#braising

#braising

We often braise chicken and rabbit legs at Cafe Cecilia, because all the preparation and cooking can be done ahead of time, and it's then just about heating them gently to serve. For Christmas, I often employ much the same process for turkey legs it's a lovely way to eat them. Serve with colcannon, although basmati rice, boiled new potatoes or roast carrots would also go great.

Ground beef is designed to be cooked quickly, and we love the ease that comes with the cut. Throw in some minced onions and garlic, stir it around, and before you know it, it's ready to be served. Although a good mix of herbs and spices boosts the savory meat's taste, ground beef gets the best flavor when you have the patience to braise it.

Short ribs might look like a steak with extra bone, but they're built differently. Cut from the lower rib cage, they carry thick, durable layers of muscle, connective tissue, and fat, all woven around hefty bones. That structure means quick heat is all wrong for them. Drop them in a sizzling skillet, and the proteins in the meat will seize up, chewy and unyielding.

There's nothing like a good beef stew. Every country's got one - Hungarian goulash, Spain's rabo de toro - and they're all worth making at least once. But Julia Child kept coming back to boeuf bourguignon. In "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," she called it "one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man." Hard to argue with that. Big chunks of beef, plenty of red wine, smoky bacon, mushrooms, onions - and somehow, it's even better the next day.