On a menu, braised means the food was browned first and then cooked slowly in a covered pot with a little liquid, such as stock, wine or a soy-based sauce. A stew is different: there the food is fully immersed in liquid.[1] Kitchens usually braise less tender, less expensive cuts, often in a low oven for hours.[2] Moist heat softens collagen, a connective tissue in those cuts, and breaks it down into gelatin, which is why braised meat is usually very tender and arrives in a rich sauce.[3] Expect a hearty, saucy plate, not a crisp one.
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What to order
- Red-braised pork belly (hong shao rou): one Chinese style of braising, in which pork belly simmers for about two hours with light and dark soy sauce and rock sugar until the liquid reduces and coats each piece. It tastes gently sweet and savory, not spicy.[4]
- Coq au vin: chicken braised slowly in red wine, a dish the French food promotion site Taste France traces to Burgundy.[5] Order it with bread, potatoes or noodles to soak up the sauce.
- Tagine: a North African dish slow-cooked in a clay pot with a cone-shaped lid, commonly meat, poultry or fish with vegetables and sometimes fruit or nuts.[6] Ask whether it is sweet, spicy or both.
- Braised short ribs, lamb shanks or oxtail: braising is usually reserved for less tender cuts like these.[2] They often come on the bone, so ask how large the portion is and whether one plate is enough to share.
- For a shared table, pair one braise with something fresh or crisp, such as a salad, steamed greens or a grilled dish, plus rice or bread for the sauce.
89 menus
Tim Ho Wan New York- Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce and Peanut
Dim Sum
Uluh- Braised Chicken w. Chili20
- Braised Pork Belly25
Chinese
Uncle Lou- Braised Duck36.95
- Red-Braised Tofu w. Fish Fillet29.95
Cantonese
Wo Hop- Braised Fish$25.95
Chinese
Z & Y Restaurant- Braised OX Tail w/Red Wine in Stone Pot$32.95
- Thai Basil Braised Eggplant$19.95
Szechuan
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between braised and stewed?
Both start by browning the food and then cook it low and slow. A braise sits in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot, while a stew is simmered fully submerged in a flavored liquid such as stock.[2] Braising a large piece of meat is sometimes called pot-roasting, so a pot roast on a menu is a braise too.[1]
Is hong shao (red-braised) just the Chinese word for braised?
No. Hong shao is one Chinese way of braising, not a translation of the whole technique. In the Shanghai style, dark soy sauce gives the color and rock sugar a balanced sweetness, and the liquid is reduced until it thickens and glazes the meat.[4] Western braises often use wine or stock instead, so the word braised tells you the method, not the flavor.
Does the wine in a braise cook off?
Not completely. In USDA retention data, a dish with alcohol stirred in and then baked or simmered kept about 25% of the alcohol after 1 hour, 10% after 2 hours and 5% after 2.5 hours.[7] If you avoid alcohol for religious, health or personal reasons, ask whether wine, beer or rice wine went into the braising liquid.
Are braised dishes salty, and what is in the sauce?
They can be, because the liquid reduces, and soy-based braises start from a salty base. FDA lists soy sauce among high-sodium foods and suggests asking for sauces on the side when eating out.[8] Soy is also one of the major food allergens in the US, so ask what went into the braising liquid if soy or another allergen matters to you.[9]
Related guides
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Braising. Accessed
- LibreTexts (Thibodeaux and Cheramie, Culinary Foundations, Nicholls State University). 11.3: Basic Cooking Methods. Accessed
- LibreTexts (Beirman and Gilbert, Food Preparation Lab Manual, Iowa State University). 11.1: Moist Heat Methods Introduction. Accessed
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (english.shanghai.gov.cn). Red-braised pork belly. Accessed
- Taste France (Business France). Coq au vin. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Tagine. Accessed
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies. Accessed