Braising Sinewy Cuts

When choosing beef or veal for braising, select tough cuts with a good amount of bone but not too much fat, such as the shin of veal shown here. Sinew and gristle break down during cooking to enrich the sauce. Only a small amount of liquid is used, so keep the dish tightly covered. A simple recipe for osso buco, using the techniques shown here, is given in the box, right.

1. Brown the veal in hot oil. The coating of flour will form a crust around the meat and help thicken the sauce.

   

2. Turn the meat once or twice during braising so that it cooks evenly and takes on the flavour of the sauce.