Braising

This cookery method is ideal for secondary meat cuts, fibrous vegetables and larger food items. You can use a roasting tray, pot, casserole dish or special pots such as a tagine, crock pot or Roemertopf.

Braising is similar in its cooking process to stewing, but whole items are used, rather than diced items, for example a beef silverside or cabbage ball. The food is covered with a lid to retain the moisture and mingle all of the flavours together in the sauce. Also, the items are only half covered by the liquid, rather than being fully submerged. The liquid used can be stock, jus, wine or beer.

Usually the joint is seasoned, sealed and then placed onto a bed of mirepoix or sliced onions. The liquid is added, a lid is placed on top and the pot is placed into the oven at ~150°C. The collagen is converted into gelatine and the meat juices are released into the cooking liquid, which is then utilised for the sauce.

Many modern chefs have rediscovered braising as it results in moist dishes and allows the use of cheaper cuts. An example of this would be lamb topside braised with olives and Roma tomatoes. The topside is trimmed lightly, tied, seasoned and sealed, then braised on a bed of tomatoes, olives and red wine. The resulting dish has rich flavours and is very moist. This is an ideal dish for banquets and functions, as it is easy to produce and reheat. It can also be vacuum sealed and reheated using the sous-vide method.

Vegetables such as cabbage, witlof, leek and fennel can be braised in stock, jus or sauces to soften the fibres. They may be blanched first and sometimes cheese is placed on the top to prevent drying out and to provide a tasty topping.

Fillings of meat or vegetables and nuts can be placed inside some vegetables before braising to create hearty winter dishes. This approach can be used for many vegetarian dishes, as a multitude of stuffings can be used, e.g. rice, pulses, capsicum, eggplant and tomato. The intense flavours developed in the cooking juices form strong accompanying sauces.

Tougher vegetables such as artichokes are also braised to soften the fibres. Trimmed artichokes are placed on a bed of onions, then white wine and seasoning is poured half way up the artichokes. The pot is then covered with a lid and the artichokes are cooked slowly.

Fruit is rarely braised, as stewing and poaching are more applicable methods.

Braising Farinaceous Items

Rice pilaf is an example of a farinaceous dish made using braising. Chefs may argue about whether rice pilaf is braised or stewed, but because it is covered with a lid, most cook books classify it as braising.

In both cases the rice is coated in fat and then liquid is added. When making risotto, wine and then stock is slowly added to the rice while stirring for about 20 minutes, until it is cooked al dente. Butter and cheese are added to create a creamy finish.

When making rice pilaf, onion is fried off before the rice is added. Then, after the rice is added, stock is added and brought to the boil, the heat is turned down, a lid is added and it is braised for ~10 minutes. It is then taken off the heat for 10 minutes and a fork is drawn through the rice to loosen it.

Other cereals such as chickpeas can be cooked this way. You can use puréed tomatoes as the cooking liquid to achieve a richly flavoured product. Lentils are also ideal for braising - simply fry off some onion and diced vegetables, add the lentils and some white wine and cover with a lid. Cook slowly for 30-40 minutes and you will have a rich and flavoursome dish or accompaniment.

Braising Dairy Items

Dairy items are not usually braised by themselves but can form part of the braising liquid or can be used in combination with other items. Milk, yoghurt and cream can be used as part of the braising liquid for some food items. For example, buttermilk can be used in the marinade of game, as the lactic acid will tenderise the meat. Game, such as baby goat, can be braised in the marinade to create beautiful flavours and a creamy consistency in the meat. Sour cream can also be added to the braising liquid to achieve flavoursome sauces. Cheese is used in combination with other ingredients, e.g. braised capsicum with feta cheese filling.

Braising Protein Items

Meat, poultry and game can be braised if the animal is older or if you are using second class cuts. Braising is also used for tougher offal such as heart. The technique allows moisture from the braising liquid to be absorbed into the meat. It also helps to break down collagen and muscle fibres, leading to a tender product.

Braising is a traditional favourite cookery method in Europe. In Australia meat quality is quite high and animals are slaughtered while young, so braising is not really required. However, in modern dishes braising is also used to cook portion cuts so that their moisture is retained. It's also a good technique for reheating pre-cooked food to order.

For poultry, braising is used for the legs and hearts and for whole game birds such as wild duck. Furred game is braised to add moisture and flavour, e.g. braised rabbit legs in gin sauce. Sauces which accompany game often contain fruit to provide natural sweetness and to counterbalance the gamey taste.

Seafood is braised whole to absorb the flavour of additional ingredients such as tomatoes or spirits. Bream braised in Pernod sauce is an example of this process. Pernod and vegetables infuse the fish with their flavour in the cooking process and the cooking liquor is used for the sauce.