Cooking meat: how to braise meat

02-04-2021

Stewing is one of the classic cooking techniques, often used for “second-class cuts of meat” that require long slow cooking. They are called ‘second class cuts’ because they are tough and chewy if cooked using ‘quick’ methods like pan frying, broiling or broiling. They are tough due to connective tissue that becomes difficult to cut or chew when cooked quickly or with dry or radiant heat. The good news is that these cuts of meat gain their value when they are braised or stewed very gently for a long period of time in liquid, as this style of cooking breaks down connective tissue to make it juicy, jelly-like, and delicious.

Stew is much the same as stew – stew typically applies to larger or whole cuts of meat slowly cooked in a liquid, while stew is used when referring to cooked cut or smaller pieces (fully submerged) in a liquid. Note that I did not say ‘boiled’ or ‘simmered’. This is what we call it when you see a visible bubbling of the cooking liquid. In fact, the stew is best done at a low temperature of around 85 degrees C / 185 degrees C with a barely noticeable glow, not a constant boil. Stew refers to this cooking in liquid, so you can technically grill anything. Vegetables, fruits, chicken, fish.

Since this article is all about beef stew, we will focus on the toughest cuts of meat that save you money and taste great when you use this cooking method.

Meat cuts: Shin, Osso Bucco, short rib, chuck, shoulder, gravy, plate, cheek, oxtail, tendon, tripe, tongue

Lamb cuts: Shoulder, shin (pimples), tongue

Pork cuts: trotters, knuckles, hocks, ribs, ribs, belly, shoulder, tripe

How to grill or cook:

Since stewing is almost the same as braising, you can follow the steps below.

To cook, cut it into smaller pieces, like a dice. When cutting things to cook (or in general) look at the size of the mouth or the spoon to eat them. Always cut your items to a size that can be easily scooped up and eaten. A stew should have enough liquid to completely cover (submerge) the meat.

You can make embers without cutting them so small (not the size of a bite).

You can grill medium to large pieces of meat. Medium means cuts like pork ribs, short ribs, tongue, “steaks” (lower left or shoulder cut) or osso bucco.

Large means whole cuts about the size you would normally grill, and can include whole ducks, whole chicken, lamb thighs, or primary cuts of veal.

You can braise by submerging it in the liquid completely, or you can put it in a braising plate or casserole with a tight-fitting lid and cover half to three-quarters of the meat with the liquid. Cover with the lid. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then place in a soft oven at 150 degrees C (302 degrees F) with the lid on, until the meat is completely tender.

1. Prepare your braising liquid. Spice it up with the things you like. These can be your classic European flavors like carrot, onion, celery, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, tomato. Or you can use some Asian aromatics like ginger, scallion, carrot, lemongrass, soy, star anise.
2. Clean or trim your largest cut so that it is whole. Don’t worry too much about this. You just need to trim the excess fat as it will melt and float to the top like an oily liquid, absorbing all the flavors. Lean is the best for this
3. Bring your stew broth to a simmer and then put your meat in it. Watch the temperature until it comes to a simmer again, then adjust so that the liquid moves slightly.
4. That is all. Now you have to wait. Keep it at that temperature until tender. For pork, this is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. For the lamb about 1-2 hours depending on the cut. For beef it is 1 to 5 to 5 hours.
5. It depends on the size of the cut. The beef ribs are 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the quality. A corned beef or silver side can last 3-4 hours as it is quite large. You will seek the tenderness of the meat and take it as far as possible without it starting to crumble. Oxtail about 1.5 to 2 hours. Veal cheek about 3 hours.
6. Hone your technique on smaller items such as spare ribs (45 minutes to 1 hour), lamb thighs (1.5 to 2 hours), pork belly (40 minutes to 1 hour), and beef ribs (from 1 to 1.5 hours).

Helpful tips

• The meat should be soft, juicy and tender. It should easily come off the bone when you want it to too, but it shouldn’t come off the bone on its own.
• If overcooked, the braised meat will be dry and stringy, even if it is in sauce.
• Chicken cooks pretty quickly and doesn’t need embers until tender, unless it’s an old kettle, in which case it needs a long, slow stew like meat.
• Red wine is an excellent medium for braising meat. Use the European aromatics mentioned above and add some tomato paste, mushrooms and rosemary when braising the lamb thighs.
• Water is ideal for braising. Makes a “broth” while the meat is cooking. Just add many other flavors: vegetables, herbs, dried mushrooms, spices, etc. Onions are always good for body.
• Do not thicken the sauce to the end, or it will be harder and longer to cook
• I did not salt the dish properly until the end. Use a little salt while cooking, but salt last. As the sauce cooks, something will evaporate and ‘shrink’, concentrating the flavors, including saltiness.
• When the meat is tender, taste the cooking liquid. If it’s delicious the way it is, thicken it with cornflower or a little roux. If you need more flavor, transfer to a steel pot (strain), then reduce until thick and concentrated. At the point where it tastes perfect, use it like this or thicken it with roux or cornstarch.
• Don’t light first-class cuts (expensive meat). You need cheap, nasty cuts with connective tissue for the embers to taste really good.
• Do not cut the cartilage or connective tissue from the meat before braising it. This is what makes it taste so wonderful. If you only cook lean pieces of meat, they will become dry and tasteless. Never leave things like steak, sirloin, rump, lamb chops, or pork on the grill. They are best broiled or skillet, seared or broiled, or cooked with dry or radiant heat.

If you have any questions, please visit me on my website and leave a message. I usually respond fairly quickly.

You will also find many recipes and resources for Western and Asian cuisine in my archives.