Do you braise? You might make a pot of stew or chili, you may roast and you certainly do a little sautéing. But do you braise?
Braising is related to stewing, poaching and steaming, all methods that use moist cooking to tenderize meats. Braising may begin with sautéing the meat in oil to brown the surface, but it always includes cooking food tightly covered in a small amount of liquid. The key is to create a fragrant cooking liquid and use moist, low heat.
Braising is different from poaching and steaming because those cooking liquids are not typically part of the finished dish. It’s different from stewing where the meat is submerged in the cooking liquid. In braising, the meat sits in or just above the cooking liquid.
You don’t boil the meat; you simmer the cooking liquid and that cooks the meat. This method works well for meats that might dry out if cooked with other methods, like chicken or fish, and it works well for meats that have a lot of fat that needs to be rendered.
Of course you can braise meat any time of the year, but this method seems particularly suited for fall and winter, when something fragrant simmering in the kitchen is just the kind of warmth we crave. Braised meats like brisket and tongue are traditional for many as part of a Hanukkah holiday table.
By its very nature, a braised dish is going to be moist and flavorful. If your Thanksgiving turkey is sometimes dry, try braising it for the first part of its roasting. Braised dishes also provide a little leeway in the timing of your dinner. If your guests are delayed, this cooking method will keep the meat moist and tender, with little last-minute attention. Each of these recipes will easily scale up to feed a crowd.
Orange-Braised Chicken or Turkey with Apple and Dried Fruit Stuffing
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Serves: 12
You can substitute a 12- to 14-pound turkey for the 3 chickens. Cooking time will be a total of 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Braising the poultry for the first part of the cooking time pretty much guarantees a moist bird. Then finishing it uncovered creates crisp, golden skin and beautiful presentation.
2 cups dried sliced apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pistachio nutmeats
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Leaves from 3 sprigs rosemary
Leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
8 cups orange juice, divided
3 (5- to 7-pound) roasting chickens
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a large roasting pan. Fit a wire rack inside the roasting pan to elevate the chicken or turkey about one inch above the bottom.
In a large bowl, prepare stuffing by combining apricots, cranberries, cashews, pistachios, orange, apple, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Pour 3 cups orange juice over mixture and set aside.
Sprinkle chickens inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff with fruit mixture. Place in prepared roasting pan. If there is extra stuffing, arrange it in the roasting pan around the chickens. Pour remaining orange juice over the chickens. Cover chickens with parchment paper and then cover everything with aluminum foil to create an airtight package.
Put pan in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove foil and parchment paper and continue cooking until the thigh meat comes to a temperature of 160 degrees. Baste every 10 minutes during this roasting period, about 30 minutes total.
When chicken is done, remove from oven, tent loosely with foil and allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
Make-ahead notes: The stuffing can be prepared early in the day and rest covered on your counter, or made a day ahead and refrigerated. Do not stuff your poultry until you're ready to bake. Once cooked, the chicken needs to sit, loosely covered with foil, for 15 or 20 minutes to redistribute the juices, but it shouldn't be held any longer than that.
Per serving: 572 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 62 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 23 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 172 milligrams cholesterol, 220 milligrams sodium.
Balsamic-Braised Beef Short Ribs
Hands on: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 40 minutes, plus resting time
Serves: 8
Short ribs work beautifully in braises because the long, slow cooking results in succulent falling-off-the-bone meat. Four pounds of bone-in short ribs will yield about 2 pounds of meat. If you can find boneless short ribs that aren’t cut into thin steaks, they will work perfectly in this recipe. You can also make this with a brisket or sirloin roast, but if you do, cut the meat into 2-inch-wide by 2-inch-high slabs so there’s lots of surface area to absorb the flavors. Any extra dry rub will be great in your next beef stew or pot of chili.
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 cups low-sodium non-fat beef stock
2 cups red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, create a dry rub by combining chili powder, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper. Rub all sides of short ribs with the dry rub and set aside to come to room temperature.
In a medium saucepan, create the braising liquid by combining beef stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar and sugar and bringing to a simmer.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sear short ribs until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Work in batches and reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning spices. As they are browned, transfer ribs to a platter.
When all ribs are browned, pour braising liquid into Dutch oven and deglaze pan. Return ribs to Dutch oven. Put a piece of parchment paper and then a sheet of aluminum foil over the Dutch oven, then cover with the lid. Put Dutch oven into oven and bake ribs for 2 hours.
Set Dutch oven on counter to cool. When ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and discard any fat that didn’t render during the cooking process. Set meat aside. Strain braising liquid, skim off fat and return to Dutch oven to reduce down to desired consistency. Return meat to liquid to warm through and serve.
Make-ahead note: The ribs can be cooked up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate the meat and the braising liquid separately. Warm braising liquid and reduce if desired, then add meat and simmer until warmed through.
Per serving: 335 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 28 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 21 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 472 milligrams sodium.
Braised Fish with Tomato and Saffron
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
A braise doesn’t have to be a long-cooked dish. Braised fish can be finished in 30 minutes. Stephens suggests using sea bass for this recipe. Its sweet flesh and high fat content works well for braising and won’t dry out if you need to hold it a few minutes before serving. If you can’t find sea bass or would like to substitute something else, he recommends char, shark or cod. Firmer, dryer fish like tuna and swordfish don’t have the right texture for this technique.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced shallot (about 2 medium)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch saffron
black pepper and cayenne, to taste
2 pounds filleted fish, cut into 4-ounce portions
In a medium Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, saffron, black pepper and cayenne. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes.
Arrange fish filets on top of tomatoes, leaving a small space between each portion. Make sure sauce is simmering and cover pan with tight-fitting lid. Allow to simmer for 12 minutes, then begin to check for doneness. Fish is cooked through when you press on a filet and it doesn’t bounce back. If fish is done but you’re not ready to serve, turn off heat and leave tightly covered. Serve fish with sauce. You may leave it chunky or quickly puree and strain for a smoother sauce.
Make-ahead note: You can prepare the tomato braising liquid ahead. Allow to cool and refrigerate, then bring back to a simmer before adding fish. Once the fish is cooked, it will hold, still in the braising liquid and covered, for about 30 minutes.
Per serving: 212 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 25 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 207 milligrams sodium.
