Praise the braise, the method of cooking meat in a wet environment (versus the dry place that an oven is). Many stringy vegetables such as leeks or endives benefit from a braise as well. If submerged in liquid, we call a braise a stew. Braising liquid may be as bland as water or as flavorful as broth, wine, beer, some juices — or a blend of any of these. With meats, the main plus of a braise is the chance to use less costly cuts, high in difficult-to-chew connective tissues; the braise breaks these down into a gelatin-rich, luxurious backdrop to all the flavorings of the finished dish. As for stringy vegetables, a braise softens them too.
Dixon’s Braised Short Ribs Of Beef
From Dixon’s Restaurant, Denver, 1997
Ingredients
- 12 short ribs of beef
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 shallots, minced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 quarts beef stock
- 1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
- 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
Directions
Brown short ribs and deglaze pan with red wine. Add shallots, garlic, carrots, onions and celery and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add beef stock, tomato paste and pepper. Place all into braising pan and cook in 300-degree oven for 3 hours. Serve with your choice of potatoes. Or add a dollop of horseradish as a garnish. Makes 6 servings.
Braised Belgian Endives
From “Provence the Beautiful Cookbook” by Richard Olney
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Belgian endives
- Salt to taste
- 1 ounce raw ham such as prosciutto, cut into matchsticks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Directions
Butter a flameproof earthenware casserole or heavy saute pan of a size to just hold the endives. Arrange them in the casserole in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste and scatter the ham over them. Place the butter fragments on top of the endive. Cover tightly and place over very low heat to sweat, checking from time to time and turning them over, until very tender and colored on all sides, 50-60 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn the endives around to coat them evenly. Pour the cream over the endives, rotate the pan to swirl the contents gently and serve.
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