The braising cooking method is a chef’s best-kept secret for achieving succulent and tender meats, poultry, and even vegetables. And perhaps best of all, this easy to master technique requires little effort with big rewards.
When you braise a tough cut of meat, cooking it low and slow with an assortment of other vegetables and aromatics, you get not only fork-tender meat but a thick sauce that’s been building its flavor all day long in the oven or on the stove.
There’s simply nothing better than meltingly tender pork shoulder, lamb shanks, or fall off the bone short ribs cooked in their own juices for a few hours. Let’s explore this vital technique and all the ways to use it.
For basic braising, we recommend a simple Dutch oven made from enameled cast iron, as it conducts and holds heat evenly. It can be used to both brown the meat stovetop, and then finish braising in the oven for true one-pot cooking.
Why Bring to a Boil and Then Simmer?
Making sure the food you’re cooking gets up to boiling before turning the heat back down is a great way to visually determine where you’re on the spectrum of moist heat cooking. Don’t let the braise boil too long, though, or what you end up with may ultimately be too tough.
How Much Liquid to Use
How much liquid you add depends on how you plan to serve it—add more if you want a more soupy, stew-like meal, less if you want a more concentrated sauce. This can be broth, beer, wine, vinegar, tomato juice, or even water, but be careful that you don’t add too much.
The liquid helps deglaze the bottom of the pot. Once deglazed, you can add the browned meat back in, careful that the level of the liquid doesn’t rise over the meat. You still want all that meat to rise above the liquid you’ve added.
Once you’ve reintroduced the meat into the vegetables and liquid, get the whole mixture back to just boiling, when large bubbles break through the surface of the liquid rapidly, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, at the lowest temperature on the stove.
Equipment Expert’s Favorite Braisers
FAQ
What tool do you use to braise?
What materials do you need to braise?
What is used to braise food?
What method is used for braising?
What equipment do you use for braising?
They use a shorter pan with rounded sides called un braiser. It’s smaller and shallower than a Dutch oven. You can use a lot of different equipment for braising — a slow cooker, a cast-iron pot like a Dutch oven, or a plain soup pot. You can braise on the stovetop or in the oven. How do you pick which equipment is best for you?
What equipment do you need for braising meat?
There is really only one piece of equipment needed for braising – the vessel. For basic braising, we recommend a simple Dutch oven made from enameled cast iron, as it conducts and holds heat evenly. It can be used to both brown the meat stovetop, and then finish braising in the oven for true one-pot cooking.
What kind of oven do you use for braising meat?
For basic braising, we recommend a simple Dutch oven made from enameled cast iron, as it conducts and holds heat evenly. It can be used to both brown the meat stovetop, and then finish braising in the oven for true one-pot cooking. You should always use a high-quality, non-reactive, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid.
What is braising and how does it work?
Simply put, braising is a cooking method that involves a quick, high-heat sear followed by a low and gentle simmer in a thin layer of liquid. This marriage of opposites allows the star ingredient to shine, producing a succulent, juicy meat or vegetable that’s steeped in flavor.