Redux: Braising Made Easy

Oh Sunday, how I love thee. The savory aroma of slow cooked meats and vegetables can turn a house into a home, a friend into a lover, a chill into a shiver of coziness. A nostalgic, visceral comfort alluring the senses with wispy fingers of love. These incredible concoctions can be reduced into a few simple steps and a few simple groups of ingredients, leaving behind no good reason not to give it a try.

• Brown your choice of meat (5-10 minutes): a light coating of flour, salt and pepper and a nice brown crust over medium high heat adds an irreplaceable depth of flavor. Try a bottom roast, short ribs, spare ribs, pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, sausages, pork chops, whatever looks good, whatever you like. Start with a few slices of bacon if you're feeling extra indulgent. Brown your meats and veggies in the drippings and add the crumbles to your slow cooker with the browned meat.
• Pick up those brown bits (1-3 minutes): if you aren't slow cooking in the same pan you browned your meat in, make sure you grab those bits with some stock or wine and add them to your slow cooker.
• Aromatics (3-5 minutes): A classic french mirepoix is carrots, celery and onions, but feel free to add garlic if your dish has an italian or spanish edge. These fragrant veggies can be sauteed in the brown bits first or added right to your slow cooker.
• Additional veggies (3-5 minutes): Optional additions include squash, sweet potatoes, beans, white potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, mushrooms etc. Cube them up and dump them right in. Or go completely vegetarian and skip the meat completely.
• Liquid (1-2 minutes): Braising is a method of wet/dry cooking in which the liquid comes about halfway up the meats and veggies. A mixture of stock, wine and sometimes stewed or crushed tomatoes is perfect. A splash of vinegar (balsamic, cider, red wine) can be added for a little tang. Choose beef stock and red for heavier meats, chicken stock and white wine for lighter ones. It's that simple.
• Herbs/Spices (1-2 minutes): This is the last step that takes your dish in a particular direction. Some simple cubed beef can become a burgandy (bacon, red wine, mushrooms and garlic) a goulash (sweet and hot paprika and sour cream stirred in before serving) or a simple stew. Combine white beans with squash and fresh sage, or stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic and a splash of balsamic for a red sauce. Good ancho chili powder and tomatoes transforms just about anything into mexican. Pick a direction and resist overdoing it. A couple of additonal flavors is enough, the best part of slow cooking is the complexity of flavors that naturally evolves from hours of low heat.
• Leave it alone (4 hours on high - 8 hours on low or until meat is fork tender): This is either the easiest part, if you have other things to do, or the hardest part, if you are obsessive about watching and getting hungrier and hungrier. I recommend leaving the house if you have OCD. 
• Serve: Serve stews alone, over egg noodles or with smashed potatoes and fresh parsley. Serve chilis with sour cream, chives and cheese. Serve white bean dishes on their own or with short pastas like orichiette and fresh basil. Serve red sauces with the pasta of your choice, aged hard cheeses and fresh basil. 

Slow cooking isn't just about convenience, it's about making a home smell like a home, enjoying the winter, loving your family and yourself. Make up your own combination of your favorite ingredients and watch it transform into something magical. Give your dish a name and watch as future generations ask for the recipe. This is the food memories are made from. Start your own legacy today.