"Slow food tastes good."

I love to braise food. Period. I was taught to love to braise food from Chef Thompson and Chef Bucci from JJC, two Chefs who may love to braise more than I do. But the reason I love it, and the reason they taught me to love it, is because it takes a humble piece of protein (and vegetables!) and breaks them down in a way that makes them luxurious and delicious to eat. Now, who wouldn't love that?!

I do think that a lot of people don't take the time to braise the correct way. Honestly, a lot of times we shortcut braising at our house on weeknights. If you finish it right, it can be done! But, that's for another blog post. ;) Today, we do it like the French!

Steps to a braise:

1. Mise en place. I gather everything I need and get it on the counter. This helps me make sure I have everything I need to make the dish in the first place, and leaves everything available to me at the time that I need it.

Ingredients:

aromatics: mire poix (onion, celery, carrots), garlic, ginger, herbs, etc.

protein: something with some good connective tissue and some fat, like a chuck roast, chicken thighs, or pork shoulder

flavorful liquid: wine, stock, orange juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, tomato juice, etc.

The other reason I love braising so much is because the flavor combinations are endless. There is really no set recipe for braising, the browning of the ingredients and seasoning throughout each step and then finishing with a slow and low cooking approach is really the magic here.

So, first thing is first. When we're talking about flavorful liquid, stock is the place to start. Make your own, and the results are more flavorful than the store bought stuff. Just the color of homemade stock vs. store bought stock speaks for itself. Don't have several hours to make your own stock? You can order some from the FCS shop (see how it's made below)!

Next thing I do, before I mise anything else, is get the protein browning in a cast iron pan. Proper browning of protein is what flavors the entire dish. It can sometimes take 20 minutes to properly brown the protein you're using if it's something like beef short ribs or pork shank, so you might as well get that going and then start on everything else! Once the protein is browned, remove it from the pan and add just the mire poix (large chunks for long cook time so you don't end up with super mushy vegetables at the end). Let the mire poix or other vegetables of your choice get nice and brown around the edges (this requires leaving the vegetables to cook in the pan WITHOUT stirring too often). Then it's time to add the rest of the aromatics like garlic, ginger, whole herbs like thyme, and then I threw in some tomatoes. As a rule of thumb, wet ingredients like tomatoes go in right before the flavorful liquid.

At this point, it's time to thicken things up with a roux. I sprinkle the flour directly onto everything I have in the pan, then I drizzle in some bacon fat (any flavorful fat will do here) to get the roux to the right consistency. Once the flour is starting to slightly coat the bottom of the pan, it means the raw flour taste has been cooked out of it and it's time to add the flavorful liquid.

In our house, we always start with wine. Get a nice deglaze going, then any flavor boosters like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce are great, and then a nice dark stock. Depending on the cut of meat, the pan used, and how large of a braise you're making, the liquid amount will be different every time. Ideally, it will go 1/2 to 2/3 as high as the meat that is being braised in the pan. Then, cover with foil and a lid and put it in the oven at 350 degrees UNTIL TENDER. There's no exact timing on this, especially given the varieties of meat than can be braised.

I decided to make some mashed potatoes to go with this braise, and I went ahead and took the liquid from the braise after the meat was tender and reduced it (skimming the impurities off of the top with a spoon during this process for a more refined sauce) until it was nappe (thick enough to cover the back of a spoon) and then mounted in some butter and added a squeeze of lemon juice, and season to taste. So simple, but the sauce turns out so good.

I have to say, the end result is always delicious. You know how I know? Because it's a very slow process. And, as Chef Thompson always said, "Slow food tastes good." The silver lining here is that during the whole process, the smells lingering in the house, the warmth coming from the range as the ingredients saute, and the sounds of the popping and sizzling as everything cooks together are enjoyed by everyone in the kitchen. These elements in the kitchen paired with the end result of braise is where the true magic is, if you ask me.