Braising Can Take the Chill Out of Winter

by Mark R. Vogel

I am not a winter person. But I must admit, there's nothing like a hearty winter meal followed by a good brandy or a hot cup of tea in front of the fireplace.

Historically man consumed rich and robust fare in winter to counter the cold and add some thermal padding. Culinary anthropology aside, I simply love spending a cold winter Saturday or Sunday preparing soul warming fare that fills the house with its embracing aroma.

It starts with a technique called braising. Braising refers to cooking food, often meat with vegetables, in a relatively small amount of liquid, at low heat for an extended period of time. If you cover the food completely with liquid it is then known as stewing.

The cuts of meat most suitable for braising are ones that are tough, (frequently used muscles), are attached to the bone, and have at least moderate amounts of fat. The best choices include the shank, chuck, brisket, and short ribs. Cuts from the round are tough and can be braised but their fat content is too low to produce the same quality.

Well exercised muscles contain more connective tissue which serves to hold the muscle fibers together. Surrounding the connective tissue is a protein called collagen. Time, heat, and moisture breaks down the collagen into gelatin, the substance that brings body to stocks and decadently lavishes your palate.

However, as the proteins in muscle tissue cook, they tighten and squeeze out their moisture. This actually reduces their tenderness. However, the gelatin, as well as the fat in the meat, more than compensate for this loss of succulence. A tender cut of meat with low fat, such as from the loin, would taste terrible if braised.