7 Hands-Off Braised Meat Recipes to Make While You're Working at Home (2024)

FAQs

What meats are good to braise? ›

Some of our favorite cuts to braise are beef short ribs and chuck, pork shoulder and Boston butt, lamb shoulder and shanks, and chicken thighs and legs. And if you have the option of getting bone-in meat, you should: It will impart better flavor to the braising liquid and sauce.

It can be broth, wine, beer, or any other flavorful liquid. The broth is a good all-purpose liquid, as it is flavorful and adds moisture to the meat. Wine can also be used, and it will add a deep flavor to the braised dish. Beer can also be used, and it will add a malty flavor.

Reason 1: Retaining Nutrients

Since cooking at high temperatures has been known to reduce the nutritional content in certain foods, braising is a smart option to create a delicious dinner without cooking the goodness clean out of it.

Keep in mind the meat will release about a third of its weight in the form of fat and juice into the braising liquid as it cooks. Add only enough liquid to come halfway up the meat, no more.

Slow cooking is a gentle method of releasing aromatic flavours from meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. Braising, a form of slow cooking, involves cooking meat on a bed of vegetables (a mirepoix) with a small amount of liquid in a covered pan, for a couple hours on a low heat.

Braising is a combination of roasting (dry-heat cooking) and steaming (moist-heat cook- ing) foods in a vegetable-seasoned liquid.

Examples are Beef shoulder, Beef brisket, Pork Shank, Cheek meats Types and cuts of protien that are not well suited to braising are tender cuts, parts of anima that dont work alot. These are best suited for quick cooking because they are tender cuts, they contain alot of hard fat but not collagen.

The most common cuts of beef sold as braising (or stewing) steak include chuck, skirt, leg and flank – all hardworking muscles that are tough and need long, slow cooking.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the hot oil. You should hear it sizzle. Brown the meat on all sides, turning as needed (cook the meat just until brown on the outside but not cooked all the way through).

Coca-Cola can easily become your new favorite ingredient when you're cooking large cuts of meat. Adding the soda to a traditional braise in place of red wine swaps out some of wine's tannic qualities for a subtle sweetness, which is perfect for cuts like brisket and pot roast.

What alcohol is best for braising? ›

A standard dry table wine or drinkable beer will do the trick. Brandy and bourbon are also delicious additions to sauces and braises.

Keep the lid on when braising meat, as it needs moist heat over a long period of time to break down the collagen and connective tissues for fork-tender results. "Pot covered, the ingredient you are braising gets continuously bathed in these steaming and simmering liquids, which the item flavors in turn," says Welsh.

What Kind of Beef Is Used for Braised Beef? Braised beef usually calls for a tougher cut of beef that tenderizes after cooking slowly in the oven. Chuck roast is a great choice because it is budget-friendly and easy to find at just about any grocery store.

Braising, a form of slow cooking, involves cooking meat on a bed of vegetables (a mirepoix) with a small amount of liquid in a covered pan, for a couple hours on a low heat. The vegetables are usually served with the meat and the wonderful cooking juices are used as a tasty sauce.