Page 116 - YC Cooking School

Mastering Meat 2

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Top tips for braising like a pro

Braising and stewing. What’s the difference?
Braising and stewing are the two slow cooking methods we’ll cover in this course
(we’ll tackle stewing in our next lesson). The only real difference between the
two is the amount of liquid that the meat cooks in. For stews, the meat is
completely immersed in liquid, whereas braises only need a small amount of
liquid and are often cooked in the oven. For both techniques, a long, slow

simmer is what you’re after. By taking it slowly, you’ll get spectacularly sticky and
delicious results.
Brown your meat first
When braising, it’s important to brown your meat before you slow cook it. The
caramelised goodness that you get on the meat and the golden bits that remain
on the base of the pot are essential flavour boosters. Browning your meat will
also give your dish a magnificent colour. To achieve the best browning results,
preheat your pot or pan to a high temperature before adding the meat.
Use flour to thicken your sauce
Coat your meat in a small amount of flour beforehand so that the sauce

becomes lovely and thick. The added bonus with this is that your meat will
brown better as well.
Give your pan some breathing room
Overcrowding your pot or pan with too much meat will reduce the overall heat,
making your meat turn from deep red to grey instead of a delicious caramelised
brown colour. If you don’t have space to brown all your meat in your pot or pan
at once, brown it in batches.

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