Ask Kenji | how can I tell if my braise is done?
Vložit
- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- How can I tell when my braise is done?
A great question sent in by Olivia Erlkksson from Sweden.
Check for my newest #askkenji column over at New York Times Cooking for a more detailed explanation and all of my testing notes. And if you’ve got more questions you’d like me to test and answer, leave them in the comments! - Jak na to + styl
I appreciate Kenji taking 8+ hours to braise some beef just to answer this question with excellent visual cues.
@@cameodamaneo if you managed to stay for an entire 3 minutes you'd see the example of an 8 hour braise
@@pamfrombrentanos9537 didn't expect to see a roasting recipe up in here
@@cameodamaneobro attention so short that they can’t even stay for a 4 minutes video
i bet he went the extra mile and ate it too, really took one for the team
also, despite advising against it, he still braised it for 8 hours to use as an example. so OP was correct
Kenji, you're taking your game to a new level recently and I've really been loving to see it. The presence of your work is a true joy and I'm pleased to see you branching out continuously.
That detailed and nuanced answer is what sets you apart from everyone else. You answer with a reason why and how instead of going "yeah, just go 2 hours for this and 3 hours for that." Thank you :)
I've watched tons of cooking shows for decades and this is the most helpful "how do I know it's done" I've ever seen. So many recipes & chefs use vague phrases for doneness, temperatures, etc. They forget that pro-chefs were trained to know what the proper cook is for a particular food or ingredient but home cooks were not. More of these, please & thank you! 💕
I love that not only you answer when it's good but also why.
This video drops while I’m braising beef. Kenji you god send!
Kenji you have NO IDEA how much I wish you'd posted this last week when I pressure cooked a corned beef roast into a state of total rubber...
You might have actually undercooked it. I did some corned beef last week, but forgot to get it braising, so I looked up some recipes for the pressure cooker. 90-100 minutes at high pressure in a electric pressure cooker yielded beef that was just right for me, tender, but not falling apart. Much longer, and I'm guessing it would be more like shredded beef. A lot longer and I guess it would be dry...but falling apart.
Love the explanation of the logic behind the decision making
I really really appreciate all your videos man. Seriously I watch every one and always feel like I learn something. Thanks kenji!
The difficulty I sometimes have is not knowing when to start checking (if it’s tough, is not cooked enough or cooked too long?), so this is extremely helpful: start checking at 2 hours and feel and watch as it shows the signs of increased tenderness, then stop!
Thanks Kenji!
Great idea for a series, love your channel Kenji! You're my go-to for any culinary questions
I really like how you address these issues. Thanks.
you are always the most comforting person to see. thank you so much for everything that you do
Thank you for your lovely compliment. I hope my recipe was able to help you in your cooking
Very educational and clear. This will definitely be something I try to aim for next time I do a stew
Hey kenji, one of your recent insta posts really reframed my perspective on something. I attribute my recent thoughts on this topic to that post, and think that I have a healthier outcome as a result. Anyways thanks for being transparent and always having a positive message in your content :)
Great series!
awesome vid as always! can you test the break down of potatoes cut into different sizes? in one of your videos you mentioned that when cut to small pieces, potatoes don't cook the same as the pectin forms a 'glue'. would love to see that tested in various forms and timeframes. god bless you Kenji!
Or YOU could do this video yourself!
@@wideeyedraven15 if I had the time and motivation to record and edit videos I would love to do that.
Hi Kenji, I've always wondered what the difference between braising meat in an oven as you described vs braising in a pressure cooker. After reading the food lab I'm lead to believe that it should come out dry with the higher temperatures but people get good results out of pressure cooking. Is this just due to the fat and connective tissue in the meat keeping it moist?
Kenji, you're the best. I've learned so much from you in the past couple of years (P.S the books are amazing).
Great content very clear and informative
Also, keep in mind that if you’re going to let it rest and/or cool in the braising liquid, carryover still applies here, so if you’re trying to avoid that shredded texture, it’s best to undershoot slightly. This is why I prefer a gentler braising temperature (at least towards the end), so that you have a larger window of opportunity to hit perfection.
Great video chef!
I click open a new tab to convert F to C, and the legend just adds the C temperature. Great stuff!
Love this style of video - super informative
Follow-up Question. Does using a pressure cooker shorten the time it takes to braise meet? If so by how much and how does it do that? How do you check the tenderness in a pressure cooker without letting out all the steam and having to repressurize if it's not done?
Meat does tenderize faster in a pressure cooker. From my experience, I can braise chicken to secondary breakdown way faster in a pressure cooker than doing it in a pot. It's what I do when I make chicken bog. The chamber is pressurized in a pressure cooker, so the only way to check is to to depressurize, letting out the steam. I've found timing of things checking online and experimenting. One thing that's nice about pressure cookers is that they are super consistent, so once you have the timing down it's easy to get the result you want on repeat.
another question. How much of the meat is submerged in the liquid as opposed to exposed? or does it not matter
this is super helpful
what about other meats like poultry or pork? is it the same process just different times?
I also thought that when I was young, Kenji!
Hi Kenji! Appreciate the visuals. Do you think the same principles apply when pressure cooking or are there other things to consider? I sometimes dry out meat on the Instant Pot 😅
To some it up in the words of chef john: Fork don't lie
Love the visual demo! Could you talk a bit about how this breakdown process is similar or different if you pressure cook beef and want to get it to the same texture as a braise? (Is that even possible haha)
Thank you. "Use your sense of touch" is the truest answer to this question. Obviously your meat thermometer is no help. This is science without technology.
Hi Kenji, how does the liquid we choose to braise in effect these times/outcomes?
I was about to ask about temps and then you gave them. haha 😆
Do you look for anything in particular for beef you're looking to braise? Grassfed? Prime? Etc.
You mainly want fat and connective tissue. Grade shouldn't matter too much as you're rendering it out anyways and braising is usually done with cheaper cuts anyways.
Hey 👋 I’d like to know if you’ve tried using mayo as a pre emulsified element in pasta sauces and alike? Like, could it be used to help hold cacio e Pepe sauce together?
Is it possible to grill octopus without braising it or boiling it and have it still be tender? I love how grilled octopus tastes when it hasn't been braised or boiled but just grilled (like they do it in Greece!). I have tried to use the method Nobu Matsuhisa describes in his cookbook where you remove the slime in the suribachi and then tenderize it using a radish (without the boiling step) and this yields a really good tasting grilled octopus but the texture is still a little chewy. I have also tried sous vide but it ended up tasting fishy and lost a lot of liquid. Sorry to ramble but I figured if anyone can crack the code of succulent grilled octopus it would be you. As always, thanks so much for all you do for us...
Pretty sure they beat octopus against the rocks to tenderise it if you're keen to skip the braise
For it to be tender it has to be cooked either very quickly or very slowly. Anything in the middle will be tough. :-)
Kenji quick question, can you make sushi rice without sushi vinegar? Are there any workaround techniques or substitute ingredients?
I love this video, great as always
Question, why can beef stay tough, no matter how long it's braised? I live in Germany and start to think it's the meat here.
Exceptionally lean meat will go very quickly from undercooked t i over cooked because there’s no fat or gelatin to keep it insulated and lubricated.
Wait is that for a whole chuck roast or did you piece it up?
What about monitoring progress by temperature vs time? There's just so many variables by time that is an issue I see most often.
Should you continue to add more braising liquid as it evaporates?
Presumably the size of the pieces of meat also affects how long they take to braise?
Kenji,
Could you please shed some light on a wave of videos I’ve seen on social media particularly in regards to leaving fruit soaked in a solution of bi carb soda and water.
The discourse is that it will “remove” any remaining pesticides from fruits purchased at the supermarket.
Sounds like nonsense to me.
My #askkenji question is: is it possible to do the velveting step for stir fry meat in air fryer?
I only have access to lean brisket in my country. It always turns out too dry and mediocre at best following American bbq guidelines. Any suggestions on how to improve it?
I've been living at almost 7000 feet for a while. Pasta takes longer, water boils at lower temp, etc... I've been adding time to recipes like Basque Cheesecake, pies all kinds of stuff. Is it all by feel, trial or what? Thanks:)
Heya Kenji. Not sure if you'll see this but I was wondering when you state an oven temp do you mean conventional or fan assisted?
Conventional and convection oven doesn't really affect food inside a dutch oven much. Since the fan just circulates to help keep air flowing, but food isn't exposed in a dutch oven and the pot itself creates a barrier that helps maintain an even cooking temperature.
Is this the same with some sauces like a Ragu for example? There are definitely ‘authentic’ recipes out there that tell you to simmer the meat in the sauce for 8+ hours
The hanger steak flex 💪
Such an informative video and a joy to watch, as always. Question: Could you talk a little slower please? The subtitles don't help, as they move just as fast as you talk, plus the white on white issue. Thanks :)
Wouldn't this be similar to low and slow BBQ if you set your oven to around 250F? If so, while cooking pork roast at those temps, when the meat reached 195 to 200, I'd pull it off and it was tender and still juicy. I'm just wondering if a braise is any different? A thermometer seems like a dead on accurate solution.
Tenderness for braise and bbq is a function of temperature and time, not just temperature. You can get fully tender meat well below 195 to 200 and it’ll be juicier than meat cooked that hot so long as you give it enough time.
The idea of pulling bbq at 195/200 works because by that point you’ve basically guaranteed it’ll be there long enough to tenderle but it’s not the only way that works, and it’s not the juiciest way.
It works especially well for pork shoulder or moist brisket because the have so much connective tissue. A flat brisket done at that temp comes out super dry, for instance.
Hi Kenji
Is it possible for you to make a video about tonkotsu ramen. Read your serious eats post and would love a video about it. Or could you recommend a video already posted. Thanks
Thank you for your lovely compliment. I hope my recipe was able to help you in your cooking
im assuming i can apply the same concept to lamb?
Sure. Just make sure it has either fat or connective tissue like a shank.
Love the short form content! Great to see. I really appreciate you making short form content (that's not so short it's useless). This is exactly the kind of thing I can use to convert friends into foodies!
Does anyone know if the same applies to goulash? I've always been under the assumption that the longer the better but I guess that's kinda wrong.
Same!
But what is actually happening that causes the meat to dry out when it's overcooked?
Proteins tightening and squeezing out juices. Like a tube of toothpaste.
@@JKenjiLopezAlt Ah, I see! Thank you so much for the reply.
Would this hold true for all beef cuts? Or are there certain beef parts that are not at all suitable for praising? I find that whenever I buy the grocery store beef chunks specially made for braising, they always come out dry, no matter the cooking time.
Braising works best on what are traditionally considered "tough" cuts: muscles that tend to work a lot, so they have a lot of connective tissue. Some fat makes it tasty. Beef chuck is the classic braising cut. A lot of the other tough cuts get ground down. I'm not sure what the grocery store "stew" chunks are, but grab a chuck roast next time and try it (even if you cut it into chucks for stew).
So fork around and find out basically :)
😂 yes exactly.
He is realy inernatioal
Usa to swdeen and israle
Anybody ever try steaming beef? Just hit me I’ve done dumplings, chicken… never beef
FIRST
4 hours!!!? Jesus why people don't use a pressure cooker? It's way faster and the results are the same
literally just pull some out and taste it lmao