Just Cook It!
Porreca
Food personality Mario J. Porreca says one of his favorite fall/winter cooking methods is braising to give tougher cuts of meat, such as a chuck roast, more flavor and a more tender outcome.
Fall is officially upon us. I say that with great delight and excitement. As the weather and leaves begin to change, so too do the seasonal foods we all enjoy. Fall is my favorite time of the year for food and, of course, the comfortable weather.
On my radio show (Just Cook It) this past Saturday, we had a caller with a very good question for this time of year, and it made me want to expand that answer into this week蘑菇视频 column.
The question was how to cook tougher cuts of meat so that they are flavorful and delicious without being tough and rubbery?
This question is also perfect for this time of year, as it made me think immediately of one of my favorite fall/winter cooking methods 鈥� braising.
Braising is a relatively simple and classical cooking technique that requires some patience and time to properly develop flavors and break down connective tissue. Describing the process in correct detail is a bit lengthy as well, so this column will cover Part I of braising while we will cover Part II in next week鈥� column. Let蘑菇视频 get to it, shall we?
Braising is a cooking method that uses both moist and dry heat. At its simplest form, braising is when you cook a tougher cut of meat, chicken, firm-fleshed fish, or sturdy fall or winter vegetable in a covered pot with a little bit of liquid.
Dishes such as pot roast and coq au vin are some of the most common braised dishes.
The first step is choosing the ingredient that you want to braise. To select the correct ingredient, you first need to understand that all meat is muscle tissue. The more the animal uses it蘑菇视频 muscle tissue, the more the muscles develop.
As the muscles develop they get tougher and also more flavorful.
Here is a list of some common cuts of meat that are fantastic for braising:
n Beef 鈥� chuck roast, short ribs and brisket
n Veal 鈥� shanks, shoulder and breast
n Pork 鈥� butt, shoulder, ribs, and belly
n Lamb 鈥� shoulder, legs and shank
n Poultry 鈥� thighs and legs
If you want to braise seafood, look for fish with a dense texture such as halibut, tuna, salmon, scallops and shrimp just to name a few.
If you want to braise vegetables, look for more fibrous vegetables. Cauliflower, leeks, cabbage, fennel and root vegetables are all good options for braising.
Once you have your ingredient selected, your next task is picking out the proper cookware.
A cast iron Dutch oven is ideal for braised dishes.
If you don鈥檛 have one of those, you should use the heaviest pot with the tightest fitting lid that you can find.
Also look for a pot that will fit the ingredients in it snugly.
This will give you a greater concentration of flavor in your final dish.
The other key ingredients you will need for your braised dish are aromatics and a flavorful cooking liquid. Aromatics can be anything that make sense flavor-wise with your main ingredient and that will add flavor and depth to your dish. Common aromatics I use are shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Other aromatics you can use would be ingredients such as chilies, fresh ginger, bacon, chorizo, olives, capers, citrus, etc.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless depending on the flavor profile you are trying to achieve.
As for liquid, stock and wine (often combined) are the most common braising liquids.
Other fun liquids you can use are beer, cider, soy sauce, fortified wines, etc.
The same principle applies with liquid as with the aromatics 鈥� the sky is the limit, but it must make sense flavorwise with your main ingredient.
Next week, in Part II, we will discuss the braising process itself from start to finish. Until then, always remember to 鈥� Just Cook It!
Send me all of your food/cooking related questions by e-mail to hsfeatures@heraldstandard.com.
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net.