Cooking with "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens (Part 1)

[Richard Kilgore]

After doing the bistekas rancheras, I wondered what this would be like using chicken leg quarters.

I made a few other changes to the recipe, using fresh roma tomatoes and adding a little ancho powder and Spanish Sherry Vinegar to the onion and garlic saute before covering the skinless legs with the mixture and the roasted poblanos (4) in the La Chamba casserole. No potatoes.

I left the finished dish in the casserole in the fridge for a couple of days before warming it up stove top.

Wow! Worth doing again.

(Photo later.)

[Marlene]

After doing the bistekas rancheras, I wondered what this would be like using chicken leg quarters.

I made a few other changes to the recipe, using fresh roma tomatoes and adding a little ancho powder and Spanish Sherry Vinegar to the onion and garlic saute before covering the skinless legs with the mixture and the roasted poblanos (4) in the La Chamba casserole. No potatoes.

I left the finished dish in the casserole in the fridge for a couple of days before warming it up stove top.

Wow! Worth doing again.

(Photo later.)

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why does everyone in the world have ancho powder except me? This sounds like a really good thing to try Richard. And it makes sense to take the skin off because braised chicken skin is rather - icky.

[fifi]

I love chicken thighs and I love braised chicken. But Richard's rif on the bistekas sounds really good and a departure from just about everything else I do with chicken. That will be my next chicken dish.

I agree with you, Marlene. Braised chicken skin is really, well, I can't think of a better word than icky. I also like the way the flavors permeated the chicken more thoroughly without the skin interferring.

I used to be able to find ancho powder at the Fiesta Mart with great regularity. Now it is getting hard to find for some strange reason. I am going to start ordering it from Penzey's. I use it as my base chile powder for a lot of recipes. It has great flavor without adding a lot of heat. I then add other chile powders to bump the heat up a bit. I suppose you could grind your own but that seems like a lot of trouble.

[Richard Kilgore]

Here's the chicken modification of the bistekas rancheras. Apologies for the shaky image.

[constanela]

I'm a little late to the game. I found some nice looking country ribs and turned to the internet for ways to cook them. After finding references to Molly Steven's mango/lime/etc.....country ribs right here on egullet, I headed to the bookstore for a copy and the lovely clerk behind the desk told me that the deli next door had 2 copies in stock... and they were on sale! I headed next door and got it for 45% off.

Next stop was the grocery store, another market and then yet another grocery store. The reason? Not a mango to be had. I grabbed a nice looking Mexican papaya and some pineapple, figuring the tropicality and texture might yield similar results.

Once home, I realized I had to make further modifications. I don't have a large enough skillet to cook these ribs on the stove top. So I browned them off and made the sauce, adding chicken stock, the entire can of coconut milk and more lime juice to almost cover the ribs once they were in my dutch oven.

They are now in the oven at 300 degrees, cooking away. I plan on checking on them every 30 minutes to rotate them a little and check their doneness.

This is my first time braising......I'll let everyone know how my modifications turned out. For now, I'll wait until they're done, fingers stinging with serrano chile residue (should have grabbed some gloves from work).

[fifi]

Constanela, you may want to check and see that the dish is bubbling gently. We have pretty much decided that while the recipes are terrific, the temperatures are too high, by at least 50 degrees.

[constanela]

Thanks for the tip. It's not simmering. Does this mean the heat is too low?

[snowangel]

I'm a little late to the game.  I found some nice looking country ribs and turned to

Next stop was the grocery store, another market and then yet another grocery store.  The reason?  Not a mango to be had.  I grabbed a nice looking Mexican papaya and some pineapple, figuring the tropicality and texture might yield similar results.

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Oohh. I am excited to hear about this one. Papaya has that enzyme thing (me thinks) that tenderizes, and I recall that pineapple does other stuff. This is sounding inspired. Mangos can be dicey, my markets, last time I did this, only had under ripe ones, until I asked some young chap doing stuff in the produce department, and I asked of him an overripe mango. Bingo! So, do not hesitate to ask for something that is what the market might feel is too overripe to be saleable.

Yes, turn it up a bit if it isn't bubbling. It should only bubble a bit, but it should bubble.

I can't wait for a report.

[constanela]

Status post dinner report:

Despite my modifications, the ribs turned out great. They were very tender. Yes, Snowangel, I do believe that papaya has that tenderizing enzyme which was one of the reasons I chose it. However, I wasn't a big fan of eating the actual chunks that had cooking away for hours. I might puree the sauce (I've got tons because of my liquid additions) with my blender tomorrow. The pineapple was another story. It was delicious and the whole thing reminded me of a dish I loved in Peru....pineapple chicken....that I never thought I'd be able to reproduce here. Next time I try this, it's going to be with all pineapple and chicken for meat.

[Anna N]

I am alone for 10-14 days so can please my own palate without regard to hubby. Last night I needed to use up some chicken legs in the 'fridge so I made Molly's "Chicken Do-Piaza", an Indian spiced dish with loads of onions. I had to sub for the yogourt so used some sour cream cut with a splash or two of heavy cream. It was delicious. I cooked it on my new Butane table-top stove so I had greater control over the heat and it worked just wondrously.

[fifi]

I have lost track, but has anyone tried the "Stracotto with Garlic & Panchetta?"

I know she calls for chuck for this recipe. But, after thinking about it, I think it will work wonderfully well for the little trimmed brisket flats that were on sale this week. In my usual way, I will go for a lower temperature and longer time to make the most of the brisket loveliness. I got one a little over three pounds and it has just gone into the marinade as I type.

This is one recipe that may be worth the fiddleyness. That marinade smells wonderful. I was careful to brown the veggies as instructed, simmer in the wine and cool. (Tip . . . The trick I learned here about the zip baggy full of ice to quickly cool a pan of liquid is the slickest thing since hammered owl snot.)

Now to my question . . . I have the single half pound chunk of pancetta. I am trying to figure out why you would put it in the pot in one piece. Wouldn't it be better to halve it or quarter it to better distribute it around the meat? After all, in the end you shred it up and add it back to the sauce. What do you guys think?

It has to marinate for 24 - 36 hours so I will probably go for 36 just because of when I started it. This is looking like Sunday dinner. I will report on it then.

[Marlene]

Fifi, I did this dish a while ago Click here. I believe I cut the pancetta in half and did it that way. Again, it was a little salty, but oh yes, the aromas were wonderful!

[fifi]

Thanks for the reference, Marlene. I didn't remember that. So far, my prep looks just like yours. I don't have a lot of experience with pancetta so I don't know how salty to expect it. Would it be a good idea to soak it in cold water and change it a couple of times before I put it in the pot?

[Marlene]

I think so fifi. It was really salty as I recall.

[fifi]

I have my piece of brisket marinating in the fridge in a zip bag. I have just turned it for the umpteenth time. We are going on to 24 hours. It looks like there is not anywhere near the original 750ml of wine in there that I started with. Is the meat soaking it up? What is going on here?

[Dave the Cook]

I think the wine is just getting trapped in the ridges of the meat surface.

[constanela]

Wow. I just got this book a few days ago and have done just 2 recipes, but both have turned out great. Last night I did the spring vegetable braise. I had fava beans, peas, spring onions and carrots thanks to my farm box. I substituted the first of the zucchini crop for the artichokes. I didn't have creme fraiche, so I substituted a quarter cup of full fat Greek yogurt. I think this is my new favorite way to cook fava beans now.

I ended up putting too much stock in the pan and I was afraid that if I let it boil down, my vegetables would overcook, so I did not end up with the "tawny glaze" mentioned in the book. Any ideas how to over come this? I added more because when I added the second batch of vegetables, there was almost no liquid.

[Marlene]

So I haven't stopped braising yet! Tonight was a variation on Molly's Christmas Estouffade. I say variation because I didn't have any pig's feet, and I didn't serve it over pasta. I made mashed potatoes instead. I didn't take any pictures today, just too busy, but this was very very tender.

Of course, it tastes like - pot roast.

By far though, my favourite recipe from Molly's book is the Caribbean Pork Shoulder that I made during the tag team blog last week.

Caribbean Pork Shoulder

This is one amazing braise. And finishing it in the oven to get that skin extra crispy is briliant. This is one that I'll want to keep a stock of pork shoulders on hand for.

[Marlene]

I have my piece of brisket marinating in the fridge in a zip bag. I have just turned it for the umpteenth time. We are going on to 24 hours. It looks like there is not anywhere near the original 750ml of wine in there that I started with. Is the meat soaking it up? What is going on here?

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How did this turn out fifi? I think you're right and the meat does soak up some of the wine. I know I just marinated a roast for 36 hours straight with a full bottle of wine, and I found the same thing. I assume the aromatics soak up some as well.

[canucklehead]

Hooray for All About Braising!  I have red-cooked pork belly cooking right now - I'll keep this book out all year, I'm sure, for meat in the winter and fish and vegetables in the summer.

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Sorry to be late to the party - also made the Red Cooked Pork Belly and it was very good. Very authentic - really tasted like what I remembered from my childhood. Only problem is I am wolfing down a tonne of pork belly with rice - which I am sure is not too healthy.

The quick Chicken Braise with dried figs and olives was also a very good. Easy and rich - definitely needs egg noodles or something eat with it. Strong and complex flavors for very little effort.

Great book. I will post pictures next time - I need to control myself before I dig into the braises.

[fifi]

I have my piece of brisket marinating in the fridge in a zip bag. I have just turned it for the umpteenth time. We are going on to 24 hours. It looks like there is not anywhere near the original 750ml of wine in there that I started with. Is the meat soaking it up? What is going on here?

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How did this turn out fifi? I think you're right and the meat does soak up some of the wine. I know I just marinated a roast for 36 hours straight with a full bottle of wine, and I found the same thing. I assume the aromatics soak up some as well.

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Ooops. I forgot to report back on this. Thanks for reminding me. (Computer problem interruption.)

When I poured away the marinade, I got back 500 milliliters so 250 went somewhere. I examined the aromatics and the onion got some of it but that is about it. I am going to assume that it went into the meat. I know it does that some but this just seem a lot.

I cut the chunk of panchetta in four pieces and ran some cold water over it for about 15 minutes. When it came out of the oven, my nephew and a friend were here. As I am taking it out of the pot, straining the liquid, picking out the garlic and panchetta . . . we tasted the panchetta. It never made it to the finished dish. We ate it.

Final verdict . . . While this is very very very good, I am not really sure that this is that much better than one of my simpler recipes. I would be inclined to simplify like I did in this post. Um . . . I can't say that the panchetta added anything distinctive to the sauce. Granted, we ate it and didn't shred it into the sauce. But the panchetta really tasted like the roast. Its yum factor was a texture thing.

[Marlene]

I guess depending on how tight your lid was, evaporation might account for some of it. I'm in agreement with you on the taste. I did add it to my sauce and I didn't notice a whole lot of difference. Pot roast is pot roast I'm beginning to think!

edited to add: never mind. I just re-read your post and you noted that you had it in a ziplock bag!

Edited June 7, 2005 by Marlene (log)

[Marlene]

I made the Caribbean Pork shoulder again last night. I didn't take pictures, but I wasn't as happy as I was the first time around. The difference was I think, that I used a bone in pork shoulder rather than a boneless one that the recipe calls for. Based on that, I should have braised it longer. It was tender, but not "pull apart" as it was the first time I did it.

I did however, have a nice sauce, and to be different, I added a cube of pork stock to the sauce to finish it off. Perfect.

Here's what it looked like the first time I made it Caribbean Pork Shoulder

[Derek]

I love this book, and I too think the best dish is the Caribbean pork shoulder. I most recently made it for a great friend's French sister's family — very picky eaters, I was told, given that they're from Bretagne (apparently they were very worried I might serve them a lot of raw fish — god knows what my friend told them about California cuisine, and it's a long story why they don't eat seafood) — but they were visibly relieved when I brought in the platter of shoulder, aromatic, spicy and delicious.

I also very much liked the rabbit with red peppers and merguez, although two rabbits for two people is — unsurprisingly — much too much rabbit.

[gourmande]

Just thought I'd bump this up a bit with braising season at the doorstep

Yesterday I made the Pork Pot Roast with Apricots, Cardamom and Ginger... oh my! It was soooooo good. I served it over couscous and sprinkled the plated pork with an orange gremolata. Though the latter was not in the recipe, I think it helped brighten the flavours and aromas at the table.

As Anna N mentioned at the beginning of this thread, this one's "a definite keeper".