"braising meat" news and stories

I'm a firm believer in the beauty of the braise. Not familiar? A braise is any time you first brown your ingredients in hot oil (or, sauté), and then add liquid to finish the cooking. You can finish your braise on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker - but most braises are finished in the same place they were started. And braises are often the definition of s.l.o.w. slow.

Many slow cooker recipes call for a good browning of the meats and/or veggies first, but most of them hasten to mention that the browning could be skipped. I think this is close to vital (and Sarah Gim mentions that it does, after all, speed up the cooking process). What's your take: to brown, or not to brown.

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]