6 Braising Mistakes Most Beginners Make
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
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0:00 Episode premise
0:41 Why do we braise? (Technique Breakdown)
5:21 1 - Choosing the wrong cut of meat
8:36 2 - Not braising long enough
9:55 3 - Braising and eating on the same day
11:18 4 - Not using enough braising liquid
12:04 5 - Undersalting the braise
12:45 6 - Experiment with flavors
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MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A6400 w/ Sony 30mm f3.5 & 18-105mm F4
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro
Affiliate Disclosure:
Ethan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to [Amazon.com](amazon.com/) and affiliated sites.
I'm a trained chef and I know a lot of theory, but this is explained wayyyyyy better and in more detail than any chef has ever explained to me coming up through the ranks.
Related to #2 perhaps: Not bringing your braising liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven. Ovens aren't very efficient at bringing liquid to a boil, so you waste a lot of cooking time just bringing the temperature up.
Depends on the oven I guess. Here in UK you can get ovens delivering up to 7kW of heating power (230 Volts at 32 Amps on a single phase), I have a 5kW oven and it boils big tray of water from room temperature in less than 10 minutes.
@@AuxHex well the more surface area the faster it goes
My counter to that is you have to account for the ramp up time if you're not gonna heat up your liquids. Chuck flats 3 hrs 350, remove and vent and let cool at room temp has never failed me.
Gas oven is better.
@@safuan2009 In the oven, use a lid on your container. Dutch oven, all-metal pans with all metal covers Aluminum foil.
It works to keep the moisture in
Ethan, please know that we who have been subscribing since the early days love your content, appreciate your insights, and are super excited to see your channel grow to bigger heights! Keep doing what you're doing. We're all behind you!
Thank you so much! I'm glad to have found a like-minded community of home cooks to come along the journey. I can't wait to see where this all goes in the coming years.
@Thomas Richardson such as?
@Thomas Richardson disagree.
You've worded this way better than I would've been able to, so I'm hijacking your comment to express my happiness. The content on this channel keeps true to its roots, and I love it oh so much. The production quality is the only variable and it's on a slow and steady climb up, which is quite something as the quality wasn't something to scoff at.
I love this channel. I love its host. I learned to love cooking and I learned to understand cooking on a whole new level. Ethan, you're the best. Thanks for giving regular folk like myself all these amazing ways to cook straight up feasts both for dinner parties and average weekdays.
@Thomas Richardson the titles are straight forward and exactly what the videos are about lol.
Definitely the BEST explanation of a cooking method I've ever watched. So many chefs bypass the science of cooking. Understanding the science for a "science-head" like me, makes the education stick in my head and I will never need to read a braising recipe again..thanks!
Hey Ethan, could you add temperature in °C on screen while you talk about it in F?
Makes it easier to follow as a european :)
I second this! It would be a small gesture that would help a lot
Just google the conversion......
Just take the F temp, subtract 32, and then multiply by five ninths. What could possibly be easier? ^.^
@@kevinpowers3907 no need to be an ass
Ethan, I have been cooking out of necessity for my family since I was barely ten, have owned a restaurant, and have been obsessed with watching/learning other people’s technique since staying up late to watch Emeril or Good Eats, and this was the best explanation I have ever heard for braising. Very well done. I learned from this. Love your content.
I thought this too. So well explained
Im chuckling because this was my first video by him and i totally commented and compared him to alton brown!
Your comment hits home for me. I also have been cooking for my family out of necessity since a very young age, and grew up choosing to watch good eats and food network instead of cartoons. I haven’t owned a restaurant yet, but I have been a lead cook. 🤜🤛 Glad we kept our love for cooking!
Cooking meat to perfection is the best way to honor the animal that gave its life so we could live another day. Great video, thank you.
I never thought of that. And you’re totally right. No more half-assing for me!
The animal didn’t give its live…it was taken.
@@NoahMartin2000 Which one? :-)
@@NoahMartin2000 Ah! Got it.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpsonpeople think we controlled the evolution of our food but history and food science show that we ourselves evolved alongside our food
Braising and slow cooking are my favorite methods to cook for sure.
One day I had an exam in the morning, but also decided to make beef ribs that day. I woke up early, prepped and put the ribs in the oven, went to college and passed my exam, and then came back, finished the ribs and they were amazing!
Just because it takes 4 or 5 hours to cook it, doesn't mean you need to be there for those 4 or 5 hours (especially if you cook it in the oven).
A great trick when the braise is not done in time is to transfer the meat to a pressure cooker and let it cook under pressure for a half hour or so. The last few years, I've been making most of my braised dishes in the pressure cooker (a stovetop Fissler pressure cooker from Germany). I cook it with the nearly the normal amount of liquid, and after it's done, I let the juices reduce and concentrate. It turns out just as good as slow braising (often even better) in a fraction of the time.
My grandmother swore by her German stove top pressure cooker!! She was born there & was one tough cookie! Holy moly could she cook.
This is easily one of the best vids you've made so far man, and you almost always make bangers. I know understand exactly why a braised pork belly I made for ramen last year failed so miserably, and I'm looking forward to trying again after fixing some mistakes you pointed out for me.
On the upside, if you remember a bad dish from a year ago, your regular cooking must be good! 👍
Are you a real estate agent from Australia?
What did you do to fuck up?
I've been skillet cooking, just dropped in a tri tip sirloin two pound roast, i seared it for two minutes each on all sides, now I've added water one cup to start, put lid on, now cooking @ 170 - 200 degrees, continue to cook on low heat for bout 3- hours for tenderness, u will have to add water as it evaporates, the last hour u add carrots & potatoes., In closing be patient for tenderness.! Enjoy!
I just bought a huge half loin sirloin pork tenderloin cut of meat and was wondering about braising it, so amazing that you happened to put out this video. Then you stop in the middle to warn me not to braise my sirloin....it felt like you were talking directly at me. Thanks for that.
One of my favorite braised dishes is duck tacos. I use muscovy duck, which is leaner and tougher than a peking duck, and braise it similarly to how one would do carnitas. Crisp under the broiler and server with typical taco accoutrements.
Being a home chef boils down to two fundamentals - sourcing ingredients and technique. This was an excellent video on technique. I love diving into the chemistry and physics, the understanding makes me a better cook. Thank you.
shut up!
I'm about 4 vids away from conquering CZcams, and this is one of the best I've watched. Thank you
A really clear breakdown of what might occasionally go wrong with a cooking technique that everyone insists is super simple. I really like that you didn't tie your discussion to a single recipe but instead discussed the finer points of the technique itself. Your video has taken all of the "hit or miss" out of braising and given me an excellent practical understanding of the process to use as a base for experimentation. Really appreciate it! Thanks so much.
I never thought cooking had so much science behind it… I usually kinda just throw stuff in my pan and hope for the best 😂
Thankfully a lot of it happens without us really needing to think about it, but I find it super interesting to understand what's going on because you'll start to see all these similarities across techniques, cuisines, etc which is great for making more informed decisions as we cook!
Facts
You can do great cooking without knowing the science. Where knowing the science comes in handy is when you get thrown a curve ball (can’t find an ingredient, grill isn’t getting up to temp, etc.) and you have to figure out how to fix on the fly.
Ethan, just wanna say thanks for everything. I found your channel about a year ago when I was looking for whetstone tutorials, and slowly went down the rabbit hole of cooking and educational videos. My wife agreed to do most of the cooking this year, but after finding out we’re expecting our first, I took up the mantle again with a (much) pickier audience.
I’ve been getting better and have been trying new things every day in the kitchen, and I can’t thank you enough. ✊🏾
I used to braise only occasionally as it takes so long. Then I got an Instant Pot pressure cooker and now I do it all the time. My favorites are chuck roast, osso buco and I make pork ribs this way too. (I'd do beef ribs this way too, but they don't fit in my pot. All come out tender, juicy and flavorful. Hint: try using Guiness instead of water.
i've been slowly developing as a cook(being homeless without a kitchen is quite a hindrance on that end) but when i find successes i tend to find confirmation from people like you and adam ragusea to confirm for myself what i was doing right and to reinforce those good practices. you're doing the lord's work lad.
Proud of you buddy
You are homeless but have a PC or smart phone?
@@francostacy7675 yes
How are you doing now? Have your skills and home situation improved?
@@francostacy7675I take it you know very little about actually needing to save money. Tons of minimum wage jobs require a smart phone or PC to do things like receive schedules or request time off. Access to the internet also gives you tons of resources that can be life changing. Even the most poor of countries in the world have smartphones.
Thank you for the best explanation of brasing I've ever heard! Now I just need to concoct a good brasing liquid.
I'm starting to think that Ethan has cameras in my kitchen. Every time I make something and I think "I need to learn more about this process" or "I want to learn how to make XXX" he makes a video on it. Braised some chicken on Monday (video posted 2 days later), did some deep frying two days before the deep frying video, and he made a video about ramen the day after I was lazy and made some instant ramen and thought "Man I wish I could make better ramen!" Please keep answering my questions before I ask them!
Pan sauces with this format would be a good idea next :)
Great explanation of what is happening with this cooking technique. Personally, I have been experimenting with a cheap chuck roast and turning it into mouth-watering birria tacos. It is fairly easy to do, and the juice is worth its weight in gold!
Big science guy and I love how in depth you went on the science behind the braiding process. 10/10 🔥🔥🔥
wow man, your videos are so well produced there's no lacking information , a real master class on braising!
My favourite braise is inspired by carnitas. pork shoulder, a paste of chilli cumin garlic oregano chipotles in adobo, and then some oranges and stock or water and cola or molasses for the liquid. It's easier to manage than having to confit a whole pork roast in lard and you can make a delicious taco sauce with the leftover braising liquid
It's perfectly fine to just braise with no seasoning at all, and do a quick fry in some spicy oil before you serve. I even reserve the tallow that forms on top of the broth for deep frying potatoes, something not recommended if you used seasoning in your braise. The broth itself, being a liquid, is very easy to add flavour to as you need it. Great if you cook different flavour profiles.
First Brian Lagerstrom, then Adam Ragusea, and now Ethan. It truly is braising season
When we used to braise chuck flats in the restaurant, we would leave it in the braising liquid for several hours to reabsorb the liquid. If you pull it out right away to rest on a cooling rack I find it's significantly drier and not as flavourful.
Love your work Ethan - congrats on the success of the channel!!!
I would love it if you would cover either:
- the Confit method of cooking (especially a duck leg or chicken thigh confit recipe) or
- Middle Eastern cuisine, especially shawarma
Two quick ideas there. Keep up the great work and enjoy the holidays!!!
Hi Ethan. Thanks for this video. I am an engineer and a science guy at heart but I love the kitchen. Always fascinating to get behind the physics, chemistry, and in some cases biology of what works in the kitchen. I am also a big hunter, so given that game meat typically is lower in fat (especially venison, but also in feral hogs) and generally tougher than equivalent farm-raised cuts, braising is my biggest go-to. My favorite is to take a whole venison neck braised with stout beer-based braising liquid. I use a standard mirepoix (celery, carrots, onion, garlic). Between the big neck bones and all the connective tissue on the neck, you get a wonderful sauce with deep, rich flavor. Absolute favorite in my family!
From Cork, Ireland...I will do exactly what you say....Beamish stout of course, being Older, better and from Cork!
Cosmic alignment! I have 2 lamb necks to braise today. Never did lamb necks before and watching your video this morning gives me more confidence
serendipity.
This answered A LOT of my questions about past failures! Thanks!
This is wonderful! All week I have been thinking about trying braising for the first time but have been nervous about doing this right. After watching this I feel a lot more confident, and can't wait to start experimenting with a chuck roast this weekend.
This is funny because braising is the simplest, most fool-proof cooking method there is.
It's basically just boiling meat for a couple hours. You really can't screw it up. Literally every other cooking method is harder.
Have fun!
YOU ARE A GODSEND. I enjoy the other cooking channels on CZcams for different reasons. One of my biggest reasons I keep coming back here is I get to learn about food. I’m not the type to not press the red button just because you told me not to, I need a reason why! You give me that “why” and “how” and it is turning me into a very good cook and I am so grateful for you! Please never stop. Do you have a patreon?
Perfect video for today. I was planning on making a red wine braised beef roast and this helped me avoid mistakes I’ve made in the last
Got to love how he always goes into the science of cooking. Another awesome video to help improve my cooking skills.
Best brazing tip: before you go to sleep, sear your meat and aromatics, pour in liquid, bring to simmer, put in oven on 80°C = 175 F. Go to sleep and after 8 to 10 hours you have lunch prepared. No need for containers. Never was dry or overcooked. Before lunch I just take the meat out of liquid and reduce the sauce.
Grandmas old tip was to prepare this and go to bed. Low and slow is always the trick.
Jewish style beef brisket slow braised in the crockpot for twelve hours (give or take). Not only was the meat itself one of the best things I've ever made the sauce (which was kind of sweet/savory almost BBQ sauce but not smoky) was amazing. I was putting it on almost everything for a week after the brisket itself was gone.
Beyond its particular value on braising, obviously, this is pretty much a near-perfect instructional video. The steps are there, the pitfalls are listed, but it also extends the technique outward into the realm of possibility so you can use it freely and adapt it as you wish. Absolutely first rate, sir. Bravo.
The thing I love the most about this channel is how much you get into the underlaying process so we can play with it.
Absolutely loved this format, great content. Would love some more ideas as to ways to experiment flavor wise. Lamb shank in an Indian curry sauce, goat cut in some kind of Indian curry, pork butt in birria seasoning / chili’s, etc. Would be great to have even a follow up video or even a minute on the end that talks more about specific pairings that would make great meals using the cooking method. Anywho, Thanks for the awesome content
My sister and I were having this conversation just yesterday. How is something cooked in liquid dry? Excellent video, thank you.
Excellent. I can't wait to try out these tips.
“Busy with something” = laying on the couch scrolling. Too real! Great video Ethan.
Man, I love your channel. You do such a good job of explaining things and making it easy to understand, and approachable. Super happy I found this channel.
You hit the perfect level of detail in this video. You got into the science of why braising works and then left us with practical pragmatic information.
Recently braised lamb shanks in pomegranate juice, chicken stock, and a splash of balsamic for the liquids, paprika, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cloves, and salt for the rub, and bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, cherries, plums, thrown in for more flavour, on a bed of carrots and sweet onions.
Probably the best meal I’ve ever had.
This is fantastic resource you've given us Ethan,thank you!
If possible could you make a video in the future about how to use a pressure cooker for making braised meats?
I've been trying my hand at it and it's quite promising but I've really appreciate some pointers.
I made the mistake of making a braised dish for a family holiday dinner last year while getting there on time relied on someone who's notoriously late to most events, and ended up starting my braise almost 2 hours late. I had to make everyone wait an embarrassingly long time to eat. Thankfully I've tried this dish on a few other occasions that worked out well, but I'm definitely going to start doing these things a day ahead.
No internet when I was a young cook. I did have foodie parents and grandmas from Ye Olde Country who shared their skills, but dang I wished I’d had this kind of content a long time ago. I say bring back Home Economics and make it mandatory for all. Thanks, Ethan.
the best video ive seen about meats. thank you for sharing sir
I have made brisket once and it came out perfect. It was considerably more simple too.
I prepared a fail wrapping for the meat, there was an overlap where I would eventually fold the two sided over twice to seal the meat and etc.
I sat the meat in this foil “boat” sealing the ends.
Then Input a heap of sliced onion on top, thin strips, sliced pole to pole. The pile of onions was almost as large as the meat.
I held the top of the foil up so it was ready to seal and added lots of L&P Worschesterahire sauce, sealed it up, then placed it in the oven. I cooked that at 250F(110C off the top of my head) for hours and hours. I was in no hurry.
Simple was good. It tasted like I had done much more.
Unless you absolutely have to have the meat in one large chunk, portioning the meat into smaller sections will reduce the braising time.
For a modified boeuf bourguignon, I braised 1kg of brisket two days ago in just under 4 hours in my oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. The brisket was portioned into 3 inch cubes, seared on all sides before immersing into the braising liquid, and remained pink by the end of braising.
Absolutely love your teaching style. Informative, straightforward, with not only instructions but the rationale for those instructions. Thanks so much. I’m doing the short ribs today for dinner tomorrow.
As always thanks for a super informative video you put in all the research and break it down excellently to make it very understandable
I lived in and near Switzerland for over 30 years and braising was a big deal there. You’ve explained it so well here. One thing we used to braise was breast of veal - sometimes with a stuffing inside. It was very inexpensive, but tasted divine.
So helpful. Everybody should watch this before braising. Thanks
So proud of you and the progression your channel has made
Thank you so much for this video. VERY few people would be able to explain and understand these chemical processes and explanations, and this makes cooking much more interesting. Amazing video, Ethan - all the best!
Thanks for the great tips. I definitely need to use more liquid the next time. My favorites braising dishes are either an italian osso bucco or the typical german Beef Roast, a chuck roast with onions, carrots and maybe some celery as aromatics and red wine and broth as liquid with red cabbage and bread dumplings on the side - and some even marinade the beef in vinegar for a few days before to turn it into Sauerbraten
Super helpful, thank you so much!
Looove the detailed explanations!! Thanks!
What an outstanding breakdown. Very thoughtful, mindful of the beginner, and well done.
Great job!
I made the pickled red onions and they turned out killer! gonna have to try some other recipes from the channel! love the content my man
Appreciate the detail. Thanks!
I keep learning something new from each of your vids Ethan. Thanks very much for the tips. This will certainly help me fix the issues I've had with braising. Cheers.
Ethan you popped off on this one. Love the level of detail in these explanations and will enhance going back to watch the short rib video (just in time with them currently in the fridge).
Thank you. You’re a food chemist !!! Learned tons !!!
Made some braised short ribs because of your video last month. They were absolutely perfect.
It would be interesting to see a video about every way to fail an emulsion. I have been struggling with cacio e pepe and other cheese sauces and would love to see visuals that would explain why I ended up with glue instead of a sauce
I second this
if your sauce is clumping up, add some of the starchy water from the water you boiled your pasta in, extremely good pro tip i learned from kenji j lopez-alt, might want to look into it yourself though i suck at cooking
Add some of the leftover pasta water a bit at a time and stir/mix until the lumps are gone.
Just discovered this video a few weeks after trying to braise beef short ribs for the second time. I definitely made more than one mistake on this list. The end result was OK - nothing to complain about - but it was disappointing to spend that amount of time and money and get an average dish. This definitely motivates me to get back at it and correct my mistakes. I love the part at the end about experimenting with the flavor profile as well. Good stuff!
Excellent tutorial...THANK YOU!!
Great explanations man
this is such a crucial step in good cooking, thanks for the clear break-down of why it is so necessary. Very good content.
Amazing content as always. You help us all raise our cooking game, thank you!
Great video Ethan. Always love your content. Thanks for sharing.
I love the science aspect you bring together with the practicalities. I've watched several of your videos, and they are all great!
I’m learning like crazy from you Ethan! ❤
Thank you for the informative science and excellent tips Ethan!!🙌🏼 We braise a Persian dish with chicken thighs, onion, tomato paste, saffron, garlic, turmeric, water or chicken stock and serve with basmati rice. So delish!!😋
I just came across this channel and I'm so excited!! Thanks Ethan
This an several other your videos actually inspired me to braise the beef (I was only eating chickens or pork for the past years). And the taste + texture are incredible, not to mention very small time investment comparing to the amount of meat for the week. Thank you!
Also I did it in a rise cooker, if someone is interested, it works like a charm. It has lower electricity consumption comparing to oven or stove
Really good video!
I really like explanations about how things work like this. Then we understand better what's going on and how to do things better.
I had no idea what braising actually was until now - even though my mother's braised beef was one of my favourite dishes.
Thanks for clearing that up!
I always learn new things from your videos Ethan which definitely expanded my cooking knowledge!
Fabulous video. Well explained and fairly complete. Personally, I will normally sous vide all my tough cuts then sear before serving. This works well for me, particularly with beef short ribs
I love learning about the science behind cooking! Thanks for making entertaining and educating content.
Always love the vids Ethan, you’re definitely one of the best food channels on youtube!! Keep up the outstanding work!!
In Brazil, we have a perfect cut for this, we call it "Cupim", which is a cut that comes from a specific type of cattle we have here called zebu, which has a hump from where this cut comes from.
Thanks, I find this a very helpful guide. There is a Korean style of braise that does not call for browning. Rather, one blanches first (yes, blanch, in water). Look for galbi jjim recipes. I recently made Maangchi's version for my family and we all agreed it was delicious...moist, flavorful, great texture. I did take an extra step and chilled the cooked meat for a few hours before reheating in the broth.
Very informative, Ethan. Thank-you. I didn't connect the dots between cooking a brisket, which I've become quite good with, and braising a chuck roast. I enjoy cooking for my family and they're very patient with my experiments. Christmas? Braised short ribs, on mashed potatoes, with a side of confidence.
Merry Christmas.
Really nice! In Germany, we grow up with braising. I learned it from my (grand)mother and never had trouble. Now I know why. Thank you!
One thing: Using meat tenderizer (the crystal/powder stuff in the shaker you buy from the store) has a VERY distinct taste. The papain (& OR) ficin enzyme is extremely potent to taste when used in the concentrated form. Using natural ingredients is always preferred. Using the concentrated forms are way more detectable to the palette.
I love braising shin beef and oxtail together in red wine and beef stock for about 18 hours. After removing the bones, serve with horseradish mash potatoes and winter greens 🤤
Thanks for great overview
The big Chleblowski for the win. Love the video. I have been a chef for a pretty long time (ugh I'm old) and this is one of the better braising videos I've seen. Comprehensive and engaging and it made me hungry.
Can't wait to try!
Great, concise video. I've made all the mistakes, oddly enough when following the recipes I used to the letter. I am excited to try again following the instructions in your video!
Haven't made pulled pork for a while but a friend suggested blanketing the meat and liquid with parchment as well as seal the dutch oven/lid edge with foil. It was a lot more moist and just as tender. I always used pork shoulder, so a good amount of connective tissue and fat.