Braising is a cooking method where meat or vegetables are first browned in a little fat, then slowly cooked in a tightly covered pot with a little liquid over low heat for a long period of time. This method of cooking is great for tough cuts of meat since the long slow cooking tenderizes the meat by breaking down the sinewy connective tissues without breaking down the muscle fibers while adding flavor at the same time. Here’s how it works. Muscle fibers consist mainly of water. When muscle fibers are heated, they contract and squeeze out the water causing shrinking and drying out.

Connective tissues consist mainly of collagen and when heated also contract and squeeze out water. However, when the collagen in the connective tissues reach a certain temperature it melts into a rich flavorful gelatin. The dry muscle fibers then absorb this flavorful gelatinous liquid and braising is complete. Braising can be done on top of your stove or in the oven. Check out my Braised Pork with Brown Cabbage or Ossobuco for examples of this cooking method. Make sure to use a tight fitting lid on your pot to prevent the liquids from evaporating.