal pot is also oven proof since many braises are finished in the oven.  The size of the pot should provide enough room to fit the ingredients snuggly.  Too much room and you risk adding too much liquid resulting in a diluted sauce.  Too large and flat a pot and you risk the liquid evaporating too quickly and drying out the meat. Common names for braising pots are Dutch Oven, Rondeau, Doufeu, and Braising Pan.

Another term for browning is searing.  It simply mean cooking the exterior of food at a high heat to create a crust or caramelization. 

• The surface of the food must be dry:  any moister will create steam and prevent browning.  Use a paper towel to blot the surface.
• Use just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan:  too little results in uneven browning and too much results in a greasy dish.
• Give the food some room:  when food is too close or touching they create steam and prevent browning.  Be patient and brown the food in batches, if necessary.  And, don't keep peeking and the food, give it some time to brown and then flip it.
• After browning, judge the fat:  remove the food and determine if there is too much fat, if so spoon some away.  If too little, you'll need to add more before beginning the next step.  If the "fond" or bits stuck to the bottom of the pan are black and burnt, you'll want to discard them or else the braise will taste burnt as well.

The type of fat used in stage 3 varies by recipe and personal taste.  Fat adds richness to a braise.  Use mild olive oil, bacon drippings, duck fat or butter/olive oil combination.  The use of other vegetable oils will work but will not add a dimension of flavor to the braise.

The second most important stage beside stage 3 is choosing appropriate aromatics to season the braise.  Aromatics are added at the beginning of the process and provide a lot of flavor in the end.  They include such vegetables as onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, celery, carrots; such spices as fresh or dried herbs, spices; cured meats such as pancetta and bacon.  All of these ingredients form the foundation of flavor in the braise and are fun to experiment with.

The liquid is the conduit for all the flavor in the pot.  The braising liquid can be various broths depending on the main ingredient:  chicken stock, beef stock, veal stock, vegetable stock, fish stock and is usually combined with a dry red or white wine.  Other liquids can also be used such as vinegars, beers, ciders, sherry, rum, and tomato juice.

Deglazing refers to adding the liquid after browning and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Reducing refers to simmering the braising liquid to concentrate the flavors and thicken.

Always strain then degrease the braising liquid.  Either with tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the ingredients in the pot.  Using either a spoon or a gravy separator, capture and remove as much grease from the liquid as possible.  Once this is done simmer the braising liquid to reduce and concentrate the flavors before adding back the ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper or other herbs.  Add any cream bases at this stage such as heavy cream, sour cream coconut milk or crème Fraîche.  Be careful not to re-boil the braise or else you risk separating the cream.

Enjoy!

Stevens, Molly  All About Braising  2004
Larousse Gastronomique 2001