Slow, steady cooking brings satisfying results. Learn the ways of the braise.

The technique of braising slowly breaks down tough cuts of meat and makes them tender. After an initial browning on the stovetop, the meat gets sealed in the pan under a tight-fitting lid with a little bit of liquid and is cooked in the oven at a low, steady heat (from 30 minutes to 4 or 5 hours, depending on what you’re cooking). The reward is falling-off-the-bone meat and a savory sauce.

Ironically, tougher cuts of meat yield the most tender and flavorful braised dishes. Shanks, ribs, and chuck or round roasts tenderize during a long cooking, while lean cuts like chicken breasts or beef tenderloins would simply dry out.

Vegetables are no slouches when it comes to braising: Even dried lentils turn into a rich, seductive dish. Endive, eggplants, peppers, carrots, turnips, kale, and green beans are other great candidates for this technique.

To get started, choose a heavy-duty shallow pot or a deep, straight-sided pan with a secure lid. The pan should be wide enough to accommodate the meat snugly in a single layer and deep enough so that the lid fits tightly. The ultimate payoff of braising is the comfort it brings both in its enticing aroma, and at the table.

The basics of braising

1. Browning
Brown the meat (preferably in the same pot in which you’ll be braising it) in a single layer on the stovetop in about a tablespoon of olive oil, and transfer to a plate when done. Don’t rush it. The more developed the color, the deeper and more concentrated the flavor of the braise will be.

2. Deglazing
Add aromatics like garlic, shallots, and hardy herbs such as rosemary and thyme, and cook until fragrant and golden. Deglaze the pan with wine, dissolving the tasty brown bits that are stuck to the pan. Add the braising liquid, such as beef broth, and bring to a simmer.

3. Slow cooking
Add the main ingredient back to the pan, cover tightly with a lid, and move to the oven. Cook until the meat and/or vegetables are fork-tender.

4. Finishing
Remove the meat or vegetables from the pan, transfer to a large plate, and cover loosely with foil. Reduce the remaining sauce on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened enough to barely coat the back of a spoon. Lower heat, add meat back to the pan, and simmer for about another 5 minutes to heat through.

Braised Roast With Root Vegetables

Prep: 30 minutes; Cook: 3 hours, 6 minutes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds beef roast, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon allspice berries, crushed lightly
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed lightly
1 cup dry red wine
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup less-sodium beef broth
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
1 1/2 cups carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnips
1 1/2 cups fennel bulb, cut lengthwise into 12 wedges

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Season beef with salt and pepper, and heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear beef thoroughly on all sides, about 5-6 minutes per side, until it is a deep, mahogany brown. Transfer the beef to a plate.

2. Add garlic to pan with allspice berries and fennel seeds, and sauté for 1 minute to release fragrance. Pour in wine and scrape up bits left in the pan. Add rosemary, bay leaf, and beef broth, then add beef back to the pan and bring to a simmer. Top with onions. Cover tightly and transfer to oven.

3. Cook for 2 hours in oven. Remove pot, flip beef, and add remaining vegetables in with the meat. Cover again, and cook for an additional 45 minutes.

4. When beef is fork-tender, transfer meat to a cutting board and arrange vegetables on a large platter. Cover both with foil. Uncover pot and reduce juices on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then transfer to a sauceboat. Slice roast thinly across the grain, and arrange on the platter. Serve sauce alongside beef and vegetables.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces meat and 1 cup veggies)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 277; FAT 12g (sat 4g,mono 5g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 25g; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 63mg; SODIUM 143mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12g