Cooking Low and Slow for Fall
This Month’s Recipes: Classic Pot Roast - Oven-Braised Pork Ribs
by Katie Eckerdt
Fall is officially upon us, and with that comes the cooler temperatures and the desire to cozy up with all of your favorite comforts. One of my favorite things about the transition from the heat of summer to the crisp days of fall is being able to cook and enjoy some of my favorite comfort foods without turning my house into a sauna after slow cooking for hours. Having a meal of tender pot roast, fall apart carnitas, or juicy BBQ pork ribs is about as comforting in the cooler months as you can get.
Cooking low and slow, braising, is one of the easier methods of cooking to add into busy daily schedules. Most of the work is right at the beginning in preparing the ingredients. For the most part, braising is a pretty forgiving way to cook, so the rest of the cook time, you can forget about it. Cooking meats for longer times at lower temperatures is a great way to utilize cheaper and/or tougher cuts of meat, such as beef brisket or chuck roast, and pork shoulder or ribs. It’s a pretty simple cooking method that gives you a tender, flavorful meal at the end of not a whole lot of effort.
As simple as it is, there are a few things to keep in mind to make the most of your low and slow meal. First, pay attention to the cut of meat that you use. Braising, as a method, is used primarily to tenderize otherwise tough and less desirable cuts of meat. Each cooking method is best for certain types of meat. If you use a cut of meat that is already tender, cooking it low and slow is going to make the meat tough and dry instead of the tender, juicy meal that you want. Definitely stay away from tender cuts, like steaks and loin, and stick with heartier cuts, such as ribs, brisket, roasts, etc.
The easiest way to make the most flavorful braise by only taking the time to do one extra step is by searing your meat. Searing the outside of your meat before adding liquid will help retain the natural juices in the meat, as well as leaving you with delicious browned edges and crispy bits. All of that extra flavor will really take your braise to the next level.
Another thing to keep in mind for the best results of your braise is to make sure that you are using an appropriate amount of liquid to cook in. The main reason that you want to be wary of the liquid about, is that the meat will need to be mostly submerged in the cooking liquid to cook evenly and tenderize properly. If there is a full chunk of meat sitting outside of the liquid for any significant period of time during the cooking, it will not be as tender as the rest of the meat that had remained submerged. Of course, the other great reason to make sure your braise has enough liquid is the sauce. Many braises use the liquid from cooking the meat as the basis for a delicious sauce to compliment your meal.
Along with keeping enough liquid in your braise, you want to make sure to bring the ingredients to a simmer before putting your braise in the oven or crock pot. The biggest reason to bring the temperature up to simmering is just to keep the cooking consistent and cut the time. If you put your meat and liquid straight into the oven, it will spend the first hour or more just getting hot enough to start cooking, and not actually doing any cooking.
This set-it-and-forget-it cooking method is a fantastic way to bring warmth and comfort to your home as the days get chillier. Just don’t completely forget about it, and try check to it every now and then! Then again, the delicious scents swirling around your cozy kitchen will probably bring you back to your oven time and time again.
As always, I welcome your feedback… how you liked the recipes listed here, what recipes you’d like to see for future newsletters, or things you are curious about. Connect with us online too!
Bon Appetit!
Chef Shana
Ready, Set, Eat!