View source for Braising

{{Short description|Combination-cooking method using wet and dry heat}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{About||the metal joining process|Brazing|the dish|Pot roast}}
[[Image:Braised_Ox_Cheek_in_Star_Anise_and_Soy_Sauce.jpg#file|thumb|right|250px|Braised ox cheek in [[star anise]] and [[soy sauce]]]]
'''Braising''' (from the [[French language|French]] word ''braiser'') is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first [[Browning (cooking)|browned]] at a high temperature, then [[simmered]] in a covered pot in cooking liquid (such as wine, [[broth]], coconut milk or beer). It is similar to [[stew]]ing, but braising is done with less liquid and usually used for larger cuts of meat. Braising of meat is often referred to as [[pot roasting]], though some authors make a distinction between the two methods, based on whether additional liquid is added.<ref name = "pot-roasting_oregonst">{{cite web | title = Pot-Roasting | work = Food Resource | publisher = College of Health and Human Sciences, [[Oregon State University]] | url = http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/p/potroasting.html | access-date = 30 March 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718234531/http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/p/potroasting.html |archive-date = 18 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="braise_oregonst">{{cite web | title = Braise | work = Food Resource | publisher = College of Health and Human Sciences, [[Oregon State University]] | url = http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/b/braise.html | access-date = 30 March 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090506204206/http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/b/braise.html | archive-date = 6 May 2009 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> [[Osso buco]] and [[coq au vin]] are well known braised meat dishes, and the technique can also be used to prepare fish, [[tempeh]], [[tofu]], or fruits and vegetables.
==Techniques==
Most braises follow the same basic steps. The food to be braised (meats, vegetables, mushrooms, etc.) is first pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor (through the [[Maillard reaction]]). If the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a certain amount of cooking liquid that often includes an [[acid]]ic element (e.g., [[tomato]]es, [[beer]], [[balsamic vinegar]], [[wine]]) is added to the pot, often with [[stock (food)|stock]]. A classic braise is done with a relatively whole cut of meat, and the braising liquid will cover two-thirds of the food in the pan. The dish is then covered and cooked at a very low [[simmering|simmer]] until the meat becomes so tender that it can be "cut" with just the gentlest of pressure from a fork (versus a knife).  Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a [[sauce]] or [[gravy]] as well.<ref>{{cite book | last = Buford | first = Bill | author-link = Bill Buford | title = Heat | pages = [https://archive.org/details/heatamateursadve00bufo_0/page/70 70–75] | publisher = [[Alfred A. Knopf]] | location = New York, NY, USA | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-1-4000-4120-6 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/heatamateursadve00bufo_0/page/70 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Colicchio | first = Tom | author-link = Tom Colicchio | year = 2000 | title = Think Like a Chef | publisher = Clarkson-Potter | pages = 52–63 | isbn = 978-0-609-60485-4}}</ref>
Sometimes foods with high water content (particularly vegetables) can be cooked in their own juices, making the addition of liquid unnecessary.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first= Robert J. |editor1-last= Courtine |title= [[Larousse Gastronomique]] |edition= English |year= 1988 |orig-year= French edition published 1984 |publisher= Paul Hamlyn |isbn= 0-600-32390-0 |page= 133 |display-editors=etal}}</ref>
Despite a [[List of common misconceptions|common misconception]] that braising adds moisture to meat, the opposite is true, and the appearance of moisture comes from gentle cooking breaking down [[connective tissue]] and [[collagen]], which lubricates and tenderizes fibers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Truth About Braising |url=https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6365-the-truth-about-braising |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205035202/https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6365-the-truth-about-braising |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=June 24, 2024 |website=[[America's Test Kitchen]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lopez-Alt |first=J Kenji |url=https://archive.org/details/TFL-BHCTS/page/n1/mode/2up |title=The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science |publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]] |year=2015 |isbn=9780393081084 |location=America |chapter=Soups, Stews, and the Science of Stock |access-date=June 24, 2024}}</ref>
==Braised foods==
Braising is used extensively in the cuisines of [[Asia]], particularly [[Chinese cuisine]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Tropp | first = Barbara | author-link = Barbara Tropp | year = 1996 | title = The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking | url = https://archive.org/details/modernartofchine0000trop | url-access = registration | publisher = William Morrow Cookbooks | isbn = 978-0-688-14611-5}}</ref> and [[Vietnamese cuisine]], where soy sauce (or, in Vietnam, soy sauce and [[fish sauce]]) is often added to the braising liquid.
<gallery class="center" widths="220px" heights="160px">
File:Potroast.JPG|Braised pot roast
Image:Braised_Pork_Spare_Ribs_with_Preserved_Mustard_Greens.jpg |Chinese braised pork spare ribs with preserved mustard greens
Image:Braised_Baby_Artichokes.jpg#|Braised baby artichokes
Image:BraisedPorkBelly.JPG|Chinese braised [[pork belly]]
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{Commons category}}
* [[Adobo]]
* [[Hot pot]]
* [[Jorim]]
* [[Jugging]]
* [[Kho (cooking technique)]]
* [[Lancashire hotpot]]
* [[Lou mei]]
* [[Pot roast]]
* [[Red cooking]]
* [[Stew]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Cooking Techniques}}
{{Meat|state=expanded}}
[[Category:Cooking techniques]]
[[Category:Culinary terminology]]