# Braising Tough Meat

A method for tenderizing tough, cheaper cuts of meat by cooking them low and slow in liquid.

- Total time: 120 min
- Cuisine: American
- Category: Dinner
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- Beef cheeks
- Short ribs
- Brisket
- Chuck
- Lamb shoulder or shank
- Pork shoulder or belly
- Chicken thighs
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Wine and/or stock
- Olive Oil
- Salt

## Instructions

1. Pat meat dry and season.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven.
3. Sear the meat on all sides until deeply golden (build that crust).
4. Remove the meat and set aside.
5. In the same pot, soften onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
6. Stir in tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened.
7. Deglaze with wine or stock, scraping up the fond at the bottom.
8. Add your seared meat back in.
9. Submerge the meat with stock till halfway.
10. Turn your heat to low and bring it up to a simmer.
11. Lid on and leave for 2 to 4 hours, depending on your cut, until fork-tender.
12. Remove meat.
13. Reduce or blend the braising liquid into a sauce.
14. Season to taste and serve.

## Equipment

- Dutch oven

## Tips

- Don't go for something lean like chicken breast because you'll end up with dry meat.
- The liquid should never boil; a gentle simmer is all you need to tenderize the meat.
- You can easily turn the braising liquid into a sauce by seasoning, blending, and reducing it further.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/@goosetheory05/video/7615241724784594197
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/55164d13-37ce-4d3a-9f95-0f197d25b5cd
- Extracted: 2026-05-05

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt