Braising against the cold

During the winter months, braising takes center-stage in my mind. When we're cold, nothing is more comforting than a hearty dish with intense and bold flavors.

In China, where climate and topography dictate the culinary styles, braising is a popular cooking method of the north notorious for its long, harsh winters. Slow cooking the tougher cuts of meat, whether lamb or pork with assertive spices such as star anise along with the depth of flavor provided by soy and rock sugar, makes for an ideal dish that fills and fortifies against the elements.

In the midwest and east coast, we don't need to guard against the elements with food, but there's an undeniable allure of a slow cooked dish, succulent and full bodied - characteristics best delivered through braising. That's what you get with our teriyaki ribs - tender-fall-off-the-bone quality accented with star anise.

You'll learn through trial and error that the two most important elements of slow cooking lie in temperature and the braising liquid. The Chinese slow cook in a wok, which of course can be done in your home, but nothing beats the even distribution of heat and the precision of an oven or crock pot. Cooking slowly is a neccesity of using a tougher cut of meat - a low temperature over a period of time melts away the fat and connective tissue resulting in that characteristic velvety mouth feel associated with slow cooked meat.

A rich, full bodied braising liquid is important for infusing and creating depth of flavor. Think of Chinese red cooking - immersing a whole chicken or other meat in a liquid of dark soy sauce, wine, orange peel and rock sugar - and then you'll get a sense of the importance of the braising liquid. We use a part of this method for our tea smoked pork.

First, we season the meat with Chinese five spice, salt, and sugar and wrap it tight for 24 hours. On the next day, we braise in soy sauce, rice wine, Sichuan pepper and rock sugar - just like the authentic red cooking method. The next day, we smoke over black tea, jasmine rice, and sugar. This month, the pork accompanies the special entree featuring all natural chicken and Chinese mustard greens.

No matter what cut of meat is used for braising, quality is still an important consideration. It's worth the extra effort of going to the butcher or ordering from a small farm online for a higher quality meat. I love the heritage organic pigs from Becker Lane Farms which we use for specials. Look for well marbled meat.

Right about now, you're probably thinking recipe. Start with pork belly, pork shoulder, oxtail or bone-in short rib. You can marinate it (see above) or sear it first but it's OK to pass this step. Reach for a dutch oven or a small roasting pan. Combine dark soy, rich chicken or beef stock with Chinese rice wine, a few star anise, a good knob of ginger, a few crushed garlic cloves, some rock sugar and a good splash of black vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and braise covered at 275F for two to three hours depending on the size of the roast.

Uncover for the last hour. Reduce the braising liquid and serve as a sauce. The dish is done when the meat can be easily pierced with a fork.

Let me know if you have any questions.