Braising is a surprisingly easy cooking technique that can be used to turn affordable cuts of meat into meltingly tender, succulent treats.  The basic idea is to slow roast a tougher cut of meat in a pot with a small amount of flavorful liquid until the connective tissue breaks down and melts into the sauce. 

The braised dish Americans are most familiar with is probably pot roast, but it is also often used for braised lamb shanks, Italian osso bucco, and short ribs.

Check out our Braising Liquid Recipes for some great options, all perfect for this technique.

Basic Braising Technique:

1.  Remove the meat from your refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

2.  Dry off any surface moisture & season the meat with salt & pepper.

3.  Get a thin layer of oil in an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven very hot on the stove.

4.  Carefully lay the meat into the oil and sear it on all sides to develop a flavorful brown crust.

5.  Once all your meat has been seared on all sides, remove it from the pot and set aside.  Reduce the heat to low and add vegetables (often carrots, onions, and celery (aka mirepoix)).

6.  Sweat the vegetables (sauté to release their flavor and aroma, but not take on color) until soft.

7.  Deglaze the plan with a flavorful liquid or combination of liquids.  Commonly used liquids include alcohol (usually red wine, but some recipes may call for beer or fortified wines) and stock or broth.

8.  Gently scrape the bottom of your pan while simmering the liquid to release the flavorful browned bits.  Once the liquid has reduced somewhat, add any herbs (thyme, rosemary and bay leaves are popular choices).

9.  Return the meat to the pan, add the lid, and move it to the stove to slowly cook for several hours over low heat.  Alternatively, you could do your braising in a pressure cooker on the stovetop, which will cook your meat significantly faster. 

Good Meat Cuts for Braising:
Bellies
Cheeks
Ribs (particularly short ribs)
Roasts
Shanks and Osso Bucco

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This lamb sausage bolognese is a quick yet classy version of the classic pasta sauce.

 
Ingredients
12 oz. lamb merguez sausage, removed from casing.
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Olive oil

Cooking Instructions

1. In a sauté pan, sauté onions and garlic over medium heat until translucent. Be careful not to brown the onions and garlic.
2. Add carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add sausage and sauté until cooked, about 8 minutes.

4. Add can of crushed tomatoes and simmer for 25 minutes.

5. Remove from heat.

6. Add ½ cup chopped basil, ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Put over the pasta, ravioli or gnocchi of your choice and garnish with more parmigiano reggiano and some chopped parsley.

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Lamb Spider Racks

What is a Lamb Spider Rack?

While frenched lamb racks are ready to cook and look very nice, some chefs prefer to trim theirs further into what butchers call a “Spider Rack”.  Lamb spider racks have a cleaner look for better presentation, and can be easier for people to eat too.

How to Cut a Frenched Lamb Rack into a Spider Rack

1. Trim off the surface fat and silver skin:  Drawing the point of a knife (preferable a rigid boning knife)across the surface of the fat/silverskin and peeling it back as you continue to make shallow passes up the rack towards the bones.

2. Cut between the frenched bones into the meat by another inch to expose even more bone. Remove the small resulting chunks (called “finger meat,” these can be sautéed up for a snack).

Boneless Lamb Loins

Deboning a Lamb Rack

Want boneless lamb loin meat instead?  Here’s how to debone a lamb rack:

1.  Flip the frenched rack over so it’s resting on the bones.

2.  Cut from the bottom up past the bones.

3.  Flip the rack back over so the bones are on top, and continue to cut following the bones down. 

4.  Meet your cuts in the middle and remove the bones.

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In the world of lamb rack recipes, you can’t get more classically French than an herb crusted whole roasted rack. This restaurant favorite is really easy to make at home, and a surefire way to impress guests.

Traditionally this dish uses a blend of fresh parsley with other herbs. This combination of parsley, sage, and mint is one we like, but you can substitute other fresh herbs to suit your taste and side dishes.

Drink Pairings: Mourvedre from Bandol or Tempranillo from Rioja

Ingredients: (Makes 2 Servings)
1 Frenched Lamb Rack
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced
1 tbsp Fresh Sage, minced
1 tbsp of other fresh leafy herbs, minced (for example, we used mint)
Dijon Mustard to coat
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Butter
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Stir the minced herbs together.  Season the rack with salt and pepper.

3. Coat the rack’s loin meat with a thin layer of mustard and press the herbs on to it in order to adhere as much as possible.

4. Get a thin layer of oil hot in a cast iron skillet.  Lay the lamb rack in, loin side down.

5. Sear the loin side to develop a crust, then flip the rack and move the skillet to the oven to roast.

6. Once the lamb rack has reached your desired level of doneness (8-10 minutes for medium rare), remove the skillet from the oven, take out the rack, and let it rest (covered with foil) for five minutes.

9. Slice the rack into two-rib chops, and serve with vegetables of your choice.

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Mire Poix & Tomato Paste Braising Liquid

i. Add 1.5 cups mire poix to dutch oven stirring occasionally, until caramelized
ii. Add a teaspoon of tomato paste, stir into mire poix and cook for a couple minutes
iii. Add cup of red wine
iv. Scrape the pan to release the fond
v. Reduce liquid by half to three-quarters, or until the liquid is thick.
vi. Once the braising liquid is thick, return osso bucco to pan. Rub the osso bucco in the liquid, then flip it over, rub the other side in the liquid and let sit.
vii. Add simmering stock to the braising pan. Add enough stock to cover meat half-way or you can cover the meat completely, depending on how much liquid you want in the final dish.

Port & Red Wine Braising Liquid
i. Add a tablespoon of butter to the dutch oven
ii. Add a sliced onion and cook on high until browned
iii. Deglaze with cup each of port and red wine
iv. Reduce by ¼
v. Add 1 bay leaf and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
vi. Return the meat to the pan
vii. Add 2 cups of simmering demi-glace

Classic Italian Braising Liquid

i. Add 1 cup mire poix, 3 whole garlic cloves and ¼ leeks
ii. Sweat the vegetables, but do not caramelize.
iii. Add 1 large sprig each of thyme and rosemary
iv. Add half-bottle of red wine (Brunello)
v. Add quart of simmering veal stock
vi. Do not reduce.

Garlic & Tomatoes Braising Liquid
i. Add 1.5 cups mire poix and 2 minced cloves garlic. Brown slightly.
ii. Deglaze with 1.5 cups of red wine
iii. Add a sprig each of rosemary and thyme
iv. Add 2 large cubed roma tomatoes
v. Reduce to cook down the tomatoes and until the liquid thickens a bit.

Coconut Milk Braising Liquid

i. Add ½ cup onion and 3 tablespoons each of garlic, jalapeno and ginger. Sweat.
ii. Add 8 oz. coconut milk & 24 oz. chicken stock

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Lamb Merguez Sliders with Za’atar Spiced Yogurt and Cucumber Relish

Merguez is a spicy sausage originally from North Africa. It is made with lamb and is typically prepared with chili peppers or harissa, garlic, and various other aromatic spices. It is excellent grilled and served in burger sliders. In these sliders, the nutty za’atar spiced yogurt sauce and a cooling cucumber salsa are a great compliment to the spicy flavors of the sausage.

Ingredients:

1 cup Cucumber, small dice
1/4 cup Red Onion, minced
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon Za’atar
Pinch of Salt, to taste

4 Lamb Merguez Sausages
8 Slider Buns or Rolls

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine cucumber, red onion, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. In another small bowl, mix Greek yogurt, za’atar, and salt together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Remove the casings from lamb merguez sausages. Slice each sausage in half, then form each half into a mini rounded patty. Grill until browned, for about 2-3 minutes per side.

4. Place a spoonful of za’atar yogurt sauce on each slider bun half, top with a sausage patty, and a spoonful of cucumber salsa. Place the second half of the slider bun over the salsa.

Recipe Development & Photography by Natasha Price, 5 Star Foodie

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Thyme Perfumed Grilled Rack of Lamb, Compote of Morel Mushrooms and Vidalia Onions, Grits Cakes, Nettle Purée

This dish is an excellent main course to serve at an elegant dinner party in the spring. There are several different components here, all featuring terrific seasonal ingredients. First, stinging nettles are boiled, then cooked with butter, cornmeal, and garlic to produce a thick pureé with wonderful nutty and garlicky flavors, pairing nicely with the buttery Parmesan cheese-flavored grits cakes. The lamb is prepared simply by grilling with whole sprigs of fresh thyme that result in the infusion of aromatic yet subtle herb flavor.

The most important component of this dish is the compote of morel mushrooms and Vidalia onions. Cooking morels with sweet Vidalia onions, Zinfandel, and balsamic vinegar really brings out the intense fruity flavor of morels that is very unique and delicious.

Ingredients:     (4 servings)
Nettle Purée
2 cups stinging nettles, leaves only, cleaned well (using gloves to handle)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra fine cornmeal flour
Salt, pepper to taste

Morel and Vidalia Onions Compote
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Vidalia onions, coarsely chopped
12 whole small to medium whole fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup good quality Zinfandel
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper to taste

Grits Cakes
1 cup salted water
1/4 cup grits
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Rack of Lamb
1 large rack of lamb
Extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
About 6-8 springs of fresh thyme

Directions:
Nettle Purée (yields about 1/2 cup)
1. Boil nettle leaves for 90 seconds in salted water, drain, and purée in a food processor.

2. In a skillet, melt butter on medium high heat until foamy, add garlic, saute for 30 seconds.

3. Lower the heat. Add cornmeal flour, stir quickly until just blended and swirl in nettle purée. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Morel and Vidalia Onions Compote
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add Vidalia onions and sauté until translucent.

2. Add the remaining butter and morel mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add sugar, Zinfandel, balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the wine is reduced by half.

4. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and keep warm before serving.

Grits Cakes
1. Add grits and extra virgin olive oil to salted boiling water, and cook 10-15 minutes on low heat.

2. Spread the prepared grits evenly in a single layer in a baking sheet, and cool completely.

3. Cut out 4 small rounds, 2.5 inches in diameter.

4. Melt butter in a skillet, swirl in Parmesan cheese, then add the grits cakes and fry them on both sides until golden brown.

Rack of Lamb
1. Prepare the grill.

2. Sprinkle the rack of lamb with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the sprigs of thyme on both sides of the lamb.

3. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.

4. After letting the lamb rest for a few minutes, remove the sprigs of thyme and slice into chops.

To Assemble:
Place nettle purée in a center of the plate and top it with a grits cake and a lamb chop. Spoon the compote of morel mushrooms and vidalia onions on top. Serve additional compote on a side.

Recipe Development & Photography by Natasha Price, 5 Star Foodie