Braising & Stewing

One of my favorite cooking methods is braising, you get such deliciously tender bites from the otherwise tough cuts of meat. On top of that you get the richest sauces as a by product of the cooking process. So on to what braising and stewing are. Braising is a combination cooking method using dry heat (searing in oil) and moist heat (cooking in liquid) to create a fork tender finished product. Braising is used for larger cuts of meet, like roasts or lamb shanks, and short ribs. Their are a few steps that must be followed to braise properly.
1. Pat meat dry or dredge in flour. You do this so the meat sears nicely.
2. Sear in the brazing pot until browned on all sides.
3. Remove the meat and add mire poix and any additional vegetables you want to saute.
4 Add meat back in and fill with stock 1/3 to 1/2 way up the meat. Add in any herbs you want.
5. Simmer (not boil) for 3-4 hours.
6. Remove meat when fork tender and continue simmering the sauce until thickened. You don't need to and a thickening agent like flour or cornstarch, if it is not thickening puree the sauce with the vegetables to create a natural thickener.
7. When sauce is thickened, slice meat and serve.

Stewing is a combination cooking method like braising, the difference is that the meat is generally cut into pieces and is always fully submerged in the cooking liquid. Stewing also has a thickening agent added, like a roux (equal parts fat;butter and flour cooked for about 6-10 minutes) or in some less creative kitchens cornstarch :( . In both cases the important steps are searing the meat and simmering long enough to have tender melt in your mouth pieces of meat and vegetables.

Some classic dishes for braising are Osso Bucco, good old American Pot Roast, Swiss Steak, Coq Au Vin, and Beef Bourguignon.
Some classic stews are Chicken and Dumplings, Beef Stew, Gumbo, and a family favorite from my childhood Hobo Stew. Yes Hobo Stew will be the recipe of the day. Now a little background on hobo stew, it is a different recipe any where you get it. The basic premise is everyone gathered together during the depression and brought an ingredient to the table, they where all tossed into a pot with some water and boiled into a fine meal for everyone to share. This has now been adapted to a lovely name for camping food.
Hobo Stew al a David

1lb Stew Beef, or ground beef if you are broke.
1-2 Large russet potatoes, or a handful of red potatoes. Cube into 1/2inch pieces
1 onion diced
1 20oz can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 Carrot diced/ you can use a parsnip instead or along with.
2 Stalks of celery diced
2tbsp Dried Italian seasoning or
1 Sprig of fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
1tbsp Fresh Basil, oregano, sage and rosemary minced fine.
1tbsp Oil for searing
TT Salt & Pepper
Here's where the recipe gets fun. Add any of these to change it up:
1c Corn
1c Peas
1c Green Beans yes I put them on here!
1c Mushrooms sliced
1c Any cooked beans
1c Cooked lentils.
and basically anything you have in the fridge or pantry.

1. Season ans Sear the meat until nicely browned on all sides.
2. Add the Onion, celery, carrots and cook for four minutes with the beef.
3. Add all other ingredients and cover with stock or water by 1 inch.
4. Let simmer for a few hours and serve with a few slices of sourdough.

First Day in the Kitchen!!

Well yesterday was the first day we actually cooked in the kitchen. It was a moist cooking method day: Shallow Poaching and Steaming. The point was to learn technique rather than create a stunning dish, so no pictures. We poached two breasts of chicken and steamed two breasts of chicken. A few things you need to know before you poach. One, shallow poaching is a moist heat cooking method where the item being poached is half covered in liquid. The poaching liquid is flavored with aromatics (herbs, spices, and flavorful ingredients) usually a mire poix (50% onion, 25% carrot, and 25% celery) some white wine, and any fresh herbs that you desire. Two, the temperature of the poaching liquid needs to stay between 160 and 180 degrees. This can be measured visibly, the surface of the water will move but there will be no bubbles breaking the surface. Using liquid any hotter will be simmering, which is to harsh a cooking method for the delicate cuts of fish that are usually poached.


Steaming is also a moist heat cooking method, though the item being cooked is not submerged in any liquid. You flavor steaming liquid the same as a poaching liquid (that's right no plain water here!). Steam cooks through convection (heat rotating around an item) and is one of the most versatile cooking methods. You can steam a single item or dozens just by adding more liquid to the steamer and placing the items appropriately (you want air flow around each item).


Now that the boring facts are done, here's what we learned. Poaching an item imparts flavor deep inside, where as steaming an item leaves the natural flavor intact and imparts flavor only on the surface. So steam already flavorful items, and poach items that need a boost. The recipe for the day is a special type of steaming.


En Papillote: French for cooked in parchment.


Halibut en papillote with summer vegetables.


2 Fillets of Halibut


2 pieces of parchment paper


1 Yellow squash (crookneck or straight) sliced in 1/4inch rounds


1 Zucchini sliced in 1/4inch rounds


1/2cup Sliced mushrooms.


1/2 Yellow onion sliced in rounds


1 clove of garlic minced


1 Sprig in each packet Fresh Thyme


2tbsp Butter


2tbsp White wine or dry sherry


TT Salt and Pepper





1 Preheat the oven to 400* and put a baking sheet in to heat.


2 On right side center of each piece of parchment layer; thyme, garlic, onion, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and the halibut.


3 Sprinkle the halibut with salt and pepper to taste. Fold up edges of parchment place 1 tbsp of butter on top of fish and pour one tbsp of wine in each packet.


4 Fold left side of parchment over and crimp the edges, the final product should look like this.



5 Place on preheated baking sheet, and bake in oven for 8-12 minutes, the tough part is knowing when it's done. Usually the bag will puff up and turn tan or brown.


Hope you enjoy if you decide to make it, i picked this dish because all of the vegetables are in season.