As the weather turns cool, the kitchen promises warmth and rich flavor—and nothing delivers quite like braising. Forget complicated techniques that make eating at home a hassle. This slow, gentle cooking method is the secret to transforming simple meats, hearty vegetables, and even firm fruits into incredibly tender, flavorful masterpieces. By searing ingredients before simmering them in a small amount of liquid, braising creates complex, satisfying dishes with fall-apart results and a luscious sauce every single time. Get ready to embrace the art of the low and slow with the recipes below.
Braising Recipes for Meats, Vegetables, and Fruits
Vermouth-Braised Radicchio & Fennel
Radicchio and fennel are two vegetables that can lean more on the bitter side. In order to mellow out these flavors, still allowing them to shine, we’re braising these two ingredients. Braising with vermouth and chicken or vegetable stock goes a long way here.
Braised Duck Leg in Green Chile
Duck is one of our favorite meats to prepare in cooler weather for the warming nature of its fat. For this duck leg, we reccomend braising in a mixture of chicken broth, onion, garlic, green chiles, ground cumin, ground coriander, and dried oregano. Plus, cumin carrots are the perfect side to create a fulfilling dinner.
Green Chile Braised Oxtail
Another recipe that uses green chile for braising is our oxtail. Green chile works so well when braising because it adds a gentle amount of heat while reinforcing the flavors of the meat. We’re layering it here with onion, garlic, thyme, tomato paste, red wine, beef stock, cloves, and allspice.
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cheddar Cheese Grits
A classic recipe for braising is our Beef Short Ribs with Cheddar Cheese Grits. By searing with salt, pepper, and paprika then slow roasting in a beef stock, it infuses each short rib with a savory punch. The Cheddar Cheese Grits here balance out the succulent meat and make for a fantastic dinner.
Savory Braised Apples
Did you know you can braise more than vegetables and meats? Braising apples can turn this sweeter snack into a delightfully savory surprise. Think Golden Delicious variety in dry white wine, white balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, chile Colorado sauce and seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, andblack cumin seeds.
Braised Beet and Grapefruit Salad
These two star ingredients show us just how tasty the simplicity of winter citrus and beets can be. This Braised Beet and Grapefruit Salad offers a vibrant contrast, where the earthy sweetness of the slowly cooked beets is perfectly cut by the sharp, zesty tang of fresh grapefruit.
Apple and Mustard Braised Pork
This Apple and Mustard Braised Pork is the ultimate cozy weekend meal, highlighting the transformative magic of braising. By slowly simmering the pork in a rich liquid featuring tart apples and sharp mustard, the meat becomes incredibly tender and succulent. You could even save the leftovers for over rice during the week.
Braised Lamb with Mostarda Mantovana
Sophisticated palettes will appreciate the addition of Mostarda Mantovana. Here the lamb is gently simmered for hours, ensuring the meat is fork-tender and deeply infused with aromatic liquids. Then, the richness is contrasted by the Mostarda Mantovana, an Italian condiment of candied quince in a potent mustard oil.
Braised Pork Belly
The process of braising in this pork belly recipe allows the belly’s substantial layers of fat to slowly render into the cooking liquid. It basically creates a self-basting environment that leaves meat incredibly tender and moist. What emerges from the long, gentle heat is perfect, fall-apart succulent meat cloaked in a deep, concentrated glaze.
Oven Braised Pork and Sauerkraut
We’re rubbing a tender pork tenderloin with a vibrant blend of spices and then slow-cooking it in the oven or crockpot for hours. The pork gets braised in a rich liquid of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth, along with sliced apples, onions, and garlic. The apples and cider here balance the sourness of the sauerkraut.
Braised Cabbage and Beans
This Braised Cabbage and Beans recipe is a hearty, plant-based dinner that’s for a soul-warming meal on a cold day. It starts by crisping up wedges of green cabbage before slowly simmering them alongside nutritious beans, onions, and garlic in a vegetable stock. The long cooking time softens the cabbage and tenderizes the beans into one brilliant medley.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
This ideal pairing makes a great partner to any of the recipes above. This Braised Red Cabbage with Apples transforms the tart red cabbage and apples into a savory, German-inspired side. The balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar balance the cabbage’s natural bitterness while allspice infuses the dish with warm fall spices too.
Story by Kylie Thomas
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