All Praise the Braise

I have to confess - I didn’t think too much about braising until the task master at the restaurant suggested that we have one or two stews on the menu. Sure, my mom made beef stew or, on occasion, goulash, but I was never really impressed. So, when I needed to come up with some ideas for the menu, I went back to my culinary school textbook and Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking for inspiration and education. The more I experimented, the better my stews became. The other chef got excited about braising, too. Soon we were making Moroccan lamb stew, boeuf bourguinon (beef braised in burgundy), braised short ribs, Yankee pot roast, chicken stew with biscuits, heck, we were even braising greens! I was ready to retire the sauté pan and dedicate myself to the Dutch oven!

So what is this miracle method that can transform tough, inexpensive cuts of meat (game included) into fork-tender, delectable morsels of goodness? Briefly, it involves slowly cooking seared meat with aromatic vegetables in some liquid. A stew is like a braise, but the meat is cut into bite-sized pieces before they’re seared.

I’ll be talking about several braised dishes and stews as we develop our menu, but first I want to introduce an indispensable piece of cookware, the Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are heavy cast-iron pots with tight-fitting lids. Usually, in contemporary kitchens, Dutch ovens are enameled. The most expensive examples are the “French ovens” made by LeCreuset where a 7.5-quart oven sells for about $250.00, hardly a pot for the budget conscious! The Lodge company sells American-made Dutch ovens starting at $39.00. I’d recommend getting a 7-quart size. Check yard sales and thrift shops and grab a couple if you find them at a good price.

Dutch ovens are great for braises and stews, no doubt, but they’re also great for chili, red sauce, breads, biscuits, and desserts. People love the Dutch oven so much, there’s even an International Dutch Oven Society! It’s the most used pot in my kitchen.

Goulash

1.5 pounds chuck cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 pound)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup tomato juice
3 cups beef stock (may need an extra cup to adjust thickness of gravy)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, optional

Heat oil in Dutch oven and brown meat thoroughly. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions become soft. Stir in paprika and cook for a minute or two. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Gradually add tomato juice and beef stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to a 325 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Skim away excess fat before serving.

Serve with buttered egg noodles and garnish with lemon zest and sour cream, if desired.