Comfort In A Bowl

'Tis the season for comfort foods, and what could be more satisfying than a hearty braise or stew?

Braising and stewing transform cheap cuts of meat into meltingly tender bites, while infusing the cooking liquids with rich, complex layers of flavor. Best of all, you can put together a meal with whatever ingredients and flavorings you have on hand, once you know the basic steps to follow.

A braise usually uses larger pieces of meat (often with the bone in) and less liquid, while a stew generally uses bite-size pieces of meat. Both methods make the most of more inexpensive cuts. A pricier (& usually leaner) cut will dry out during the long cooking time required, but an economical cut (think shoulder, leg, shank, or tail) will stay moist as the connective tissue and fat dissolve during cooking. You can always skim the fat from the braising or stewing liquid before you serve it!

1. Season the meat with salt & pepper. (You can do this a day ahead of time for extra flavor).

2. Brown the meat on all sides in a heavy pot, in batches if necessary, and set aside.

3. Pour off the fat.

4. Deglaze the pot with a little wine, scraping up all the browned bits, and reserve the liquid.

5. Cook the aromatic vegetables (any combination of onion, celery, carrots, fennel and leeks) in a bit of fat.

6. Add the meat & deglazing liquid back to the pot.

7. Add stock or water. For a braise, the liquid should come about halfway up the meat. For stew, it should almost cover the meat.

8. Add any flavorings, like sprigs of herbs (e.g. parsley, thyme & bay leaves) and spices (e.g. whole peppercorns in cheesecloth).

9. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook (either on top of the stove or in a 300F oven) until tender (usually around 4 hours).

You can play around with this basic formula to end up with any number of meals. Try marinating the meat before you cook it. Add tomatoes, potatoes or other root vegetables to the pot. Serve with dumplings or on a bed of polenta. Or season it with spices from the Middle East or South Asia. Enjoy, and let us know if you do!

*photo by jspatchwork