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Le Creuset - Enamel Cast Iron Cookware

When the weather turns cold and snowy, my favorite cooking method turns to braising.  There is no excuse to pass up a recipe that calls for braising because you think it's too complicated. The only piece of cookware you need to braise meat or vegetables is a casserole/Dutch oven style pan that can go from stove top to oven and that has a very tight fitting lid. For example; the pans below are ideal for braising, and come in a variety of colors.  Click on the link above to see colors that Amazon has to offer.

What to Braise

Meats: Veal or lamb shanks; beef brisket for a delicious Pot Roast; loin pork chops; short ribs, pork belly*

Vegetables: leeks; fresh fennel; celery; carrots, parsnips, shallots.

The Basic Method of Braising

Meat and/or vegetables are first stove-top lightly browned in butter or oil. A amount of liquid (water, wine, stock) that comes halfway up the sides of the meat or vegetables is added, the pan is tightly covered and then slow-cooked in a pre-heated oven at 350 ° F. for 2 hours or more depending on the cut and size of meat or used. The slow braising gently breaks down the fibrous tissue in the protein or vegetables being cooked and the foods own juices are released. Alternatively, you can also braise on top of the stove over a low heat, but I feel that the long slow oven method yields a better braised dish. Stove top braising leaves open the chance of burning in the bottom of the pan because of uneven heat. Some braising recipes are, however, finished on top of the stove --meat is removed from the braising pan and the vegetables are pureed and added back to the dish as a thickening for the sauce. Additional ingredients are now added to the sauce (capers, mustard, etc.) and the meat is returned to re-heat in the sauce on top of the stove.

Note: Stews are similar to braised dishes except with stews, the meat is cut into smaller pieces as for a beef stew and stews use more liquid than braised dishes.

The following are some of my favorite recipes for braising -- the thick cut pork chops are tenderized by first brining the chops and the long slow cooking method helps too. The addition of capers and mustard finish off the dish.  If you'd like to eat pork chops without the necessity of brining them first, you'll need to  buy the excellent pork products from Niman Ranch.

Niman Ranch sells *pork belly - a huge slab of bacon from which regular bacon is cured and smoked.  The Italian cured bacon, Pancetta, is made from pork belly.  The latest "trend" for some New York chefs is to serve a two-inch square of braised pork belly along side a main course of pork chops or pork loin.  I recently had my first taste of braised pork belly at Eleven Madison Park in New York - one of the great restaurants owned by  Danny Meyer et al.  After I cut up the huge slab of pork belly into manageable chunks, I first seared the chunk of pork belly (about one pound) in a hot braising pan and then added 4 shallots, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 ribs of celery in large chunks, 2 sprigs rosemary, 4 sprigs thyme, 1 cup white wine, 1 cup vegetable stock.  I brought the mixture to a boil on the stovetop; covered the pan and braised in a 350°F oven for 2-1/2 hours. When it was finished cooking, I let it cool slightly in the cooking liquid.   Then I removed it from the liquid and cut it into 1-1/2 to 2-inch squares.  I served one square along side the Braised Pork Chops (recipe below).

The ever-popular Italian dish of braised veal shanks (Osso Buco - "bone with a hole") is my all-time favorite, traditionally served with Risotto Milanese. For Osso Buco, try to buy the hind portion of the shanks if possible because the hindshank is meatier than the foreshank and for those like me who just love to eat the marrow from the round bone, the hindshank bone contains more of it! A close second favorite meat to braise are lamb shanks. Similar ingredients to those used for Osso Buco, but I like to use red wine with the lamb and white wine for the veal.

Braised Pork Chops with Mustard and Caper Sauce
Serves 2 (recipe can be doubled)

For Sauce

Method  (If not using Niman Ranch pork chops, follow this procedure to ensure that store-bought pork chops are succulent and tender)

1 day in advance make a brine consisting of 2 cups water, ¼ cup kosher or sea salt and 1/4 cup sugar, a few peppercorns, 2 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary.  Heat the mixture just until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Chill the brine completely and pour into a dish deep enough to hold the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 12 hours or overnight.  When ready to proceed with the recipe, remove chops from brine and dry well with paper towels.  Discard brine.

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a stove top and oven proof casserole or braising pan, brown chops on both sides in melted butter. Remove chops from pan to a plate and reserve. In the same pan, sauté onion and celery until just wilted. Add thyme, rosemary, wine and water to the pan and bring to a boil. Return chops to the pan, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with lid and braise for 2 hours.

Remove chops from braising pan and reserve. Remove sprigs of herbs and discard. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from liquid in pan and puree in a food processor or blender. You may need to use some of the liquid to puree the vegetables. Return pureed vegetables and liquid to the braising pan and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Using a wire whisk, stir in the mustard and capers and continue cooking for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter until melted. Reduce heat and return chops to the sauce and heat through.

Recommended side dishes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Sautéed Broccoli Rabe; Baby Green Peas; Long Grain & Wild Rice. I've discovered canned organic soy beans which are very low in carbohydrates and satisfy my craving for beans with braised dishes. For a Low-Carb substitution, look for Organic Soy Beans (white or black) in cans.  One brand name is Eden Organic

Osso Buco
Serves 4

Gremolata Garnish (sprinkle on each portion just before serving - can be used for Veal and Lamb shank recipes)

Combine ingredients for Gremolata. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate until needed.

Method for Osso Buco

In a Dutch Oven or other braising style pan, heat the olive until almost smoking. In the meantime, dry veal shanks with paper towel and then dredge in the seasoned flour. When oil is hot, brown the veal shanks on all sides (lower heat slightly to prevent burning). When browned, remove from pan and add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pan and sauté until the onion and celery are wilted but not browned. Add the wine and herbs to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck on particles. Return the veal shanks to the pot and distribute the vegetables evenly around the shanks. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves and salt and black pepper. Cover pan tightly and simmer over low heat for about 1½ hours. Remove lid for the last 20 minutes of cooking time -- this will help the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove bay leaves and stems of fresh herbs. Serve each portion with some sauce and vegetables and sprinkle on the Gremolata.

Recommended side dishes: Traditionally, Risotto Milanese is served with Osso Buco. There is a commercially available brand of Risotto Milanese by KNORR which is acceptable and carried in major supermarkets. Thick (yet soft) polenta is another good choice as is Couscous grain.  For a Low-Carb substitution, look for Organic Soy Beans (white or black) in cans.  One brand name is Eden Organic  Another vegetable is not really needed as the sauce contains the braised carrot, celery and onion.

Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans
Serves 4

Heat oven to 350° F.

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or other braising style casserole suitable for the stove top and the oven. Dry lamb shanks with paper towel and then dredge in seasoned flour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown lamb shanks (without crowding the pan) until browned on all sides. If shanks are large, you may only be able to brown 2 shanks at a time. Remove browned shanks to a plate and reserve. In the oil remaining, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, leek, fennel and garlic until the onion and celery are wilted about 10 minutes. Add red wine and stock to the pan and de-glaze, scraping up any of the browned bits. Return lamb shanks to the pan and distribute the vegetables evenly around the shanks. Add the crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover pan tightly and braise in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours.

For a Low-Carb substitution, look for Organic Soy Beans (white or black) in cans.  One brand name is Eden Organic

Classic White Beans
(begin preparation 1 day ahead)

Soak dried white beans overnight in cold water. Drain and discard water.

In a 4 quart saucepan, add fresh water, soaked beans, onion, bay leave and thyme. Gently simmer covered until beans are tender. About 1½ hours. Remove onion and herbs and drain beans from liquid. Reserve until needed to serve with braised lamb shanks.                                   

Recommended side dishes: If you don't like white beans, garlic mashed potatoes or mashed potatoes mixed with prepared horseradish to taste go well with the lamb shanks. Mashed Rutabaga also is delicious with the braised lamb shanks. As with the Osso Buco, a vegetable side dish is not necessary due to the vegetables in the braise. The Gremolata garnish is delicious on the braised lamb shanks as well as on Osso Buco.

Braised Beef Brisket
This is my favorite way to prepare a beef brisket.  Some professional chefs may scoff at the ingredients used, but I dare them to criticize the taste of the final result!

Click here for information about Niman Ranch brisket.

I like to use the first cut of the beef brisket - it's thinner than the center or end cut of brisket from which corned beef is usually made.  An average thin cut brisket is usually approximately 3 to 4 pounds which is sufficient to feed 4 to 6 people.

First, I sear the fresh brisket in a heavy frying pan on both sides until browned well.  Transfer the meat to a heavy roasting pan, fat side up.  Sprinkle on top and around the meat one or two packages of dried Lipton Onion Soup Mix depending on the size of the brisket.  Add 2 fresh tomatoes, core removed and tomatoes cut into small chunks.  Add one onion, peeled and thinly sliced to the pan.  Add 3 or 4 whole peeled garlic cloves. Finally, add one cup of water to the pan. 

Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil so that no steam can escape while braising the brisket.  Put in a heated 350°F oven, and braise for 2-1/2 hours, or longer if the brisket is more than 4 pounds.

When finished cooking, remove pan from oven and let meat rest in the pan juices for 20 minutes.  Remove meat (scrape off any bits of tomato or onions) to a carving board and continue to let meat rest.  In the meantime, puree the solids from the pan juices in a blender or food processor.  Return puree to juices in pan.  Bring pan juices to a boil on the stove top;  let sauce cook over high heat to slightly reduce and thicken.  Turn off heat.

Slice brisket into thin slices across the grain.  Place sliced brisket into the sauce in the roasting pan.  Serve immediately or let sit, covered in a low oven to keep warm until serving.