Braising the Bit@h

WHY THE HELL SHOULD I BRAISE?

 

Braising can be great for tough cuts of meat like lamb shanks, pot roasts, brisket and even chicken. Although, you really can braise anything you like. I like to braise a variety of foods from meats to fruits and vegetables. Some people will just stick to the tough cuts of meat, but I say f%@k ‘em. If it tastes and feels good, do it.

When you braise, you are basically searing and browning the food and then simmering it in a flavorful liquid for what can be a very long time. But oooohhhh so worth the wait. Ever have braised ribs? Braised meat that just falls apart right when your fork touches it? Damn, my mouth is watering just writing about this. I may have to go take a private moment.

…

OK, I am back and have regained my composure. A quick meat rubbing will do that. No… I literally just applied a spice rub to a roast that I am about to braise. Get your damn mind out of the gutter bitch.

OK, back to braising. Braising is a great technique for a few reasons:

1. You only have to use one pan or Dutch Oven.
2. You can use cheaper cuts of meat and they turn out amazing.
3. You leave the meal to be for hours and hours. You don’t have to tend to it and can get some other things done like cleaning your mess of a house, watching your stories on TV, or even going a few rounds with your lover.
4. With the leftover juices you have a great broth base for soup (just freeze it and use it at a later date) or gravy which you can put directly on the meat.

So now that we’ve gone over the reasons of why to braise your thick, juicy meat, we can get into the mechanics. Here are four quick steps to help you.

1. Brown it! I like to either marinate the meat overnight or spice it (can use any spices but salt and pepper are basic) right before I brown it. Be sure to sear each side of the meat until it begins to form a golden brown crust (hence “browning”). I use the pot, pan, or dutch oven that I will be utilizing to braise the meat. That way all the “super tasty bits” that get stuck to the bottom are incorporated into the braising liquid.
2. Once the meat is browned, I set it aside. I then deglaze the pan by pouring a bit of the wine, marinade, or broth that I will use to braise, into the cooking device.
3. Place the meat back in the pot and pour the cooking liquid until it reaches a little more than halfway up the food. Cover and simmer either in an oven or on the stove for 2-8 hours (depending on the food). For vegetables and fruits, the time is a lot shorter than for meats.
4. Use the excess liquid to serve as an au jus or make into gravy or a sauce by adding butter and flour and stirring.

 

SO WHAT THE HELL SHOULD I BRAISE?

 

You can braise anything, really.  The meats mentioned above (ribs, roasts, shanks) are all great for braising. I also like to braise them with vegetables like potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and beets work great for braising because they start out tough, and can stand a good soak to get them soft…just like you bitch. Apples, pears and other hard fruits are great to braise with meat because they give a great flavor to the end product and also taste great on the side afterwards. I would normally use peaches, apples, pears or maybe even pineapple to braise with. Just make sure you add the vegetables and the fruits in the last hour before you finish because they require a lot less time than the meat. If you add onions and potatoes at the beginning they will most likely disintegrate right into the liquid by the end.

Another tip is to freeze the leftover juices from braising. You can use them again in sauces, gravies, soups, and stews. So, that’s it. That is braising. Have fun with it… and again, don’t f%@k it up bitch!

 

USING A CROCKPOT TO BRAISE

 

I love my crockpot more than sex. It is one of the most useful appliances in my kitchen and I love to just throw some crap in there, turn it on, and come back hours later to an amazing meal.

Here’s the thing, though. An important step in stewing and braising is browning the food before you simmer it. When you use a crockpot, you can’t really brown the food inside of it. So, what you can do is brown the food in a pan on the stove, place it in the crockpot, deglaze the pan and then pour it, and the cooking liquid into the crockpot.