Hello Season to Taste Community!!
The weather has eased into fall so nicely, and it's one of my favorite cooking times of the year: Braising Season! So, I thought I’d give you the lowdown on what exactly a braise is, why it’s so awesome, and why the whole world seems to be all about birria these days… Let’s jump into it!
What is Braising?
Braising is simply a cooking technique where you sear something—usually a piece of meat—and then cook it until it’s tender in a flavorful liquid. Straightforward, right? Now, let me get into a few more specifics to help you fully understand why it’s so special.

All cooking methods fall into two categories: Moist Heat or Dry Heat. Moist Heat Cooking relies on some form of moisture for the heat transfer (the cooking process), be it steam, water, stock, wine, juice, milk—whatever. On the other hand, Dry Heat Cooking uses some form of oil or fat to transfer heat to the food. The major difference here is that with fat, you can cook at much higher temperatures and produce The Maillard Reaction, which is essentially the browning of proteins. The Maillard Reaction is why we love roasted, grilled, or seared proteins and vegetables, toast, roasted nuts, coffee, and even chocolate! It’s one of the few places in cooking where flavor is produced during the cooking process. So, it’s pretty important to understand!
The Maillard Reaction

The Maillard Reaction can only occur between roughly 280-330°F. The moment you have water (or a water-based liquid like stock, wine, juice, etc.) present in your pot, pan, or baking dish, the hottest temperature you can reach is 212°F—because of physics (that’s the boiling point of water). So, no Maillard Reaction can happen when water is present—there’s no way to get a sear.
One of the magical things about braising is that it gets the best of both worlds. You sear your food first, creating the Maillard Reaction and all the wonderful flavor that comes with it. Then you cook it until it’s deliciously soft in a flavorful liquid that’s made even more flavorful by the sear. Pretty simple, right? But let me dive in a little further to explain what’s going on in a braise.
Types of Meat
You can braise anything—from fruit to vegetables to proteins or starches. The process remains the same, but where the method really shines is with tough cuts of meat. Let me back up a bit to explain this more clearly. In class, this is where I pretend to be a cow, pig, or lamb for a minute to explain protein types… ;-)
Think of the protein in meat as a type of spring that holds fat and juice in the center. Tender cuts/muscles (loins, steaks, etc.) are better for quick cooking methods (searing, grilling, roasting, etc.) because the spring is like a slinky—soft and tender. When you cook protein, the spring stretches out and solidifies. If cooked too much, it squeezes out the juice/fat, making it dry and tough. So, with these tender cuts, you want to cook them quickly and not for too long, or they’ll dry out as the fat and juice escape.
Tougher cuts/muscles (shoulder, chuck, rump, shank, etc.) are better suited for slow cooking methods (braising, stewing, BBQ, confit, etc.). Their "spring" is more like a corkscrew—sturdy and needing time to break down and become tender. If you try to cook these cuts quickly, you’ll end up with a tough steak, even if it’s not overcooked, because the muscle fibers haven’t had time to soften. When cooked slowly, these cuts become the star of iconic dishes across all cuisines—from Pork BBQ and Beef Birria to Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Tagine, Pork Adobo, Osso Buco, and more!
So, picking the right cut of meat for the right cooking method (fast vs. slow) is essential to letting each cut shine. If you aren’t sure whether the cut you’re buying is good for one method over the other, just look up where it comes from. As a hint: if it’s from the shoulder, rump, legs, or belly, it’ll be best for slow cooking since four-legged animals use those muscles all day for walking. If it’s from the back (loins), it’ll be tender because those muscles only engage when the animal stands on two legs—and how often do you see a cow standing on two legs? 😀
Braise vs. Stew
To recap, a braise is simply something that’s seared to develop good flavor, then cooked in a flavorful liquid. Technically, a braise is only partially submerged in liquid, allowing for some roasting effect (dry heat) on the top and stewing (moist heat) on the bottom. However, many braising recipes call for turning the meat during cooking to ensure even doneness. So, the line between braising (partially submerged) and stewing (fully submerged) is blurry. In most professional kitchens (and in my house), we often fully submerge the meat in liquid, though we still call it braising. Either method works great, and the difference between the two isn’t hard and fast.

Pressure Cooker for Speed or Slow Cooker/Stove/Oven?
Everyone loves a slow cooker recipe these days! Anything can be braised in a slow cooker, oven, or pressure cooker if you’re in a hurry. If you use a slow cooker, I highly advise you to take the time to sear your meat first. The 10 minutes it takes will add so much flavor to your final dish—it’s absolutely worth it!
Pressure cookers (a.k.a. the internet’s favorite—the Instant Pot) are fantastic for cooking tough cuts of meat quickly. If you have 1”-2” pieces of meat (bite-size), it’ll take 2-2 ½ hours in the oven (275°F-300°F), on the stovetop (at a slow simmer), or in a slow cooker (on high) to become tender. With a pressure cooker, you can get virtually the same result in about 45 minutes! For larger pieces (like a whole roast or pork shoulder), it’ll take 1-1 ½ hours in a pressure cooker, compared to 5-6 hours with the slower methods.
Both methods are great—it just depends on what fits your schedule! I usually start my braises in the morning, and by dinner, they’re perfectly tender. If you’re pressed for time, you can always prepare everything the night before and set it to go when you leave for work, so it’s ready when you get home. Or, if you’re really in a hurry, use a pressure cooker. Both methods work great, though the traditional method is a bit gentler on the protein, cooking it slowly. The results are virtually the same, except that I find the slower methods leave the connective tissue just a little softer—but that’s really splitting hairs, IMHO! Do what works best for you.
Stock
Make your own chicken stock and use it! I have a whole post (or several) on the magic of homemade stock and why it’s far superior to anything you can buy in a store. Yes, you can braise in almost anything, and you certainly should experiment, but most of the time, people use stock (often with additions like wine, aromatics, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, etc.). The better the stock, the better the final product will be. Stock is another area in cooking where you’re creating deep flavor. The store-bought stuff they call “stock” is an imposter, and any chef will tell you that (and Bone Broth is just stock, FYI)! Check out my Instagram (or TikTok) post for more on this, but trust me—using real stock is one of the secrets to amazing food, especially amazing braises.
Reuse/Save the Braising Liquid
Speaking of the delicious liquid you should braise in, don’t toss it when you’re done! That wonderfully flavored braising liquid just got even more delicious as your dish cooked. If possible, save some for your next braise, adding fresh stock to it. You can reuse and roll over your braising liquid almost indefinitely. Freeze it between braises so it doesn’t go bad. This liquid, now supercharged with flavor, just keeps getting better with each use. This process is sometimes called using a “mother” from your last braise. I have some braising liquid that’s gone through over a dozen pork shoulders—labeled “Liquid Gold” because it’s that good! Use as much of the braising liquid as you want for your meal, but if you can save a little, your future self will thank you.
Birria Everything!
Birria is the latest darling of the food media, but it’s been around for centuries as “just” a flavorful braise. I put “just” in quotes because it’s freaking awesome, but the food media loves to discover a new dish to fawn over each season. Birria has been awesome ever since someone first added chiles and love to braised meat! Not to take anything away from this classic dish (I even have a TikTok post dedicated to it), but the media often picks a new favorite every year—birria this year, cauliflower last year, Brussels sprouts before that…
Don’t get me wrong—each of these foods is amazing! You should go out and discover all the awesome flavors the world has to offer. But keep in mind, there’s amazing food out there beyond what’s trending. If what you’re eating isn’t amazing, let’s change that, together!

Wrapping It Up
That’s why I teach the basics. All the awesome food you come across—and what the media fawns over—is usually just basic cooking techniques done with love and care. When you learn the fundamentals, like how awesome braising is, you can have delicious meals every night in your own home. Once you get excited about a dish, if you know the basics, you can make it at home with ever-increasing skill. It’s my honor to guide you along that journey!
Make everything amazing because… why not? Thanks for reading! Happy cooking, y’all! And Happy Braising Season! Love ya! ❤️
Comments