Braise

To braise means to cook covered in a small amount of liquid, usually after preliminary browning. In almost all cases, the liquid is served with the product as a sauce.

Braising is sometimes referred to as a combination cooking method because the product is first browned, using dry heat, before it is cooked with a liquid. Nevertheless, in most cases, moist heat is responsible for most of the cooking process, and the browning may be thought of as a preliminary technique. The purpose of the browning step is not so much to cook the item as to develop color and flavor.