60 Things To Braise With That Are NOT Chicken Broth

In winter I enjoy braising meats in the oven.  I do on occasion use homemade chicken broth, as a liquid.  

Sometimes when you are cooking you don't want the underlying flavor of chicken dominating your dishes.  I see the ubiquitous use of the square cartons on cooking shows and shudder at the quality as well as the flavor.  Let's shake things up a bit to make winter seem less blah and make your house smell amazing.

Here are some liquids to experiment with next time you braise some meat.  

Simple braising instructions will follow the list.

beef broth

pork broth

lamb broth

vegetable broth

fish stock

turkey stock

water (plain or add herbs)

light beer

dark beer

lime beer

red wine

white wine

pink wine

balsamic reduction combined with another liquid mentioned here

balsamic vinegar combined with another liquid mentioned here

red wine vinegar combined with another liquid mentioned here

cider vinegar combined with another liquid mentioned here

cooking sherry alone or in combination with another liquid

rice wine vinegar in combination with another ingredient

soy sauce

tamari

miso soup (instructions here)

milk

goats milk

almond milk

rice milk 

oat milk 

roobios chai

saurkraut and it's juice (homemade)

kimchi and it's juice (homemade, click here for recipe)

kombucha (recipe here)

left over beef gravy

left over pork gravy

left over chicken gravy

fresh tomato juice

Diced tomatoes

fresh apple juice

fresh apple cider

fresh pear juice (diluted)

fresh cranberry juice (diluted)

fresh grape juice (diluted)

lemon juice and water

lime juice and water

orange juice and water

grapefruit juice and water

coconut milk

coconut water

whiskey

scotch

vodka

infused vodka

rose hip tea

juniper berry tea

fennel tea

ginger tea

pineapple juice 

brandy

port

yogurt

Leftover soup (for soup ideas, click here)

I should also mention that I have tried many but not all of these liquids, but would in a pinch. Don't be shy in your kitchen.  Experiment a little and see what you can create.  Don't forget to save the braising liquid, it can make tasty additions to other meals and usually freezes well.

To Braise meat:

The beauty of braising is you can use tough low cost cuts of meat, and the end result is something that is falling apart with the back of a spoon.  

Brown or sear you meat in the braising pan or a frying pan.  This is optional, it adds loads of flavor but you can just place the meat right in to the braising pan.  To braise I use a heavy dutch oven.  Add your desired vegetables and herbs if any, add liquid to about half way up the meat, leaving the top exposed (you can also saute the veggies for a different flavor).

Place in your oven at 250 for a minimum of about 4 hours, longer for larger more solid cuts of meat or chicken or pork.  You can also braise in a wide shallow Slow cooker if you have but remember each piece of meat should only have liquid about half way up.  

Yes, it is that simple.  I think it is the perfect way to cook for a busy mom with lots of kids or someone who needs to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.

Remember a #SlowCooker is your friend with this method.