Chicken with Eggplant, Chickpeas, Pine Nuts, and Garlic-Yogurt Sauce
Braise, stew, fricassée, daube—these are all slight variations on a theme, which is, at its most essential, cooking at a low temperature in liquid for long periods of time (except for chicken and very tender cuts, which dry out with long cooking times).
Braising meat, poultry, and fish involves searing over high heat to create a flavorful caramelized crust (traditionally this is not always called for in braising recipes, but I never braise without searing first; food simply tastes better that way). Dishes are often set over a bed of diced vegetables, covered (partially or in the case of stews fully) with liquid (usually strong stock, sometimes with wine or tomato sauce added), and cooked over a low heat until tender. It is slow cooking at its best, a wonderful technique to master for the short days and long nights of winter, allowing your meat to tenderize over several hours in a flavorful broth, until it falls off the bone. It’s a fabulous way to feed lots of people—after the initial attention to detail of searing, the liquid does all the work as it bubbles away, so you can make large quantities to feed big families and lots of friends without having to spend hours over the stove. And cheaper cuts of meat lend themselves best to slow cooking, so feeding the hordes does not break the bank.
Tips
• The key to braising meat is the liquefying of the collagen in the meat, adding flavor and a silky texture. This happens at about 160°F (70°C), but it’s a slow process—time, patience, and a low temperature yield the best results.
• Look for meat and poultry cuts with lots of collagen-containing connective tissue. Bone-in is also most desirable, for it gives the most flavor.
PORK: Shoulder, picnic ham, bone-in pork loin
BEEF: Shoulder or “chuck,” brisket, rump
LAMB: Shoulder
CHICKEN: Thighs and drumsticks or whole chickens, cut up
• The ideal braising vessel is a cast-iron pot in which the ingredients fit snugly (you cannot go wrong with Le Creuset).
• Sear the meat or poultry before braising in a pot with a little fat or oil. Make sure the pot is hot before the meat goes in. Work in batches so as not to crowd the pot, and do not move the ingredients around too much, letting the meat and poultry form a nice, dark, uniform crust.
• Cooking bone side down helps stabilize the position of the meat, and fat side up allows the fat to evenly melt into the meat and the sauce, effectively self-basting.
• The braising liquid gives a good deal of flavor to a braise, so it is important to pay attention to the quality of the liquid—usually wine or stock—that you use.
• Particularly for meat, a low heat is essential, and enough time to let the meat slowly tenderize to the point where it can almost be cut with a spoon.
• Never allow the liquid to boil, as this will toughen the fibers of the meat: Start the braise off at a gentle simmer, with the lid off. Then cover with the lid. Beginning the braise at a low temperature will help retain the color of the ingredients, even after they have finished cooking.
• Keep an eye on the amount of cooking liquid and top it off if it gets too low. Having the proper-size vessel, in which the braising food is snug, will help retain the cooking liquid. Too large a pot will encourage the cooking liquid to evaporate too quickly, totally negating the technique.
• Always let the meat rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the braising liquids to be reabsorbed into the meat.
• In some cases, once the meat or poultry has finished braising, the cooking liquid may need to be reduced into a thicker sauce.
• Braised dishes benefit from being prepared in advance—flavors can develop nicely over a day or two—and the dish can easily be reheated at serving time. Remove the solidified fat from the sauce before reheating.
• Do as all good cooks do: Taste, taste, taste along the way. This is particularly important when cooking any ingredient for a long time, since the provenance and quality of an ingredient can vastly affect the perfect cooking time. Let your palate be the judge, not a kitchen timer.