Principles of Slow Cooking
Braising literally means searing and then slowly cooking in liquid. I’s great when you aren’t in a rush to get food on the table and don’t want to babysit your cooking.
There are seven steps to braising any type of meat:
Choose meat that lends itself to braising, avoiding lean cuts, tender cuts that you’d use for a steak. Aim for the tougher, fattier cuts like beef chuck, brisket, stew meat, lamb shoulder or dark meat chicken on the bone.
Brown the meat. Attentione: don’t worry about over-browning. The brown bits on the bottom of the pan will add flavor to the juices you add later. They are “gold” for slow cooking. Remove the meat while you
Add onions, making sure they sauté in the fat from browning. Yum! If you want, add carrots and celery to the soffritto, or leeks, garlic, green onion, and/or ginger, if you’re making Asian food, etc. When the soffritto is done, return the meat to the pot.
Add your cooking liquid. Depending on what liquid you use, you’ll get a different final flavor outcome. Having some acid in your liquid helps to break down the fibers of the meat, and hence tenderize it. Alcohol does a good job of this, which is why many foods are braised in white or red wine. Tomatoes also add good acidity. Another common cooking liquid is broth.
Throw in some herbs. Fresh, hardy herbs are ideal for slow cooking. The juices in your braise will pull out all of their goodness. I always toss in the herbs with the stems. I particularly love the woodsy stems of rosemary and thyme. They add the flavor of the countryside. If it grows in Italy, it goes in your Italian food: bayleaves, thyme, marjoram, sage, oregano, rosemary, basil and parsley.
Cook the meat slowly in the oven or on the stove. Cover your Dutch oven or oven-safe pan tightly and either place it over a low flame on the stove or in the oven, set to a low temperature. The longer you cook this way, the more tender and delicious it will be. As long as you have enough liquid and have the temperature low enough–no more than 350°F in the oven, lower than a medium flame on the stove–don’t worry about overcooking.
Here are some general cooking temperatures and times to give you an idea:
•Dark meat chicken on the bone: 300°F for 2 1/2 hours or 350°F for 1-1 1/2 hours
•White meat chicken: Half the time of dark meat chicken on average
•Brisket (6-8lbs): 200°F for 9 hours, 300°F for 5 to 6 hours, or 350°F for 4 hours.
•Stew Meat: 200°F for 7 to 8 hours, 300°F for 3 hours, 350°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
7. Honor the cooling process: It’s tempting to pull food out of the oven and eat it immediately but braised meat continues to tenderize as it cools, so leave it alone for a bit. Chicken doesn’t need much time at all to cool but red meat does. If you’re dealing with a huge brisket, , give it at least an hour, or better yet, let it cool to room temperature all day, put it in the fridge at night and then reheat. Braised meat tastes even better the next day.