Braising: 10 Great Braising Recipes
Braising is a form of moist-heat cooking that breaks down connective tissues in tough cuts of meat, leaving them tender and succulent. Braising is also a great cooking technique for vegetables like cabbage, carrots, eggplant and others. Here are 10 great recipes for braising meat and vegetables.
Also check out this article on how to braise meat.
1. Braised Beef Pot Roast
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
Beef pot roast might be the defining braised meat dish: tender, moist and flavorful, beef pot roast is the quintessential "slow food." Both hearty and succulent, it satisfies and comforts. What more can you ask?
2. Veal Osso Buco
Photo © James Baigrie / Getty Images
This classic osso buco recipe is made by braising veal shanks. Osso buco is traditionally garnished with gremolata, and served over risotto, polenta or mashed potatoes.
3. Braised Beef Stew
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
This beef stew is made with beef chuck, potatoes, carrots and peas. Perfect for the colder months, this hearty beef stew is braised in the oven for slow, even cooking.
4. Braised Pork Shoulder
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
This succulent braised pork shoulder is like pot roast made with pork. In addition to the usual carrots, celery and onion (or in this case, leeks), I like to add some thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb, which is a wonderful aromatic vegetable.
5. Braised Lamb Shoulder
Photo © Ella Mullins
For this braised lamb recipe you'll need a large Dutch oven or brazier — one that's big enough to accommodate the meat and stock, and safe for both stovetop and oven. Make sure it has a tight-fitting lid, too.
6. Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
Brussels sprouts are little cabbages, which means they can be a little bit tough. Braising softens them so that they're nice and tender. This recipe for Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon is the best way of preparing Brussels sprouts I've ever tasted.
7. Braised Halibut Provencal
Photo © Charles Haynes
This classic French dish features the bright flavors of Provence: garlic, shallots, fennel, tomatoes, olives, and fresh sage. Serve it, along with a healthy serving of the pan sauce, over couscous.
8. Braised Eggplant with Potatoes
Photo © N. Gaifyllia
In this dish, the eggplant are dredged in flour and browned before adding to the pot, giving the dish a lovely mix of textures and tastes.
9. Braised Belgian Endives
Photo © Molly Watson
Slowly cooking Belgian endives in a bit of butter and lemon juice yields these tender, luscious, almost sweet bundles of otherwise bitter leaves. It's alchemy at its finest.
10. Braised Chicken Stew
Photo © Hector Rodriguez
The braised chicken in this stew practically falls off the bone. The sauce tastes great over rice and beans, white rice or yellow rice with corn.
