Braising

Last updated

Braised ox cheek in star anise and soy sauce Braised Ox Cheek in Star Anise and Soy Sauce.jpg#file
Braised ox cheek in star anise and soy sauce

Braising (from the French word braiser) is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first browned at a high temperature, then simmered in a covered pot in cooking liquid (such as wine, broth, coconut milk or beer). It is similar to stewing, but braising is done with less liquid and usually used for larger cuts of meat. Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, though some authors make a distinction between the two methods, based on whether additional liquid is added. [1] [2] Osso buco and coq au vin are well known braised meat dishes, and the technique can also be used to prepare fish, tempeh, tofu, or fruits and vegetables.

Contents

Techniques

Most braises follow the same basic steps. The food to be braised (meats, vegetables, mushrooms, etc.) is first pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor (through the Maillard reaction). If the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a certain amount of cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element (e.g., tomatoes, beer, balsamic vinegar, wine) is added to the pot, often with stock. A classic braise is done with a relatively whole cut of meat, and the braising liquid will cover two-thirds of the food in the pan. The dish is then covered and cooked at a very low simmer until the meat becomes so tender that it can be "cut" with just the gentlest of pressure from a fork (versus a knife). Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy as well. [3] [4]

Sometimes foods with high water content (particularly vegetables) can be cooked in their own juices, making the addition of liquid unnecessary. [5]

Despite a common misconception that braising adds moisture to meat, the opposite is true, and the appearance of moisture comes from gentle cooking breaking down connective tissue and collagen, which lubricates and tenderizes fibers. [6] [7]

Braised foods

Braising is used extensively in the cuisines of Asia, particularly Chinese cuisine [8] and Vietnamese cuisine, where soy sauce (or, in Vietnam, soy sauce and fish sauce) is often added to the braising liquid.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantonese cuisine</span> Chinese regional cuisine from Guangdong

Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine, is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of Guangzhou or of Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Vietnam

Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages originated from Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes : sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more elements, which are also based around a five-pronged philosophy. Vietnamese recipes use ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking has often been characterised as using fresh ingredients, not using much dairy or oil, having interesting textures, and making use of herbs and vegetables. The cuisine is also low in sugar and is almost always naturally gluten-free, as many of the dishes are rice-based instead of wheat-based, made with rice noodles, papers and flour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roasting</span> Cooking method using dry air heat

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least 150 °C (300 °F) from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization and Maillard browning on the surface of the food. Roasting uses indirect, diffused heat, and is suitable for slower cooking of meat in a larger, whole piece. Meats and most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted. Any piece of meat, especially red meat, that has been cooked in this fashion is called a roast. Meats and vegetables prepared in this way are described as "roasted", e.g., roasted chicken or roasted squash.

<i>Nabemono</i> Variety of Japanese hot pot dishes

Nabemono, or simply nabe, is a variety of Japanese hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and "things in a pot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asado</span> Meat dish traditional in Uruguay, Argentina, Rio Grande do Sul, Peru, Paraguay and Chile

Asado is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla; all of which are cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla. Usually, red wine and side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ham hock</span> Joint on the hogs leg between the ham and trotter

A ham hock or pork knuckle is the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor the ankle or foot (trotter), but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daube</span> French stew of beef braised in wine and garlic

Daube is a French slow-cooked stew, usually of beef, but other meat is sometimes used. The best-known is the bœuf en daube à la provençale, a provençal stew made with cheaper cuts of beef braised in wine, with vegetables, garlic and herbs, and traditionally cooked in a daubière – a braising pot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of food preparation</span> Art form and applied science to make food ingredients palatable and fit to eat

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the preparation of food:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red cooking</span> Chinese culinary technique

Red cooking, also called Chinese stewing, red stewing, red braising, or flavor potting, is a slow braising Chinese cooking technique that imparts a reddish-brown coloration to the prepared food. Red cooking is popular throughout most of northern, eastern, and southeastern China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fricassee</span> Method of cooking meat

Fricassee or fricassée is a stew made with pieces of meat that have been browned in butter then served in a sauce flavored with the cooking stock. Fricassee is usually made with chicken, veal or rabbit, with variations limited only by what ingredients the cook has at hand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pig's ear (food)</span> Cooked ear of pig for human consumption

Pig's ear, as food for human consumption, is the cooked ear of pig. It is found in several cuisines around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pot roast</span> Type of roasted beef dish

Pot roast is an American beef dish made by slow cooking a cut of beef in moist heat. Cuts such as chuck steak, bottom round, short ribs and 7-bone roast are preferred for this technique. While the toughness of their fibers makes such cuts of meat unsuitable for oven roasting, slow cooking tenderizes them, while the beef imparts some of its flavor to the water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chim chum</span> Southeast Asian street food

Chim chum is a Southeast Asian street food, popular especially in Thailand. It is traditionally made with chicken or pork and fresh herbs such as galangal, sweet basil, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, cooked in a small clay pot on a charcoal stove. It is often served with nam chim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stew</span> Combination of solid food ingredients

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef, pork, venison, rabbit, lamb, poultry, sausages, and seafood. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, stock is also common. A small amount of red wine or other alcohol is sometimes added for flavour. Seasonings and flavourings may also be added. Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature, allowing flavours to mingle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goose as food</span> Food animal

In cooking and gastronomy, goose is the meat of several species of bird in the family Anatidae, which also includes ducks and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, and various wild species and domesticated breeds are used culinarily in multiple cuisines. There is evidence as early as 2500 BC of deliberate fattening of domesticated geese in Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauya</span> Ilocano (Filipino) stew of pork or beef

Lauya is a Filipino stew. Its name is derived from the Spanish-Filipino term "la olla", likely referring to the native clay pots in which stews were made in. It is now often associated with the Ilocano stew typically made with pork or beef. The term is sometimes used in Ilonggo cuisine.

References

  1. "Pot-Roasting". Food Resource. College of Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  2. "Braise". Food Resource. College of Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  3. Buford, Bill (2006). Heat . New York, NY, USA: Alfred A. Knopf. pp.  70–75. ISBN   978-1-4000-4120-6.
  4. Colicchio, Tom (2000). Think Like a Chef. Clarkson-Potter. pp. 52–63. ISBN   978-0-609-60485-4.
  5. Courtine, Robert J.; et al., eds. (1988) [French edition published 1984]. Larousse Gastronomique (English ed.). Paul Hamlyn. p. 133. ISBN   0-600-32390-0.
  6. "The Truth About Braising". America's Test Kitchen . Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  7. Lopez-Alt, J Kenji (2015). "Soups, Stews, and the Science of Stock". The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. America: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   9780393081084 . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  8. Tropp, Barbara (1996). The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking . William Morrow Cookbooks. ISBN   978-0-688-14611-5.