Fall into Braising

The last few days have made Labor Day seem like a distant memory, and the feeling of fall is definitely in the air. With the chilly, damp weather, I feel like fall is here, but I'm not quite ready to roll the grill away yet. While the grill will go unused for a while, until we enjoy a Indian Summer day, today, I'm thinking of soups, stews, and comfort foods.

Braising, which is a moist-heat and dry-heat cooking technique (known as a combination cooking technique), which could easily be done in a Dutch Oven, or other large, covered cooking vessel. Braising is a brilliant cooking technique, when executed properly. The first step to a proper braise is to first sear the protein (dry-heat), which develops intense flavors because of the caramelization of the natural sugars from the meats and mirepoix (if a mirepoix was used). Caramelization is essential to creating flavor, as well as an appetizing appearance to whatever you're cooking. 

Once the item is seared, it is then covered with a liquid (the moist-heat piece of the process), and then covered with a tight-fitting lid, and left to simmer until the meat is tender. Braising is used when cooking tougher cuts of meat, which are often a more economical choice, and full of flavor. 

Many people like to use a crock pot for "braising", but I prefer to use a Dutch Oven. The beef (pun intended) I have with a crock pot is that the crock pot cannot sear the meat, which is too important of a step to skip. Therefore, you have to use a large pot to sear the meat, then put it into the crock pot, when you could have just used the large pot with a lid. If you like to wash dishes unnecessarily, then this might not be a problem for you.

The key to braising is "low and slow", using a low temperature (do not allow the liquid to boil). Cooking at that lower temperature will take a little longer, but it is essential to achieve the tender results you're looking for when cooking the types of meats that need to be braised.

While I love the comforting flavors of a pot roast or brisket, there are other delicious things that I love to braise. One of my favorite recipes is a coconut curry braised chicken, served with rice. If you like really bold curry and spicy flavors, be sure to add the spices to taste.

Coconut Curry Chicken with Rice

• 3 tablespoons (or as needed) canola oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Curry Powder
• 2 Tb. Garam Masala
• 1 Tb. red curry paste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 1cups chicken stock
• 4 carrots, sliced on a bias
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 bunch of scallions, sliced on the bias for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides and then remove and set aside. To that same pot, add the onions, ginger, and garlic and cook slowly until the onions are very soft, and caramelized.about 15 minutes. Add the curry powder, garam masalad, and chili paste. Stir; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the coconut milk and scrape the caramelized bits off the bottom, then add the chicken stock and bring it back to a simmer; cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the carrots, chicken, cilantro, and some of the lime juice; continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through (check with an instant read thermometer).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with lime juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and sliced scallions. serve with your favorite type of rice.

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