Braising for Single Guys

I love to braise. From plain to creative, simple to complex - braising can take many forms and directions. However, understanding a basic braise is key before moving ahead with more complicated dishes. I recommend starting with a few chicken thighs (dark meat braises best).

Braising in the process of cooking something in its own liquid- typically meat. The beauty of braising is that it can a turn a tough, less desirable meat tender, juicy and delicious. Braised veal shank. Braised pork shoulder. Braised short ribs. Braised beef brisket. Braising, when done right, is slow, low and long. It cooks slowly on low heat and over a long period of time. This allows the meat not only to tenderize, but the ingredients in the braising liquid to fuse with each other and infuse the meat. The other beautiful aspect of braising is creativity ---  using a basic braising technique, one can add almost anything to the mix; although it may not always result in an optimally flavored dish. Want it spicy? Add fresh diced peppers or ground cayenne. Fan of veggies? Add Okra. Creamy? Coconut milk or cream. The list goes on and is really up to cook’s desires, budget, and resources.

Braising requires a few things:

1. Something to braise in. My preference is a dutch oven made of clay (Le Creuset is personal favorite). However, that is a pricey proposition so I have been using a basic large metal pot. It is important for the container to be large enough to hold the meat, other ingredients and a lot of liquid. Crock pots are also commonly used for braising.
2.  Liquid – if you set a raw chicken in a pot, and turn on the heat, you need liquid (and a lot of it) to ensure the chicken cooks properly. Broth is most commonly used, although water and wine are also very common – or any combination of the three.
3.  Low heat. A crock pot dialed to simmer simmer, stovetop turned very low, or an oven set to low temperature are all great ways to braise.
4. Time. The longer the braise, the better the meat as it becomes more tender and juicier – leading to that fall off the bone and melt in your mouth effect.

Basic Braising Technique:

1. Pat meat dry. Salt and pepper generously.
2. Heat oil, butter or similar ingredient in the braising pot on high heat.
3. Brown the meat. Once the oil is nice and hot (real hot) – you want to use tongs to brown the skin of the meat (not cook it), but just give it a good golden brown exterior. This serves to functions --- makes the meat crispier on the outside, and provides fat and flavor for the braise process later on (scraps of meat should stick to bottom of pot/pan and are to be incorporated later).
4. As meat is browned (see photo at bottom of browned chicken), you probably should only do a couple pieces at a time, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
5. Next (small photo above right), add a basic vegetable such as onions, garlic, carrots, shallots, and spices to the oil on  high heat with scraps on bottom. Cook until brown and softened.
   
6. Deglaze. I typically use red (meat) or white wine (poultry/fish) to deglaze the pan. Pour in a cup or so of wine and then scrape the bottom of pot with wooden spoon. The purpose here is to remove the brown bits from the bottom, get all the juices, spices, fat mixed together to then incorporate with rest of braising liquid. When deglazing, there should be a lot of heat coming from pan, sizzling, and some steam. This is normal.
7. After deglazing the pan, it is time to add back the meat plus a base liquid such as chicken, vegetable or beef stock/broth. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover all the meat.
8. You may also add additional spices, ingredients here such as veggies, honey, cream, etc.
9. Bring broth to a boil (uncovered). Once boiling, reduce heat immediately to simmer. Cover and let it cook. The longer, the lower, the better (within reason).
10. Once your meat has been thoroughly cooked and tenderized (30 min to two hours for chicken, two to five hours for meats) – you can start making a sauce or gravy. The main base of the gravy is the braising liquid. I typically use a Pyrex cup to scoop some of the liquid out of the pot into a smaller sauce pan or smaller pot. I also make sure to scoop out some of the ingredients such as the onions, olives, veggies, or whatever for additional flavor.
11.   Next, heat up that excess braising liquid on high heat. The intention here is to boil down (also known as reduce) the liquid and thicken it. One can add milk, cream, butter, or flour to thicken it further make it additionally tasted (at the expense of some artery clogging)
12. You can cook down the sauce for as long as you like (obviously the longer, the thicker). Make sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn too much or at all. Sometimes I really whip and whisk the sauce around to add air and fluffiness, plus it looks cool and technical as I do it.
13. Now you’re done. Remove the cooked meat from pot, lay it over a good base like rice, risotto, or lentils then pour on some gravy.