by Joseph Kelley

Created on: December 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 04, 2011

Braising is an art, where the result is a succulent and savory masterpiece that just melts in your mouth and leaves you very, very satisfied.

How you braise depends very much on what cut of meat you use. Generally braises are done on tough or fatty pieces of meat. Any cut from the chuck, brisket, round, and the shank will work perfectly.

As for quality; you have three ratings for general consumers. Choice, select, and prime. They are based off of the color and the marbling (amount of intramuscular fat) of the meat. For a braise I would use select because it has a good amount of fat which aids in the creation of the braise.

Now that you have your meat you need to make your braising liquid. First, season the meat with a mixture of minced garlic, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and a little bit of cinnamon. Make sure the meat is covered lightly in the seasoning and then set aside. In a roasting pan (preferably, if not a thick bottomed pot will suffice) melt 5 tbs of butter on low heat (this part must be done on your range, not in the oven). Once melted, using tongs, cook each side of the meat evenly for 1.5 to 2 minutes. After it is seared set it aside.

In the pan you now have unlimited possibilities. First you need to deglaze. I prefer rum or brandy however some other options are wine, stock, or even water. About 3/4ths of a cup to a cup should suffice for deglazing. Then add in some onions, garlic, shallots, celery, carrots, and potatoes. After this add enough beef stock to the deglazed liquid and veggies to cover 3/4ths of the meat. Make sure your oven is at 275 300 degrees. Next I would add brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, some of the spices I added to the seasoning earlier, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire to finish building my flavor profile. Put it into the oven, covered, and then cook for 3 and a half hours. After that you will be left with a perfectly braised piece of meat. Allow it to rest outside the oven for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to be replaced inside the meat. The liquid left over can be thickened with roux, cornstarch, or butter and served on the finished product.

I wish you the best of luck in your future cooking ventures!

Learn more about this author, Joseph Kelley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.