My first time doing a braise, I ruined a weekend\u2019s worth of octopus.<\/p>\n
I was a young, over-confident line cook who\u2014until this particular catastrophe\u2014was convinced I was allergic to mistakes. So, when I placed two trays of wine-bathing octopus into a 400\u00b0F oven<\/em> for four hours, I felt great. I closed that oven door and thought, \u201cWow, it\u2019s going to be hard for the chef not<\/em> to promote me after this.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, 400\u00b0F is way too many degrees when you\u2019re braising and so, after a ~chill~ four hours at high heat, my optimistic octopus became concrete. \u201cBraised Octopus\u201d was swiftly crossed off the menu that weekend.<\/p>\n Since my visit to braising rock bottom, I\u2019ve worked tirelessly to perfect the technique. After years of practice, I\u2019m confident that I can braise with the best. Today, I\u2019m proud to say it\u2019s become one of my favorite cooking methods, especially when hosting. It just makes so much sense. The work is front-loaded, meaning you can pull yourself out of the kitchen and relax as your party gathers. Better yet, there is a conveniently significant overlap between braising and crowd-pleasing recipes.<\/p>\n Put plainly: I am now a practicing braise believer and you should be too. When you, too, begin your braising journey, you\u2019ll need the proper equipment. Below you will find everything you need from our Shop for the best braise.<\/p>\n Before we hop into equipment, here\u2019s a quick refresher on the five main components of braising.<\/p>\n A Dutch oven is a braiser’s best friend (it can sear and<\/em> braise), and our collaboration with Staub produced one of the best I\u2019ve seen. It looks great, gets extremely hot, and will truly last you a lifetime.<\/p>\n This griddle is perfect for when you need to sear something like pork shoulder or napa cabbage that is too big for your Dutch oven. Unlike the electric griddle your parents made pancakes with, this slides right over your gas stove, meaning it will get hot enough to sear.<\/p>\n When braising something larger than your Dutch oven: chapter two. This eight-quart stock pot from Hestan is the perfect option for tackling large braises, as in it’s big, well-made, and gorgeous<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Good prep starts with a sharp knife and a sturdy cutting board, but if I had to choose between the two, I\u2019d always pick the cutting board (a dull knife can be sharpened). This olive wood board\u2014particularly the large, rectangular model\u2014is sturdy and big enough to hold more than a few sliced onions.<\/p>\n Gravy separators will speed up and improve sauce making. This funky-looking tea kettle and measuring cup hybrid is perfectly adept at separating unwanted fats from the liquid that will eventually become your sauce. Two things I like about this particular separator: It’s made of glass and comes with measurements by the quarter-cup.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Maybe it\u2019s because it reminds me of a platter my mom has, but I think this serving dish from Vietri gives the perfect contrasting backdrop for a juicy braised short rib, pork shoulder, or eggplant.<\/p>\nBut First, A Braising Refresher<\/h3>\n
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1. Food52 x Staub Round Cocotte<\/a><\/h3>\n
2. Staub Enameled Cast Iron Double Burner Griddle & Plancha<\/a><\/h3>\n
3. Hestan Probond Forged Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Lid, 8QT<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n4. Handcrafted Olive Wood End Grain Cutting Board<\/a><\/h3>\n
5. Frieling Gravy Separator<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n6. VIETRI Santorini Hand-Painted Blue & White Dot Oval Platter<\/a><\/h3>\n
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