Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

Say the word “braise” to most home cooks and you’ll likely get a blank stare.

Leaving out crock-pots and pot-roasts, I think it’s safe to say that the braise is rarely used in the modern kitchen. Even if you love pot-roasts, you may not know what a braise is or what it does.

A braise is a long, slow cook in moist heat. It’s great for stews and pot roasts, as it transforms a cheap cut of meat into succulent, tender morsels of flavor. It breaks down those tough connective tissues–tendons, ligaments, cartilage–transferring them to the braising liquid, building that unctuous mouth-feel we love in sauces and gravies. Technically, my In-the-Oven Chicken Stock is a braise, cooked at low temps for a ridiculously long time, and the difference shows in the results. It has a complexity of flavor you just don’t get with other methods.

Our most common mistakes in using the braise are:

1. We cook with too high a heat
2. We cook for too short a time

A braise requires patience and subtlety as we build flavors layer upon layer. However, a braise doesn’t have to take all day. Here’s an example…

Braised Pork Shanks

Makes 4 servings

This is a great way to take a cheap cut of meat and make a fantastic entrée. I gave it a bit of a Basque spin with the peppers, paprika, and herbs, but you can swap around all sorts of veg and spices to achieve a wide variety of savory dishes. What’s important here is the method: prep the meat, build the braise, and then let the low slow heat do all the work.

Hardware

• One heavy pot large enough to hold the shanks, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, with lid

Ingredients

• 4 small or 2 large pork shanks (see Notes)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 strips thick-cut bacon (preferably low-sodium/unsmoked), chopped
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 cup red/orange/yellow sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup carrots, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine, divided
• 2 cups stock (chicken, pork, or vegetable), plus more as needed
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Procedure

Prepare the Shanks

• Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C/Gas 2
• Remove any skin/rind that covers the shanks (if present)
• Tie each shank with 3 loops of cooking string/twine (this keeps the shanks “shank-shaped” through the braise and all the turning, else they fall apart and you risk losing meat in amongst the veg)
• Season the shanks with a generous sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper
• Put the large, heavy pot on a medium-high heat; when hot, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil
• Add the shanks to the pot and sear them until browned on all sides; do this is batches if you have to
• Set the shanks aside

Prepare the Braising Liquid

• Pour off all of the fat and add the last 1 tbsp olive oil to the pot
• Reduce the heat to medium
• Add the bacon, onions, peppers, and carrots to the pot; mix to coat with oil and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently
• Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until the mushrooms soften
• Raise the heat a little and add a couple ounces of the wine; cook down until it begins to crackle and spit
• Add another couple ounces of wine and repeat the boil down
• Add the rest of the wine, the stock, paprika, sage, and rosemary; stir to mix
• Add the shanks, settling them down into the liquid (they should be at least half-submerged, so add more stock if needed); bring to a boil

Braise the Shanks

• Cover the pot and put it in the oven; let it cook for 45 minutes
• Turn the shanks, re-cover, and braise for another 45 minutes
• Turn the shanks, return to the oven uncovered, and braise for a final 30-45 minutes, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender; add more stock to keep the level at least halfway up the shanks
• Transfer the pot to the stove
• Transfer the shanks to a platter, cover with foil, and return to the oven to keep warm

Finish the Sauce

• Scrape the sides of the pot down so everything is in the braising liquid
• Prepare a large bowl and strain the braising liquid through a chinois strainer or fine-mesh sieve into the bowl (or not: see Notes)
• Press the solids and extract as much of the braising liquid as possible
• Degrease the braising liquid with a gravy separator or by spooning off the fat
• Increase the heat and boil the liquid down until it starts to thicken
• Check the seasoning, adding more of any spice you think it needs

Plate and Serve

• Take the platter out of the oven, remove the foil, and cut away the twine that holds the shanks together
• Small shanks can be served whole, but large ones will need to have the meat removed for serving
• Spoon the sauce over the shanks and serve individually or together on a platter

Notes

• Fresh pork shanks are unsmoked and uncured. Do not substitute smoked shanks or ham hocks.
• You can substitute fresh (uncured/unsmoked) hocks. Some shops use “shank” and “hock” interchangeably; this is incorrect. The hock is the ankle of the back leg while the shank is from the foreleg. Either way, what’s important is that they are fresh, not cured and/or smoked.
• You can substitute veal shanks and lamb shanks. Just swap out some of the veg and spices to build the braise the different flavors of those meats.
• For a more rustic sauce (and less work), you can puree the veg in situ using a stick blender. Buzz it all up, right in the pot, and ladle away.

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