A Simple Technique for Braised Meat

Low and Slow Cooking

Hey, everyone!

Today’s post is about a technique that I use all the time— the slow braise. It’s such a versatile, useful technique to have in your repertoire. You can cook all kinds of different cuts this way, there are infinite options for flavor combinations to include, and the final product can make its way into all kinds of different meals.

The core process is simple— take a tough cut of meat, sear it on the ouside, and then cook it very slowly in liquid. The low-and-slow gentle cooking leaves even the toughest cuts fall-apart tender. The fun part comes in playing around with different liquids (water, broth, wine, beer, etc) and different flavorings (aromatics, chile paste, tomato paste, soy sauce, etc).

Today I’ll show you how to do a simple version, and the one that I do most often. I like to use a high-quality bone broth as the liquid, and a dense chile-tomato paste as the flavoring. Once you’ve got the technique dialed, feel free to play around with different combinations.

And please reach out if you’ve got any questions!

Myles

Ingredients and Equipment

To make this you’ll need a heavy-bottomed pot with an oven-safe lid. I mostly use this Made In saucier, but a Dutch oven also works great.

One of my favorite things about this technique is that it works incredibly well for a variety of different cuts. I most often use this on lean, tough cuts of red meat that benefit from the long, slow cook time. But it’s quite versatile. Just know that generally speaking, tougher and leaner cuts will require longer cook times. And chicken cooks a lot faster than red meats.

Some of my favorite cuts to use with this technique include shanks, short ribs, shoulder, chuck roast, oxtail, stew meat, neck, and bone-in chicken thighs. If you’re looking for an easy starting point, I’d highly suggest a beef chuck roast. You can sear and cook these cuts whole, but sometimes it’s helpful to cut them into large chunks so that you can more easily fit them all into your pot.

In addition to the meat, you’ll need:

• oil (I suggest tallow or ghee, since you’ll be searing over high heat)

• salt

• good-quality bone broth

• and any aromatics and flavorings you’d like to add

I often lean towards Mexican flavors when I make a braise like this. To keep it simple and easy, I like to use chile paste. I make my own with dried chiles, garlic, onion, and tomato, but Frontera make a couple of great storebought options. I’ve also used Mesa de Vida (available at Whole Foods) and it’s great.

Technique

Pre-heat your oven to 300°.

Generously salt your meat all over.

Heat your pot on the stove over high heat. When it's ripping hot, add in some ghee or tallow. Sear your meat on all sides until it's got some nice browning (you might have to do this in batches).

Once it’s seared on all sides, set the meat aside.

Turn the heat down to medium.

If you want to add any aromatics (onion, garlic, carrots, celery, fresh peppers, etc), chop them up and give them a toss in the same oil you seared the meat in. I’ll often skip adding aromatics when I’m using a chile paste, but they can be a great way to add additional flavor.

Cook the aromatics until they’re slightly softened. Season them with salt.

Tuck the meat back into the pot. Generously distribute the chile paste all over the meat and into the broth. Then add enough broth to just almost cover it, along with a big pinch of salt.

Cover the pot, throw it in the oven, and cook it low and slow for about 3 hours, turning the meat over a couple times throughout the cook. There's no set time here, as different cuts can take different amounts of time. You'll know the meat is ready when it's fall-apart tender.

Once it’s ready, pull the pot from the oven and allow it to cool, covered, for 45min to an hour. This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it will help the meat to relax and really absorb a lot of that liquid.

Once you’re ready to serve, pull out the bones (if any), shred up the meat, taste for salt, and adjust as needed. Enjoy in everything from sandwiches to tacos, rice bowls, pasta, and more.