Take hearty meat cuts from tough to tender with low and slow cooking that amps up the flavour.
What is braising?
Braising is a cooking method that involves browning over high heat, then cooking low and slow with a closed lid. If you don’t have an oven dish or ovenproof pot with a lid – not to worry! You can braise by browning in a pan and transferring the food to a deep ovenproof dish, cover with foil and voila!
Smoky, braised pork shanks
Serves 4
An underrated cut of pork, soon to be your new favourite. Served with a quick apple chutney and creamy mustard mash.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp ground dark roast coffee
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2½ Tbsp canola oil + extra for browning
2 (900g each) pork shanks
Salt and milled pepper
¼ cup chutney
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 bottles (330ml apple cider)
Micro greens, to garnish
For the apple chutney
2 tsp oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
½ cup water
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp sultanas
For the creamy mustard mash
6 large cooking potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup cream (or use milk)
¼ cup butter
3 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
Salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Combine coffee; chilli flakes, sugar, paprika and oil to create a paste.
- Season the shanks well and rub with paste. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot and brown the shanks for about 3-4 minutes on all sides. Remove from heat.
- Add chutney, apple and cider.
- Cover and braise for about 2 hours 15 minutes.
- For the chutney, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the onion and cumin, seeds for 3-4 minutes, add apple and fry for-another 2 minutes.
- Add water, honey, vinegar and sultanas. Season.
- Lower heat and cook the chutney for about 12-15 minutes or until sticky.
- For the mash, boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and mash with cream or milk and butter. Stir through mustard and season.
- Serve the pork shanks with apple chutney and creamy mustard mash. Garnish with micro greens.
Lamb ragu with gnocchi
Serves 6-8
A comforting dish, inspired by Italian flavours.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp oil
1.2kg deboned leg of lamb
Salt and milled pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
6 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 bay leaves
50g tomato paste
1½ cups red wine
2 cans (400g) whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
500g store-bought gnocchi
Hard cheese, for serving
Basil leaves, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Heat oil in a large oven-proof, heavy bottomed pot on a high heat.
- Season lamb well. Brown lamb on all sides until golden brown. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Sauté onion, celery and carrots for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic, herbs and tomato paste. Fry for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add red wine, tomatoes, chicken stock, soy sauce and sugar, cook for another 5 minutes. Add lamb back into the pot, close with lid or foil and braise in the oven for about 2 hours.
- Once the lamb is fork-tender, remove lamb from pot and allow to cool to handle safely.
- Remove the herb stalks from the sauce and reduce for about 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Shred the lamb and mix with sauce.
- Cook gnocchi according to the packet’s instructions.
- Serve the lamb ragu tossed through gnocchi and garnish with shaved cheese, basil and milled pepper.
Cook’s note
Any leftover ragu can be frozen for up to 2 months or repurposed in a lasagna, served with pasta or even in shawarmas or wraps.
Milk-braised pork shoulder with red cabbage
Serves 6
Protein meets veggies for the ultimate comfort on a plate.
Ingredients
2kg pork shoulder
Salt and milled pepper
1½ Tbsp smoked paprika
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, quartered
2 bulbs garlic, halved
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
20g sage
4 cups milk
1 cup chicken stock cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 lemons
2 baby red cabbage, quartered
Cooked wild rice, to serve
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Season pork well and rub with smoked paprika.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat oil on high heat.
- Sear pork on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Fry onions, garlic, carrots and sage until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Return pork to the pot, add milk, stock and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- Gently slice thin streaks of lemon rind off the lemons and remove any extra pith. Add to the pot.
- Close with a lid or foil and braise in the oven for about 2 hours. Skim milk solids if necessary.
- Add baby cabbage and braise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Pour the pan juices into a pan and reduce for about 12-15 minutes or until thickened.
- Serve pork with baby cabbage and cooked wild rice.
Cook’s note
Don’t have chipotle peppers? No worries! Use 1 Tbsp extra smoked paprika and 1 red pepper as a substitute, cut into strips and add with the cabbage.
Red-wine sticky Asian beef short ribs
Serves 4
A hearty pub lunch with boujee flavours.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Chinese 5-spice
⅔ cup flour
Salt and milled pepper
1kg beef short ribs, cut in 5cm pieces (see cook’s note)
¼ cup canola oil
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 bulb garlic, halved
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups red wine
1 cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
6-8 large potatoes, washed
Oil, for deep-frying
Handful coriander, to serve
1-2 red chillies, chopped (optional)
1-2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, to serve
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Combine 5-spice and flour. Season well.
- Dust short ribs in seasoned flour and shake off excess.
- Heat half of the oil in a heavy bottomed pot, brown short ribs on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Gently wipe the pot with kitchen towel. Add remaining oil to the pot, brown onion, garlic, carrots and bay leaves for about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Add short ribs back into the pot.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add in the hoisin and Worcestershire sauce. Season.
- Place lid on the pot and braise in oven for about 2 hours.
- For the chips, cut each potato in chips of about 0.5-1cm thick.
- Boil the chips in salted water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and set aside to cool completely.
- Heat oil and deep-fry the chips for about 2-3 minutes and drain on kitchen towel. Allow to cool.
- For the final time, fry the chips for about 4-5 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Once the short ribs are cooked and falling off the bone, gently remove the meat and allow the pan juices to thicken by cooking over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes or until sticky.
- Brush the short ribs with the sticky sauce.
- Garnish the short ribs with coriander, chilli and sesame seeds. Serve with fries and extra sticky hoisin sauce.
Cook’s note
Ask your local butcher to cut the short ribs into 5cm-thick piece
Cajun beer braised chicken
Serves 4
Introducing your new favourite easy-peasy chicken dinner. The sweetness of honey & mustard combined with the deep beer flavours tie this dish together.
Ingredients
6 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
3 onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp paprika
3 Tbsp Cajun spice
8 chicken thighs
1 (330ml) pale ale beer
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and milled pepper
For the green salsa
10g parsley
10g coriander
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 jalapenos, deseeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp capers, chopped
3 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
Salt and milled pepper
Cooked rice, to serve
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Heat half the butter and oil in a large pot, on a low-medium heat. Fry the onions for about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and paprika, fry for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pot.
- Rub the chicken with Cajun spice and season well
- Heat the remaining butter on a medium-high heat and brown the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until the skin is golden brown.
- Add the onions back into the pot, until heated.
- Add the beer, honey and mustard.
- Cover and braise in the oven for 45-60 minutes.
- For the green salsa, place all ingredients into a food processor, season to taste and pulse until coarsely chopped and combined.
- Serve chicken with cooked rice and green salsa.
By: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
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