In this post, we will look at a cooking method mainly used when cooking meat and vegetables known as braising.
What is braising?
Braising is a cooking method that involves cooking under low temperatures for long durations in a liquid (water, milk, wine etc). Usually, the liquid covers a third to a half of the cooking pot or pan. Braising is often utilized when cooking vegetables or meats. It allows for these foods to cook properly until soft in texture. Moreover, it retains the juices of the food thus enhancing a food’s flavour.
Foods cooked using braising
Depending on the food being braised, cooking can take approximately 1-6 hours. Vegetables e.g. carrots, turnips, onions etc generally take shorter durations though tougher ones such as cauliflower can take up to about an hour. Tough meats that mainly contain connective tissues are better suited for this cooking method because they become tenderized and flavourful, and rarely encounter significant nutrient losses even after being cooked for long durations.
Types of braised dishes include casseroles. Typically, nutrient losses are minimized if the liquid used for cooking is retained.
How braising works
Slow cooking as well as pressure cooking are forms of braising. When braising, food is covered and allowed to simmer until tender. Mostly, the food is first seared until it browns (caramelization) to add flavour; before it begins to simmer slowly.
Nutrient losses that may occur when braising foods
Calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron are not affected by braising; hence, when using this cooking method, you should not be concerned about the loss of these nutrients.
However, it is advisable that you regularly opt for other cooking methods such as steaming other than braising when cooking vegetables because cooking vegetables for long durations leads to significant nutrient losses.
Braising is a cooking method used to cook meats and vegetables. This method softens a food and enhances its flavour. It is recommendable that braising be used minimally with vegetables to lessen nutrient losses.