With the snow falling outside, it is almost axiomatic to think of filling the house with warm cooking aromas. In savory cooking, no other technique accomplishes this as well as braising. Braising is usually associated with pot roasts, but the technique is much more versatile than this one dish and once you understand the technique, it is easy to be creative with different ingredient combinations.

Braising is classically defined as cooking a food item with a small amount of liquid in a closed vessel. Braising usually involves pieces of food that are portion sized or larger; a close relative to braising is stewing which cooks smaller food pieces in more liquid. First we'll look at the appropriate food items to use for braises, then discuss the technique. I'll finish with a demonstration recipe, the great Italian dish Ossobuco.

Braising is most often associated with meat, especially less tender cuts. Tougher cuts of meat come from the animal parts which get the most exercise, i.e. shoulder, legs, rump. These cuts have a large amount of connective tissue, (gristle), which is composed of the protein collagen; older animals also have proportionally more collagen than younger animals.

Over a long cooking period at relatively low heat, collagen dissolves and converts to gelatin. The meat becomes tender and develops a smooth, unctuous mouth feel. However, tougher cuts also have a lot of muscle fibers, which dry out over long cooking periods. Therefore, braising requires liquid to keep the food moist. In looking for appropriate cuts of meat to use for braising, look for terms like chuck, shank, brisket, tail, rump, or round.

Braising, however, does not need to be confined to meat. Large, older fowls like whole capons, roasters and turkeys braise beautifully. Large poultry pieces can work, but limit your choice to the dark meat, (again the section of the bird that has the most muscle and does the most work). This is a great technique to use on packaged turkey drumsticks or thighs. Also, fibrous vegetables work very well in a braise. Examples include celery, fennel, leeks, endive, radicchio, and celeriac.

Technique:

The braising method is fairly standard; the creativity comes in the choice of liquid and seasoning:

1)       Choose a thick sided cooking vessel that can be used on both a burner and in the oven, has a tight fitting lid, and will hold your food items snugly in a single layer. Dutch ovens, Creuset pots, and cast iron pots are all excellent choices.

2)       Most braised food will benefit substantially from a preliminary browning. The primary exception is vegetables, which do not require browning although bitter vegetables like endive or radicchio can benefit from a preliminary blanching (boil briefly). Heat olive or vegetable oil in the cooking pot over a burner. Pat the food dry, dust it with a very light coating of flour (optional), and brown in the hot oil on all sides. Remove the food from the pan, and keep warm.

3)       Drain off the used oil, and add either butter or a butter/oil combination to the same pan. Add roughly chopped aromatics, almost always at least onion, carrots, and celery. Other choices include bacon or ham, bell peppers, leeks, etc. Soften the vegetables in the fat.

4)       Once the vegetables are softened, add a small amount of the cooking liquid such stock, wine, juice, or water, either singly or in combination. Stir to deglaze the pan, (get all the little brown bits off the bottom). Once the pot is deglazed, add to the deglazing liquid any other flavorings such as tomatoes or herbs. Add the browned pieces back into the pan and add enough additional liquid to reach halfway up the side of the pieces. Heat the pot on the stovetop until the liquid reaches a boil. Remove from the burner.

5)       Press a large piece of aluminum foil on top of the food layer, bringing the ends of the foil up and over the pots edges, (this is called an inverted lid). If you have an acidic ingredient like wine or tomatoes, put a layer of parchment paper between the food and the foil, as aluminum can react with acid. Put the pot lid on top, sealing the foil.

6)       Place the pot in a preheated 275 325 degree oven (temperature can be variable depending on how long you want the food to cook, but never over 325 degrees). Check the pot by lifting a corner of the foil up (be careful of the steam) after 20 minutes to make sure the liquid is barely simmering and not boiling; if boiling, turn down the heat.

7)       Approximately halfway through cooking, turn the food pieces over and check that the liquid has not dried out.

8)       The food is done when a skewer or sharp fork can pierce it with no resistance; (braised meat is very forgiving and will sit happily in a warm oven for a long time). Remove the food pieces. Strain and degrease the liquid; a strainer over a special degreasing measuring cup that has its spout from the cup bottom is perfect for this. Once strained and degreased, return the liquid to the pot and thicken to taste. Thicken by reducing the sauce (boiling it down), or by adding a couple of tablespoons of flour or corn starch premixed with some of the warm liquid (a slurry), or by adding back the vegetables after they have been pureed. Taste for salt and pepper.

Ossobuco Recipe: (use 1 shank/person)

8 veal shanks (use the same quantities of the ingredients listed below for 4 - 8 shanks)

¼ cup flour

5 tablespoons olive oil (divided into 3 T and 2 T portions)

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium carrots, chopped (you do not need to peel)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup white wine, vermouth, or dry red wine

1 large (28 oz) can Italian peeled plum tomatoes

1 strip orange peel, pith removed

3 teaspoons dried basil

2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste.

Pat the shanks dry and dust lightly with the flour.

Heat 3 T of oil in a braising pot just large enough to hold the shanks in one layer, and brown the shanks all over. Remove to a plate.

Drain off the used olive oil and add the rest of the oil and the butter to the pot. Sauté the vegetables until soft. Add the wine (which in this case is the deglazing liquid), and reduce it by half (approximately). Add the tomatoes (with their liquid), basil, orange peel, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the shanks back to the pot, and add enough stock to reach halfway up the shanks. Heat on the burner until boiling, remove and fit with an inverted lid of foil, protecting the meat from the foil with parchment paper. Put on the pot lid.

Cook until a skewer pierces the meat without resistance. Depending on the meat, this can be at 325 degrees for approximately 1 ½ hours, or 300 degrees for 2 ½ hours. Check after the first ½ hour to make sure the liquid is simmering, not boiling. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the meat over. Remove the meat from the pot, and keep warm. Strain the pot juices and skim off the grease. Add the juices back to the pot, and boil them until reduced and thickened. Either discard the vegetables, or puree and add them to the sauce. Return the shanks to the pot and hold until serving.

Optional: In Italy, Ossobuco is traditionally flavored with a gremolada. To make this, mash together (proportionally), 1 minced garlic clove, 2 T finely chopped parsley, finely grated lemon rind from one lemon, and either 1 anchovy fillet or ½ tsp. salt. Add to the sauce right before serving.