Braising is a cooking method that lie between roasting and stewing and requires both heat and liquid to tenderize the meat. To braise the meat sucessfully, the chef must understand that temperature is the most important factor in the braising of the meat. If the heat are too low, the collagen within the meat will not convert to gelatin.
However, if the heat is too high, the liquid will boil and the meat will become more tough. Meat contains collagen, which must reach 160 degree to convert to gelatin that will make the meat tender and silky in texture. To braise the meat, the chef must control the temperature of the oven to ensure that the heat penetrates the meat even.
How to Braise Meat
300 degrees is an ideal temperature for braising because the heat will penetrate the meat but the liquid will not boil. Using an oven instead of the stovetop allows the meat to cook even from all sides and prevents hot spots that can occur on the stovetop. Additionally, using an oven allow the chef to cook the meat without having to continually stir the meat.
Another important factor in braising the meat is the amount of liquid that are used. The chef should not submerge the meat in liquid. However, the meat should be covered halfway in the liquid.
Covering the meat halfway allows the top of the meat to brown while the bottom of the meat remain moist. Submerging the meat in liquid transforms the dish into a stew and waters down the flavor of the meat. Additionally, different liquid can be used depending on the type of meat being braised.
For instance, the cook can use red wine when braising beef while cider can be used for pork. The acidity of the red wine enhance the beef while the sweetness of the cider balance the pork. Certain cut of meat require different times and temperatures to ensure the tenderness of the meat.
For instance, beef chuck require long cooking times with steady heat to become shreddable while the cooking times for chicken thighs is shorter with a lower cooking temperature. Many cuts of meat require the internal temperature to reach past 200 degrees as many cuts of meat is high in collagen. To ensure the meat reaches this temperature a thermometer can be used and a fork to test the tenderness of the meat.
Braising has a specific sequence of steps to follow to ensure the meat is seasoned and browned proper. First, the meat should be salted ahead of time to season the meat and to dry the meat so that it can brown proper. The chef can then sear the meat in batches to ensure that the exterior of the meat is browned but not crowded in the pan as this will prevent browning.
Additionally, the chef can deglaze the pan and the liquid can be added to cover the meat halfway. The pan should then be covered with a tight lid to ensure that the steam remain in the pan to tenderize the meat. Additionally, other vegetables can be added to the braising process but not all at the same time.
Root vegetables should be added early in the braising process to allow for the vegetable to soften while the green vegetables should be added at the end of the braising process to avoid overcooking the vegetables. Additionally, the meat should be allowed to rest after braising to allow the juice to redistribute within the meat. The braising sauce can also be reduced to thicken the sauce.
Following these step and maintaining the proper temperature for braising will allow the collagen within the meat to transform into gelatin resulting in tender meat.