Braising Culinary Guide: How to Braise Meat

Braising is a way to cook tougher cuts of meat. It pairs dry and moist cooking to tenderize the meat by breaking down the collagen binding the meat fibers together.

Braising is a two-step cooking method. First, you sear the meat in a frying pan over high heat to brown it, creating what's known as a Maillard reaction through caramelization of the sugars in the food. In the second step, you add liquid and let the food settle in for a long, slow period of hands-off cooking. In some recipes, you may use a slow cooker or a pressure cooker for this second stage, or you may leave the food in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over a low heat.

Braising melds the flavors of the food with the liquid in which it's cooked. The liquid pairs with the moist heat and the long cooking time to turn tough tissues into soft, gelatinous textures. What you end up with is a dish that's fork-tender, moist, and tasty.

Follow these steps to braise perfectly tender meat and vegetable dishes.

1. 1. Sauté. The first step in braising meat is to sauté it. Coat the bottom of your pan with oil or butter, then sear each side of the meat until it turns golden brown. If you're working with a piece of red meat that has fat on the outside, render the fat by holding it against the hot pan until it melts. Remove the meat from heat once it's brown and crusty.
2. 2. Add aromatics. Step two adds rich flavor to your braise. Add aromatics to the pan you browned the meat in—these can be anything from onions, fennel, and garlic to other vegetables or even fruits. Deglaze your pan with a little wine, stock, or water, and scrape up all those flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. 3. Add liquid. Now you're ready to add a small amount of liquid and start the long, slow cooking of your meat or poultry. You can use any liquid you like—wine, beer, juice, or broth can all work well. Don't add too much, though. When you add the meat back to the pot, the liquid should not cover it. Let the liquid come to a boil.
4. 4. Simmer. As soon as the liquid reaches a boil, turn the heat down, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer as the luscious aromas fill your kitchen.

While it may be most straightforward to braise meat on the stovetop, you can also use a slow cooker or your oven.

1. 1. Stovetop: You can braise meat on top of the stove in a Dutch oven. This technique allows you to brown and slow-cook in the same pot, minimizing cleanup. However, because you can't regulate heat reliably, you may need to keep checking your pot during cooking to make sure you still have enough liquid.
2. 2. Slow cooker: If you use a slow cooker to braise meat, it will regulate the temperature, typically keeping it at an ultra-low 209 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. 3. Oven: You can also pop your braising pot into the oven, where you can regulate the heat. Set your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, make sure you use a cast iron or otherwise oven-safe pot, and check the liquid levels frequently.

Despite the two-stage process, braising is a fairly simple cooking technique. These tips can make the process even easier.

1. 1. Choose tough cut of meat. Cheaper, tough cuts of meat respond very well to braising, including beef short ribs, pork and lamb shoulder, and chicken thighs. And yes, braising bone-in meats is a great idea.
2. 2. Keep the pot lid closed. Don't worry about flipping the meat during the slow-cooking portion of your braise. It isn't necessary.
3. 3. Braise vegetables more quickly. Shorten cooking time when braising vegetables because they're more delicate. Root veggies, squashes of all types, and artichokes braise particularly well.
4. 4. Tenderize meat with acid. Toss a little acid into your braising liquid to help break up tough meats. Try vinegar, red wine, tomatoes, soy sauce, or citrus juice of any type.
5. 5. Braise with beer and cider. Be creative with your cooking liquids. Beer and cider pair particularly well with heavier red meats and game.
6. 6. Add a sweetener. If you want a sweet kick to your final dish, add a little maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar to your braising liquid.

Certain cuts of meat and recipes are associated with braising. When you make these braising recipes, you can count on tender meats without an enormous outlay of effort.

1. 1. Brisket: Larger cuts of beef are great choices for braising (make sure you have a pot big enough to hold them in one piece). Beef brisket is a tougher piece of meat with a lot of connective tissue that needs to be broken down and tenderized before eating, and braising is one sure-fire way to make that happen.
2. 2. Pot roast: You may have made or eaten pot roast without realizing that it was a braised meal. Plan on three to eight hours for your simmering (depending on whether you're cooking it on the stove or in a slow cooker), and add your veggies an hour or two before you finish cooking so everything comes out tender and juicy together.[
3. 3. Short ribs: If it's too cold outside for grilling, beef short ribs](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-easy-oven-baked-beef-short-ribs#5-ways-to-cook-beef-short-ribs) also respond beautifully to braising. Bone-in meats are a great all-around choice for braising.
4. 4. Lamb shank: Braised lamb shanks make for an impressive main dish for any occasion.
5. 5. Pork shoulder: A delicious pork shoulder looks as beautiful on the plate as it tastes in your mouth.

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