Culinary Arts 101 | Cook | Eat | Drink spring 2017 issue 01 | Page 3

the story of the braise
Home cooks stumble over the process until, finally, they unlock the secrets of time, temperature, patience, and skill.

In today’s world having a beautifully braised hunk of beef is found primarily in higher-end, fine dining restaurants.

Braising is a cooking method that transforms tough cuts of meats into tender and delicious meals.
Braising relies on a combination of two cooking techniques, dry heat cooking, and moist heat cooking. We use the dry heat cooking method to sear the exterior of the meat, causing the browning of proteins known as the Maillard reaction. Then we apply moist heat cooking to break down the collagen which tenderizes it.
When I met my fiance, Mikey, the first time I cooked for her I prepared red wine braised short ribs, sauteed brussels sprout leaves and potato puree.
The short ribs were glazed with the reduction of the cooking liquid, blended with red wine and fresh herbs. The braised short ribs are tender, juicy, and full of flavor.