Barbecue-Braising on the grill?

[skipper10]

Fine Cooking came up with a new issue(99) that has a picture of "Barbecue-Braised Vietnamese Short Ribs" on the cover.

The article is by Bruce Aidells ( whose recipes have always worked well for me in the past). This article "A new way to to grill: Barbecue-braising" includes recipes for spare ribs, Thai chicken legs with lemon grass glaze, Moroccan lamb shanks, bourbon beef and Vietnamese short ribs.

All cooked using his four step technique:

1. Season,

2. Sear on the grill,

3. Braise in a pot on the grill,

4. Remove from the pot, return to the grill and glaze.

The pictures of cooked meat are great, but there is no picture of a pot after it has been involved in long searing on the grill. OK, I have a cast iron dutch oven that could probably work without much damage. The kitchen will stay cool while I barbecue-braise, BUT we use wood in our charcoal grill...Will we require a retired railroad worker to keep the fire going?

The pictures look so good, (especially the Bourbon Beef) and Aidells sounds so convincing... What to do? Is this really a new way to cook meat, or have some of you been there and done it?

[Chris Amirault]

Not entirely new. In James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor, there's a recipe for braised then grilled chicken thighs that created a lot of interest a couple of years ago. Here's a description of the recipe.

Aidells's recipe adds the twist of grilling first to get the Maillard browning, which Oseland doesn't do (but which is common practice in the world of sous vide, though in a saute pan, not on the grill). I can't really see firing up the grill (I'm a charcoal guy) to get an external char, then braising for a couple of hours, then firing up the grill again, myself, but the braise-then-grill idea is a good one.

[skipper10]

Not entirely new. In James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor, there's a recipe for braised then grilled chicken thighs that created a lot of interest a couple of years ago. Here's a description of the recipe.

Aidells's recipe adds the twist of grilling first to get the Maillard browning, which Oseland doesn't do (but which is common practice in the world of sous vide, though in a saute pan, not on the grill). I can't really see firing up the grill (I'm a charcoal guy) to get an external char, then braising for a couple of hours, then firing up the grill again, myself, but the braise-then-grill idea is a good one.

←

Thanks. Pleased to meet fellow charcoal grill person. My three pronged jury is still out: cool kitchen versus grill versus wait till fall.

I am going to read your entire thread as soon as I can, I find this subject very interesting. Wonder how Aidells would respond to the idea of Oseland beating him, at least partially, to the technique and how Oseland would respond to FC article... Hope they are all good friends...

Well, I am going to James Oseland's dinner later this month. Perhaps, I could ask him a few questions.

http://press.org/wire/article.cfm?id=922

Skipper

[snowangel]

Well, if we're into keeping the kitchen cool, I"d advocate a sear (on the grill, or not, but especially if you are going to grill something else), and a stint in the crock pot (in the basement laundry room in my case).

Remove from cockpot, and glaze and grill...while you are smoking a butt for another occasion. Just call the Trusty Old Weber a multi-tasker!

[skipper10]

Well, if we're into keeping the kitchen cool, I"d advocate a sear (on the grill, or not, but especially if you are going to grill something else), and a stint in the crock pot (in the basement laundry room in my case).

Remove from cockpot, and glaze and grill...while you are smoking a butt for another occasion.  Just call the Trusty Old Weber a multi-tasker!

←

Crock pot? Wonder what Aidells and Fine Cooking would say about that... they should have thought of it and mentioned it.

I don't have a crock pot and doubt that there is a crock pot large enough for Barbecue-Braised Bourbon Beef with Mustard Glaze that I really want to make. However, you got me thinking! I could probably set up my Turkey roaster next to my grill outside, turn it on "low and slow" and braise away.

I am a real Aidells recipe aficionado. I love his MEAT and sausage books and can't wait to try his latest offerings.

[kingudaroad]

Fine Cooking came up with a new issue(99) that has a picture of  "Barbecue-Braised Vietnamese Short Ribs" on the cover.

The article is by Bruce Aidells ( whose recipes have always worked well for me in the past).  This  article  "A new way to to grill: Barbecue-braising"  includes  recipes  for spare ribs, Thai chicken legs with lemon grass glaze, Moroccan lamb shanks, bourbon beef and Vietnamese short ribs.

All cooked using his four step technique: 

1.  Season,

2.  Sear on the grill,

3.  Braise in a pot on the grill,

4.  Remove from the pot, return to the grill  and glaze.

The pictures of cooked meat are great, but there is no picture of a pot after it has been involved in long searing on the grill.   OK, I have a cast iron dutch oven that could probably work without much damage.  The kitchen will stay cool while I barbecue-braise, BUT we use wood in our  charcoal grill...Will we require a retired railroad worker to keep the fire going?

The pictures look so good,  (especially the Bourbon Beef)  and Aidells sounds so convincing... What to do?  Is this really a new way to cook meat, or have some of you been there and done it?

←

This is not a new way to cook meat. A lot of BBQ folks using slow indirect cooking for like ribs, brisket, pork butt etc, will braise the meat during the middle of the long cooking process by tightly foiling the meat with liquid. The meat is then unfoiled and put back on the heat to firm up and/or glaze.