Braising

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 be used to prepare fish, tempeh, tofu or fruits and vegetables.

Method[]

Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to break down the tough connective tissue (collagen) that binds together the muscle fibers in meat, making it an ideal way to cook tougher, more affordable cuts. Many classic braised dishes (e.g., coq au vin) are highly evolved methods of cooking tough and otherwise unpalatable foods. Both pressure cooking and slow cooking (e.g. in a crockpot) are forms of braising.

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]

A successful braise intermingles the flavors of the foods being cooked with those of the cooking liquid. This cooking method dissolves the meat's collagen into gelatin, which can greatly enrich and thicken the liquid. Braising is economical (as it allows the use of tough and inexpensive cuts), and efficient (as it often enables an entire meal to be prepared in a single pot or pan).

Braised foods[]

Braised dishes often familiar to Westerners include pot roast, Red braised pork belly, Swiss steak, chicken cacciatore, goulash, Carbonade Flamande, coq au vin, sauerbraten, beef bourguignon, beef brisket, oxtail, and tajines, among others.

Braising is used extensively in the cuisines of Asia, particularly Chinese cuisine,^[6] Vietnamese cuisine and Taiwanese cuisine, where soy sauce (or in Vietnam, soy sauce and fish sauce) is often added to the braising liquid.

Braised pot roast
Chinese braised pork spare ribs with preserved mustard greens
Braised baby artichokes
Chinese braised pork belly

References[]

^ "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.
^ "Braise". Food Resource. College of Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
^ Buford, Bill (2006). Heat. New York, NY, USA: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 70–75. ISBN 978-1-4000-4120-6.
^ Colicchio, Tom (2000). Think Like a Chef. Clarkson-Potter. pp. 52–63. ISBN 978-0-609-60485-4.
^ Courtine, Robert J.; et al., eds. (1988) [French edition published 1984]. Larousse Gastronomique (English ed.). Paul Hamlyn. p. 133. ISBN 0-600-32390-0.
^ Tropp, Barbara (1996). The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking. William Morrow Cookbooks. ISBN 978-0-688-14611-5.

[pot-roasting_oregonst-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.

[braise_oregonst-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] Tropp, Barbara (1996). The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking. William Morrow Cookbooks. ISBN 978-0-688-14611-5.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t Cuisines
Continental	African North West list Americas Caribbean North South list Asian Caucasian Central Indian subcontinent Levantine list European Central Eastern list Oceanic Intercontinental Global Latin American Mediterranean Middle Eastern
National and regional	Afghan Albanian Algerian American Californian Floribbean Hawaiian Louisiana Creole Lowcountry (South Carolina) New England New Mexico Pacific Northwest Pennsylvania Dutch Puerto Rican Southern US Southwest US Texas Angolan Argentine Armenian Australian Austrian Azerbaijani Bahraini Bangladeshi Barbadian Belarusian Belgian Belizean Beninese Bhutanese Bolivian Bosnian-Herzegovinian Botswana Brazilian British Channel Islands English Northern Irish Saint Helena Scottish Welsh Bruneian Bulgarian Burkinabé Burmese Burundian Cambodian Cameroonian Canadian Acadian Québécois Central African Republic Chadian Chilean Chinese Cantonese Hong Kong Macanese Tibetan Colombian Congolese Corsican Croatian Cuban Cypriot Czech Danish Faroese Greenlandic Djiboutian Dominican Dominican Republic Dutch East Timorese Ecuadorian Egyptian Emirati Equatorial Guinean Eritrean Estonian Ethiopian Fijian Filipino Finnish French Occitan French Guianan Gabonese Gambian Gibraltarian Georgian German Ghanaian Greek Cretan Epirotic Greek Macedonian Heptanesean Guatemalan Guinea-Bissauan Guinean Haitian Honduran Hungarian Icelandic Indian Arunachalese Assamese Bengali Bihari Goan Gujarati Himachal Pradesh Kashmiri Jharkhandi Karnataka Kerala Maharashtrian Manipuri Meghalayan Mizo Naga Odia Punjabi Rajasthani Sikkimese Tamil Telangana Telugu Indonesian Acehnese Balinese Banjar Batak Betawi Indo Javanese Madurese Makassar Minahasan Minangkabau Palembangese Sundanese Iranian Iraqi Irish Israeli Italian Abruzzese Ligurian Lombard Lucanial Neapolitan Roman Sardinian Sicilian Venetian Ivorian Jamaican Japanese Okinawan Jordanian Kazakh Kenyan Korean North Korean South Korean Kosovan Kuwaiti Kyrgyz Lao Latvian Lebanese Lesotho Liberian Libyan Liechtensteiner Lithuanian Luxembourg Macedonian Malagasy Malawian Malaysian Sabahan Sarawakian Maldivian Malian Maltese Mauritanian Mauritian Mexican Moldovan Monégasque Mongolian Montenegrin Moroccan Mozambican Namibian Nauruan Nepalese New Zealand Nicaraguan Niger Nigerian Niuean Norwegian Omani Pakistani Sindhi Palestinian Panamanian Peruvian Polish Portuguese Qatari Romanian Russian Bashkir Chechen Circassian Komi Mordovian Sakha Tatar Udmurt Yamal Rwandan Saint Lucian Salvadoran Sammarinese São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabian Senegalese Serbian Seychellois Sierra Leonean Singaporean Slovak Slovenian Somali South African Spanish Andalusian Asturian Balearic Basque Canarian Cantabrian Catalan Extremaduran Galician Manchegan Valencian Sri Lankan Sudanese Swazi Swedish Swiss Syrian Taiwanese Tajik Tanzanian Zanzibari Thai Togolese Tunisian Turkish Trinidadian and Tobagonian Ugandan Ukrainian Uruguayan Uzbek Venezuelan Vietnamese Western Saharan Yemeni Zambian Zimbabwean
Ethnic	Ainu Arab Indonesian Aromanian Assyrian Balochi Berber Cajun Chinese American Canadian Chifa Indonesian Malaysian Crimean Tatar Greek American Hazaragi Indian Anglo-Indian Indonesian Malaysian Indigenous American Inuit Italian American Kurdish Livonian Malay Parsi Pashtun Peranakan Romani Sámi Soul food Sylheti Yup'ik
Religious	Buddhist Christian Goan Catholic Mangalorean Catholic Mennonite Hindu Islamic Chinese Jain Jewish American Ashkenazi Bukharan Ethiopian Mizrahi Sephardic Syrian Sikh
Historical	Ancient Egyptian Ancient Greek Ancient Israelite Ancient Roman Aztec Byzantine Early modern European Historical Chinese Historical Indian subcontinent History of seafood History of vegetarianism Inca Mayan Medieval Ottoman Peasant Soviet Thirteen Colonies
Styles	Classique Fast food Fusion New American Eurasian Haute Molecular gastronomy Note by Note Nouvelle
Lists	List of cuisines Lists of prepared foods
Food portal Drink portal Category Commons Cookbook WikiProject Outline

v t Meat
Main articles: Fish Game Insects Livestock Meat Poultry Seafood
Poultry	Cassowary Chicken Duck Emu Goose Grouse Ostrich Partridge Pheasant Pigeon Quail Rhea Turkey
Livestock	Alpaca Beef Beefalo Bison Buffalo Camel Cat Chevon (goat meat) Dog Elephant Escargot Frog Guinea pig Cuy Horse Lamb and mutton Llama Pork Veal Yak Żubroń
Game	Alligator Bat Bear Boar Crocodile Iguana Kangaroo Monkey Pangolin Rat Hare and rabbit Snake Turtle Venison Wolf
Fish	Anchovy Basa Bass Carp Catfish Cod Crappie Eel Flounder Grouper Haddock Halibut Herring Kingfish Mackerel Mahi Mahi Marlin Milkfish Orange roughy Pacific saury Perch Pike Pollock Salmon Sardine Shark Sole Swai Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Walleye
Shellfish and other seafood	Abalone Calamari Clam Crab Crayfish Dolphin Lobster Mussel Octopus Oyster Scallop Seal meat Shrimp/prawn Sea urchin Whale
Insects	Black soldier fly maggots Cicada Crickets Grasshoppers (locust) Mealworm Silkworm Mopane worm Palm grub
Cuts and preparation	Aged Bacon Barbecued Biltong Braised Burger Charcuterie Chop Corned Cured Cutlet Dried Dum Fillet/supreme Fried Ground Ham Kebab Liver Luncheon meat Marinated Meatball Meatloaf Offal Pickled Poached Roasted Salt-cured Salumi Sausage Smoked Steak Stewed Tandoor Tartare
List articles	Beef dishes Chicken dishes Countries by meat consumption Fish dishes Food and drink prohibitions Goat dishes Lamb dishes Meat substitutes Meatball dishes Pork dishes Ham dishes Sausage dishes Sausages Seafood dishes Smoked foods Steaks Veal dishes
Related subjects	Animal rights Arachnophagy Bushmeat Butcher Cannibalism Carnism Case-ready meat Cultured meat Entomophagy Ethics of eating meat Factory farming Feed conversion ratio Environmental impact of meat production List of meat dishes Marbled Meat analogue Meat cutter Meat science Meat tenderness Non-vegetarian Pink slime Plant-based diet Preservation Psychology of eating meat Meat paradox Red meat Semi-vegetarianism Pescetarianism Pollotarianism Slaughter Slaughterhouse Veganism Vegetarianism White meat
Food portal Category: Meat

Braising

Contents

Method[]

Techniques[]

Braised foods[]

See also[]

References[]