When times are tough, the tough meat gets braised.
Braising — cooking slowly with moist heat — is a classic method used to tenderize tough cuts of meat, or to add rich flavor to less expensive poultry or game.
Even if you don't know what "braising" is, chances are good that you've probably done it. Although you might refer to your Sunday pot roast as "roast beef," it was actually braised.
And Utah's popular Dutch oven cooking, as well as the Crock-Pot, use the same concept of slow cooking in moist heat.
Braising is very "in" right now, even with folks who can well afford tenderloin or lobster, judging by the menus of some of the posh dinners given during Sundance. The Food Network's "Iron Chef" Cat Cora served braised beef short ribs at a dinner for actor/comedian Chris Rock. STK chef Todd Mark Miller's lunch for Spike Lee included braised short ribs with parsnips and sunchokes.
And the Chefdance dinner cooked by Zane Holmquist of Stein Eriksen Lodge included Rocky Mountain elk osso buco, another braised dish.
"To be quite honest, if you know how to prepare them, the lesser cuts can be more luscious," said John Lindenauer, a Bon Appetit chef cooking with Cora at the dinner for Rock. "They have more collagen because they come from the animal's shoulders and legs, where the animal works the muscles more. So when you bite in, it's rich, viscous and so good in the winter."
Cuts of meat that come from the animal's legs and shoulder are tough. By using some braising liquid and keeping the cooking temperature near the boilingpoint of water for a long period, the tough collagen converts to gelatin. This is the protein responsible for the tender, rich meat and thick sauces of braised dishes, according to "Best Slow & Easy Recipes" by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
To get a caramelized, "roasted" flavor, most recipes first start out with searing the meat before the long simmer. Then you add some type of liquid and cover with a lid. The moisture will steam and cook the meat while the melting fat adds juiciness.
Braising takes time, often several hours. But you are eventually rewarded with fall-off-the-bone tender meat, with a rich, flavorful sauce as a bonus.
Also, once the meat is in the oven, you're free to turn to other tasks, since these dishes don't require much attention during the lengthy simmering time. Meanwhile, the tantalizing aromas and heat from the oven cozies up your kitchen.
The technique of braising speaks many languages. Irish corned beef and cabbage, Indian-style chicken curry, French chicken fricassee or coq au vin, and Italian osso bucco are all examples of braised dishes. Chicken cacciatore is "hunter's chicken" in Italian; it's the preparation hunters would use with whatever was available after a day of hunting wild game.
And how about those fabulous tacos and burritos made of shredded beef, chicken or pork? Yes, those meats are braised as well, said David Prows, executive chef for the Costa Vida Mexican restaurant chain.
To make the company's shredded beef, Prows uses a bottom round flat beef roast, "which is an underutilized piece of meat," he added. "But when I braise and brown that meat, the fat disappears and I'm left with a delicious pulled beef product. If you were to try to broil it like a steak, it would be as tough as boiled owl."
The shredded sweet pork is made from the cushion, a less-expensive cut from the pork shoulder.
"We don't trim it, because the fat content caramelizes and adds flavor to whatever you're cooking," Prows said.
One tip when braising, said Prows, is to sear the meat along with mirepoix. This is a French term for chopped-up celery, carrots and onions that add aroma and flavor.
"You're caramelizing the outside of the meat, and you get all the little 'stickies,' or drippings in the bottom of the pan. Then you add the liquid and let it simmer, so you've got all that flavor in the same pan."
And don't let any of the braising liquid go to waste after the dish is cooked, Prows said. Pur? all those bits of meat and veggies and add it back into the meat.
"I always tell people they can add enough liquid to make extra stock to keep in the freezer, to add to their next dish," he said.
A lot of people simply use a little water for braising, but the liquid also can act as a flavoring agent, be it chicken or beef stock, wine, fruit juice or even soda pop.
"It's no secret that some of the best barbecue sauces use Coca-Cola or other sodas for caramel color and for the flavor," said Prows. "But I've also made a sweet pork using apple juice or grape juice. And those bottles of peaches that a lot of Utahns have on their shelves can add a lot of flavor when you're cooking meat."
Prows didn't divulge the recipe for Costa Vida's signature sweet pork; suffice it to say that the techniques and ingredients would be hard to duplicate in a home kitchen. However, we made a composite from the various "copycat" recipes out there that are similar to what is served in local quick-casual Mexican restaurants. You can tinker with it to your liking.
Braising Cuts
These are cuts of meat to look for that lend themselves to braising. Keep in mind that terms may vary depending on the supermarket and the butcher.
BEEF
Full-cut round steak
Eye round steak
Bottom round steak
Chuck shoulder steak
Boneless shoulder steak
Chuck 7-bone steak
Chuck arm steak
Bottom round roast
Rump roast
Eye round roast
Shank Cross Cuts
Beef Brisket
Short ribs
Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs
PORK
Shoulder boneless butt roast
Boston butt roast
Country-style ribs
Pork chops
LAMB
Shanks
POULTRY/GAME
All cuts, and also many types of game meat.
Source: National Beef Cook-Off, American Lamb Board, National Pork Board
Sesame Root Beer Braised Short Ribs and Sweet Potatoes
Root beer adds sweet and spicy flavors, and sesame seed add a crunchy finish.
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into serving-size pieces
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 ribs celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 medium onions, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
1 12-ounce bottle root beer
1/2 cup water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons toasted sesame seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Coat short ribs with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof saucepot on medium-high heat. Add the short ribs; cook 5-10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from Dutch oven.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven on medium heat. Add garlic, celery, onions and parsnips; cook and stir 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add root beer, water, bouillon cubes, tomato paste, vinegar, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of the sesame seed, salt and black pepper; bring to boil, stirring to loosen browned bits in bottom of Dutch oven. Return short ribs to Dutch oven, partially covering short ribs in liquid. Cover.
Braise in preheated 300°F oven 2 hours. Add sweet potatoes; cover and braise 1 hour longer or until short ribs and sweet potatoes are tender. Skim fat from liquid.
Divide short ribs and vegetables among serving bowls. Top each with the cooking liquid, or sauce. Sprinkle short ribs evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame seed. Serves 6.
SIMPLE POT ROAST
1 3-4 pound boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into 2 pieces, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme leaves, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 cups beef broth
Pat the roasts dry with paper towels and season withsalt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, and brown the roasts of all sides, 7-10 minutes. Transfer roasts to a large plate. Add remaining oil and cook onion, carrot, celery, until softened. Stir in garlic, sugar and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broths and water, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer.
Nestle the roasts in the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover. Place the pot in the oven, andcook at 300 degrees until the meat is very tender and a fork poked into it meets little resistance, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning the roasts every hour or so.
Transfer roasts to a serving platter. Skim fat from the braising liquid, then bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat until thickened and saucy, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice roasts against the grain and spoon the sauce over the meat to serve.
Option: You may add baby carrots, chunks of potatoes, parsnips or sweet potatoes to roast during the last hour of cooking.
— Adapted from "The Best Slow & Easy Recipes," by Cook's
Illustrated Magazine
CHICKEN CACCIATORE
1 4-pound chicken, cut in pieces
3-4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 14-ounce can chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sweet marjoram
1 8-ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms, about 2 cups
Dredge chicken with flour until well-coated. In a large, deep frying pan or pot, heat the olive oil and saut?chicken over high heat until golden brown. Add the shallots and garlic while the chicken is browning, and cook until golden. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer the chicken, covered, about 1 hour, or until tender. Serve over boiled pasta, rice or new potatoes.
— Adapted from "Joy of Cooking," by Rombauer & Becker (Plume Books)
SHREDDED SWEET PORK
4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder butt roast
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 20-ounce bottle Coca-Cola, may be caffeine-free but not diet
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder, or to taste
2 small cans green chiles
1 19-ounce can red enchilada sauce, medium heat
1 cup salsa, medium or desired heat
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
In a large roasting pan or pot over medium-high heat, cook pork with onion and garlic until pork is lightly browned all over. Pour in Coca-Cola, sprinkle on the salt and cumin. Cover and cook at 275 degrees for 5-6 hours (or place in a slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours). Pour off of the liquid and vegetables into a pan, allow the fat to rise to the top and skim off. Remove bones and any large pieces of fat, and pull the meat apart using 2 large forks. Mix chiles, enchilada sauce, salsa, brown sugar and the pureed liquid. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and the sauce is thickened. Add cilantro and mix with pork.
Use in tacos or burritos as desired. Makes 5-7 cups of shredded pork.
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com