LOW and SLOW

Let's talk about braising. Here's what one of my favorite food writers, Michael Ruhlman has to say about this cooking technique: "More than any other technique, it is what cooking is all about: transformation, turning raw, tough, inexpensive ingredients into hot, tender, delectable dishes. When we braise, we are realizing our abilities as cooks in ways that are richer, more fulfilling, and more illuminating than when we employ any other single technique."

In his book "Twenty" (which is an amazing read!), Ruhlman defines braising as a series of actions:

1) The meat we choose is usually a tough, heavily worked (or leaner) muscle - like a brisket.

2) The meat is seared to add flavor and to set the exterior so that the meat doesn't release a lot of blood.

3) Liquid (could be water or stock) is added to the pot, along with spices and aromatics, the contents are brought to a simmer then put in the oven to cook for a longer period of time at a low temperature (hence the phrase LOW and SLOW)

Sooo, with that being said, let's braise! My fantastic friend and business partner Mariah had given me a large quantity of frozen elk meat a couple of months ago, and I was looking for an opportunity to use it. I'm cooking for a large crowd this evening, and I decided this was my chance! The weather has been cloudy and cold here (very unBoulder!!) for the past couple of days, so, I knew a braise would be perfect. I decided to go with some chili flavors, while using some frozen summer peppers and fall squash I have in my pantry, ultimately to produce a hearty elk stew.

Hearty Elk Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Chilies

1 lb stew meat, cut into bite sized chunks

1/4 cup AP flour for dredging

Olive Oil

2 medium yellow onions - diced

2 TB tomato paste

6 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tsp cumin, divided

2 tsp coriander, divided

2 TB chili powder

1 cinnamon stick

1 28 oz can Muir Glenn Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 large sweet potato - peeled and diced (feel free to substitute any winter squash if that's what you have on hand)

3-4 roasted peppers of your choice, roasted and diced - (poblano, red bell peppers, jalapenos) depending on the level of heat you want

2 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans

salt and pepper to taste

Limes for serving

Cilantro, shredded cheese, and yogurt to top (optional)

1) Pull the meat out of the fridge about a half an hour before you begin cooking. Cut it into bite sized stew chunks and dredge it in a flour, salt, and pepper mixture. The flour helps to dry the meat so that the sear is more effective.

2) Heat about 2 TB of olive oil in a heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add the stew chunks, being careful not to crowd the pot - you may have to sear the chunks in batches. Once you add the meat, don't stir it around! You want a good sear on each side and this requires restraint from stirring, seriously, I know! Let each side brown for about 2-3 minutes. Once the chunks are nice and browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.

3) Add another teaspoon of olive oil to the pot and reheat it over medium heat. Add one of the diced onions and 3 cloves of garlic and saute until the onion begins to soften. Then, add one tsp cumin, one tsp coriander and the tomato paste - saute until the tomato paste begins to brown.

4) Preheat your oven to 300. Add about 4 cups of water or stock to the pot. At this point you want to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot that were left there when you seared the meat - these little brown bits are magical pieces of flavor! Add the meat back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid is simmering, cover the pot, throw in a cinnamon stick, and place it in the oven - let the meat braise for about 3-4 hours, or until it's super tender.

5) Once your satisfied with the tenderness of the meat, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the meat from the braising liquid and set aside. Strain the liquid, discarding the onions, garlic, and cinnamon stick, and reserving the liquid. At this point you can reduce the braising liquid in a separate sauce pot and add back into to your stew later.

6) Now, on to making the final product. In the same pot that you just took out of the oven, heat a TB of olive oil and saute the other onion. Once the onion has softened, add the other 3 cloves of garlic, 2 TB chili powder, one tsp cumin, one tsp, coriander and mix until well incorporated.

7) Once the spices are incorporated return the meat to the pot and add the roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers, and the diced sweet potatoes. If you need to add more liquid in order to cover the potatoes, feel free. Bring the liquid to a boil and cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.

8) Add the beans and reduced braising liquid (if you chose to keep it) and cook until heated through. At this point you can decide to reduce the stew further, until you reach your desired consistency.

9) Ladle the stew into soup bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese - serve with a slice of lime. You could also stretch this further by serving over rice or with a side of cheesy cornbread. I decided to make a batch of cornbread tonight - just sounded yummy.

Check out the picture play-by-play of the braise:

stew chunks dredged in flour

searing the stew chunks in batches

the yummy brown bits left behind from searing - flavah!!

sauteing the onion/garlic/tomato paste mixture

bringing the meat/liquid mixture to a simmer

putting the covered pot in the oven -see you in a few hours!!

P.S. My house smells ridiculous right now - wish I could upload the scent!!