All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

I received a set of enamel-coated cast iron pots for my anniversary two years ago and purchased this book to learn some great recipes to use with them. I spent the first afternoon browsing through the book, skimming the different sections, and reading some of the recipes. The next time I sat down and read the whole first section and was instantly enchanted. Her way of instructing readers on the history, equipment, and techniques of braising was fantastically easy to follow - like having a conversation instead of getting a lecture or lesson. I quickly made several items out of the book and they turned out to be very delicious and quite easy to make with the proper planning and preparation. Then, because she teaches you a method and gives you guidelines about pairings, liquids, and herbs/seasonings to use I have often bought whatever lovely cut of meat was on sale that was suitable for braising and used a recipe for a similar cut as a guideline to making the dish. Those have also turned out amazing. I've served her recipes to just my husband and myself as dinner, but also turned them into entertainment dishes where I can prepare everything in advance then let it cook in the oven for hours while I finish cooking other dishes or getting everything else set up for guests. Although we have made many of the recipes and experiment with various cuts of meat and vegetables, there are two dishes that we make quite often and keep fairly true to her recipe. The first is Yankee Pot Roast Redux on pg. 252. We make it with JK Scrumpy's Hard Apple Cider, which is very sweet and has a strong apple flavor so it condenses down to a sort of lightly alcoholic apple syrup and is really good with pork cuts of any kind. If you like apple cider that tastes more like beer, I've heard that Crispin Cider's The Saint is really good. The second recipe we make quite often is Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Rosemary and Porcini on pg. 241. This is the hands-down favorite of my family and most of my guests. We always add various vegetables between the roast and the tomato-porcini ragu in the bottom of the pan to make it a one-pot meal. It has a very amazing depth of flavor and for once the veggies steeped in all that flavor are just as fought-over as the meat part of the dish! We've made this recipe with various full-bodied red wines (no sweet wine here, pick a dry or semi dry with a nice rich taste) and had it turn out well. Most recently we used a Bordeaux and it was delicious. There are a lot of steps to this recipe, but if you do most of your prep up front on the same day as you start marinading the ribs it cuts a lot of the active cooking time down. Also, as with so many braised dishes, this tastes even better a day or two after you cook it, so you can make it ahead and just heat it back through in the oven the day you wish to serve it. We have also made many of the braised vegetable side dishes and added quite a few to the regular list of meals as well. This book is one that deserves a spot near the kitchen because many of the recipes will be ones you make over and over. It is a wonderful instructional guide to the method of braising and is overflowing with great recipes that will become favorites. I have purchased it over and over again as gifts for family, friends, and most recently a coworker who loves cooking but is looking to learn methods and add versatile recipes to her repertoire. I've heard nothing but rave reviews back, whether people have tried many of these or just a few. It seems that this book is full of instant classics and family favorites.

First off I never heard of Molly Stevens. I found a recipe that called for braising and I went online to see just how to do this and saw the reviews on her "All About Braising" and decided to order it. Well I just received the cookbook and after reading the first twenty two pages, I know immediately I'm going to love it. It is beautifully written for a novice or for a more experienced cook. You can tell there was a lot of thought that went into preparing this cookbook. So many times I have come across cookbooks where the author automatically assumes the reader knows all about cooking whether it is braising, roasting or baking and left so many unanswered questions. They don’t seem to consider just how many different level of cooks will hopefully be buying their book. Well not Molly Stevens. You can tell from the very beginning the author took her time step by step. There are many helpful hints mentioned such as “don’t buy a pot just because it has the “spikes” it is not necessary. She advises other ways to achieve the same results in braising. She explains also the method behind braising and why the size of a pot matters for the type of food you are cooking. The recipes she has included look very interesting and simple to make and the ingredients will be easily found. I never thought of braising vegetables and her simple Butter Glazed Radishes sounds wonderful. The author also tells you how to shop and what to look for when buying meats, seafood and vegetables. I think she has covered it all. The hardest part now is trying to decide which recipe to try first, the Short Ribs Braised in Porter Ale with Maple-Rosemary Glaze or the Salmon Fillets Braised in Pinot Noir with Bacon & Mushroom or the Whole Chicken Braised with Pears & Rosemary. I will certainly now take a look at the other cookbooks she has to offer because this one is a winner!

I LOVE this book! I'm not new to braising, but was a novice and learned a lot about techniques and more importantly how the cuts of meat in beef work. We try to follow Paleo as much as possible and I've been struggling with new dishes. Well Eureka, I've found the Holy Grail! Most recipes don't need any substitutions, some are as simple as dredging in almond flour rather than regular flour. I love all the extra info that is thrown in here and there and the short stories about where a recipe came/developed from. I've picked up so many tips on cooking and meat/produce selection. Easy one pot wonder recipes. I don't have time to cook at length with two little ones at home. These are all things I can prepare while they are down for short naps, pop it into the oven and voila dinner is done! I just bought a Le Creuset 3.5Q Braiser (at an outlet, what a deal!) and saw this book on their site. I'm in love with the easy cooking, easy clean up, minimal ingredients, and all homemade results. I love that braisers, no matter the brand, can go from oven to the table and have a lovely presentation. Things always look and smell amazing. As a mom it makes me want to make the family sit down to dinner to 'present' what I've made. I'm again proud of my cooking and meal creation and we're gathering for family dinner at a table rather than sitting watching TV or eating at the kitchen bar quickly. With this book I can easily pass the processed boxed dinners in the store. Delicious home cooking is so much easier than you might think! I can already tell things are becoming family favorites that I will be making for years. This is one of the top 2 Go-To cookbooks in my house now. It's nothing short of amazing!

About a week ago I cooked my first dish using a recipe from the book: "Top Blade Steaks Smothered in Mushrooms and Onions". The result was absolutely delicious, and I look forward to trying other recipes. There is no doubt in my mind that each recipe has been well considered and tested before being put into the book. This said, I found the timing suggestions to be quite inaccurate (possibly, for a home cook only): e.g., where the recipe said that it should take 15-20 minutes to saute the mushrooms, the entire process actually took more like 30-45 minutes, etc. The timing discrepancy made the dish a lot more time-consuming than expected (about 4 hours from start to finish). So, my advice is to do a trial run of a recipe before planning to serve the dish at a dinner party to ensure that you get the time right and your guests do not go hungry. I personally feel that the book could also benefit from adding more photos of dishes described in the recipes. Other than the timing issue and the photos, this ia a wonderful cookbook full of flavorfull ideas that I cannot wait to try out. Do get it and enjoy it!

I am a 9 to 5 office job guy who never cooked till I was nearly 40, and I have fallen in love with cooking after reading and trying out recipes from this book. Molly's explanations about the principles, 10 stages, and equipment for braising at the beginning of the book were a brilliant a-ha. Although the book has not been written like the many other Cooking for Geeks books out there, to my engineer brain the 10 stages and the numerous insights on the science and chemistry of meats and braising clicked brilliantly. All her recipes follow the same basic 4 steps of 1) Browning the main, 2) Aromatics, 3) Braising liquid, and 4) Finish and are very easy to follow. Although there are not as many pictures in this book as some others, the way its been written is actually far more hand-holding than just pictures (and you thought a picture is worth a ....). This makes the individual recipes long, but then you can't get it wrong because its so well explained. I was worried about messing up, but Molly repeatedly explains how tolerant braising is to not getting it exactly right, so that put me at ease. Although braising seemed complex before I read this book, I found it to be the easiest to understand and execute repeatedly with finger licking success. There are easier forms of cooking out there, but the results of braising are just fabulous. The cooking time is long, but the effort is not that much - as most of the time, the pot is just simmering in the oven. I have used the principles of braising explained so well in this book to create my own recipes - and those have turned out very well too. I would recommend this book to people who want to understand cooking, appreciate deep flavors, and have the patience to try and hone. This book is not for those looking for quick fix meals - at least initially. But once you get the concepts, you can pull together some awesome stuff incredibly easily. I wish more cook books have the distilled essence and easy to follow steps, yet the depth that comes from mastery as easily presented as in this book. I also wish Molly would do a YouTube channel to make more folks aware of the simple and yummy art of Braising.

This is by far the best cookbook I have ever owned; and I've owned many. Molly Stevens begins by giving you a chapter on the principals of Braising and what happens under the lid of a braising pot or pan. This chapter also includes Mastering the Art of Braising, The Best Foods for Long or Short Braising, Understanding why a certain Cut of Meat is Tough or Tender, Choosing the Right Braising Pot, The Importance of the size of a Braising Pot, and the list goes on. After this wonderful chapter, you come to the recipes which are all laid out step by step. They are remarkable easy to follow. Some of the recipes can have nine steps. For example; 1. Heat the oven to...., 2. Removing any fish bones, 3. The mushrooms, 4. The aromatics and braising liquid, 5. Meanwhile prepare the bacon and mushroom garnish, 6. The braise, 7. The finish, 8. Serving. Now that may sound like a lot of steps. However, She breaks down everything so simply that it is not at all intimidating. She leaves no stone unturned, no question unanswered. Therefore, it is almost impossible to make a mistake or ruin the meal. The best part is that these recipes are truly outstanding. I never braised anything in my life before I received this book. Now I braise all the time. I love this method. It produces the most flavorful and succulent meat, fish, poultry, and even vegetables that I have ever had the pleasure of eating. In the few weeks since I received this book, I have prepared several meals of poultry, pork and beef. Each time the meal was a success as her recipes are so easy to follow. There isn't a recipe in the book that I don't look forward to preparing. This is the first cookbook I've ever owned in which every recipe appeals to me. I have already made more meals from this cookbook than I've ever made from any of my other cookbooks in all the years that I've had them. I highly recommend this cookbook. It is truly outstanding.

This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever had. My collection is now up to about 300 cookbooks, and this one ranks right up at the top. The organization is fantastic. In terms of usability, it is also excellent. Each recipe has the hours it will take to cook along with the serving size right in front. The directions could not be any clearer. The recipe chapters are organized by food type - vegetables, seafood, poultry and game, beef, veal, pork, lamb. The recipes are easy. The author explains not only how, but why each step is taken. The recipes we've tried have turned out GREAT and our guests have been very impressed with the dinners we've served from this book. I especially appreciated the explanations of the different types of cookware at the beginning of the book. A lot of topics I had questions about she answers -- types of meat cuts, braising vs. crock pot/slow cookers (she has about the same opinion of slow cookers as my Mom, who is another great cook - that it can be easy but generally has inferior results) and she has a nice resource section for purchasing items. I also liked the wine suggestions. The photography is beautiful. This is a good book for both beginners and experienced cooks because it explains things in great detail and has the standard favorite recipes, but it also has a great selection of more unusual recipes that I've not seen in other cookbooks. I'll be giving lots of these as gifts at Christmas.

A very well written book. Tried and true classic European and American recipes as well as others with a more exotic twist. Plenty of useful information and instruction on 'how to'. Braising is probably my favorite way to cook. If you do it right (and it's easy to do it right) you get the most succulent and satisfying meals with ease. A little bit of prep, bang it in the oven (or leave it slow simmer on the stovetop) and in 1 to 3 hours you've got a great meal. I've looked at the few books out there devoted to this subject and in my opinion hers is one of the best. Not only does she give you plenty of yummy recipes, she gives you plenty of info on the various ways to braise, cuts of meat and info on the types of containers (pots, etc.) one can use for braising and why you would use a particular container. She also gives tips on how to make a too deep covered dish into a braiser. (in braising, the more shallow the pot the better.) My only regret is I didn't buy this on Amazon. I paid full price. I was so pleased with the content when I browsed it in the book store I just had to get it right then and there.

I have several hundred cookbooks and were I to have to choose favorites, this would be in the top 10. Molly's methods, techniques, recipes and flavor combinations are superb. I have yet to find a recipe we didn't love. It gives me a chance to pull out my good cast iron braising pots and put them to use. I entertain a fair bit and I love that I can prepare so much of this in advance and spend time with my guests as my house smells divine. All about Roasting is also an excellent cookbook and I'm hoping Molly hasn't quit writing yet!

I am a foodie, I love cookbooks and cooking. I started off in life as a vegetarian and have had to teach myself slowly how to cook meat to perfection, this book has helped me to understand meat better and how to turn ordinary cuts into extraordinary meals. This is the most used cookbook in my collection, and what I love about it is that Molly makes clear what the important principals of each dish are, so you an understand why a dish works and innovate according to the season and what you have in your cupboard. Brilliant!

This book changed our meat cooking ever. Thank you ever so much Molly Stevens!

I own more than 100 cookbooks and yet I had not encountered such a comprehensive book, from ingredients to pan to use. A must to have if you wish to perfect the art of roasting. I also own the "All about roasting", by the same author. It is equally good. Quality of meat does not lead to tender and juicy meat, if we do not prepare it properly. I have tried to roast beef for almost 40 years and never completely succeeded in having a tender and juicy meat. Now I know why! These two books provided me methods and steps for successfully roasting and braising meats. Too bad these two books were not around when I got married, some 40 years ago! They have become my bible for roasting and braising. (My wish is that the author publishes one on casseroles, just casseroles.)

This book really is a classic, and it's wonderful. Not only are the recipes excellent, and cover a wide variety of dishes, but she imparts so much helpful information along the way about how to buy X, what to look for in Y, etc. This has become my favourite cookbook!