Hawaii's Share Your Table

Braising is a cooking technique that takes more time than talent to achieve great results. It's all about cooking a large (and usually economical) piece of meat in liquid over a few hours. It's the perfect way to cook a pork shoulder, also known as a pork butt, and it's very simple to do.
 

What is braising?

Braising is a way to cook a whole piece of meat in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. It's a great way to tenderize a large piece of meat while keeping it moist and flavorful. Braising is especially good for inexpensive cuts of meat like pork shoulder, pot roast, short ribs or osso buco. It's like stewing except that when you make a stew, you're cutting the meat into small pieces and covering it with liquid.

How do you braise?

First, select a good piece of pork, beef, lamb or even a whole chicken. Pork shoulder, also known as pork butt, is a good choice; a beef pot roast or chuck roast would do nicely as would a whole leg of lamb. Using a bone-in piece of meat will give you more flavor.

Use a heavy Dutch oven or covered casserole for braising. An enamel covered cast iron pot like a Le Creuset pot is ideal because it heats up evenly and retains even heat throughout the cooking process.

Heat your Dutch oven over medium heat and add a little bit of olive or vegetable oil. Pat your meat dry with paper towels and when the oil is sizzling hot, place it in the pot. Let the meat brown for 4 to 5 minutes – you want the surface to get crispy, brown and caramelized. Turn it to another side and continue to brown it on all sides, taking your time. This process helps develop flavor in the meat.

When your meat is browned on all sides, add your braising liquid. Scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot, bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat so that the liquid is barely bubbling at the surface – that's a simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for a couple of hours. Or, you could put the pot in a 325° oven to simmer.

Whether it's on the stovetop or in the oven, check your meat every half hour or so, turning it in the braising liquid. When you can pull the meat apart with a fork, it's done.

What liquids can I use to braise?

You can use a variety of liquids to braise. Beef, chicken or vegetable stock. Wine, red or white. Beer. Juice from canned tomatoes. Fruit juice (apple juice is especially good with pork). Milk.

A classic French coq (chicken) au vin uses red wine as does boeuf bourguignonne. Pork loin braised in milk is an Italian classic. The American classic pot roast is usually braised with beef or chicken stock.