Dutch Ovens- For Braising

When I was talking about braising I forgot to mention what a Dutch oven is.

Basically it is a cast iron pot that is coated in a ceramic heat resistant coating, that allows you to cook on it as well as bake. Its perfect for braising. I must warn you this piece of cooking gear is expensive....but if your serious about braising....its well worth it.

1. Le Cruset is the top brand(Le Creuset's Home Page)

2. Mario batali has a brand(Order on Amazon.com)

3. And Lodge seems to have a cheaper model(Order on Amazon.com)

Here's a nice little forum post comparing the two top brands.  Batali vs Le Cruset

If you can't afford a dutch oven, you can brown your meats and vegetables in a separate pan first and then add liquid and browned ingredients to a oven safe baking container. 375 degrees F is the magic number to bake at.

Braising- Crock Pot Alternative

If you don't have a slow cooker, here is a technique that basically does the same thing, but you brown your meat first to get that extra amount of flavor.

CAUTION-ONLY USE APPROVED BRAISING DISHES WHEN ATTEMPTING THIS....DUTCH OVENS BY LE CRUSET WORKS THE BEST. IF YOU DONT HAVE ONE, BROWN THINGS IN SEPARATE PAN AND THEN ADD INGREDIENTS AND LIQUID TO OVEN SAFE BAKING CONTAINER, AND BAKE.

Check out the video and The "crock pot section" to get a better idea.