Wine Flavors

• Be aware that wine imparts a strong flavor to meat when braising. While the alcohol will burn off during the cooking process, this intensifies the underlying flavor of the wine. White wine will be less intense in flavor. Red wine will have a stronger taste and will also provide a rich dark color to the meat. Never use a cooking wine or a wine that you would not serve alongside the dish, as the quality of the wine will show in the flavors it provides in the dish.

Stock Flavor

• Use stock as a standard liquid for braising. Full of flavor but not enough to overpower the meat, stock is derived from the simmering of vegetables or vegetables and meat for long periods of time. The stock intensifies the meat flavor, especially if using beef stock when roasting beef or chicken stock when roasting chicken. Choose a stock that has no sodium added; instead, add salt to taste after the meat is cooked. Enhance the stock's underlying flavors with chopped fresh carrots, onions, garlic, and celery.

Ratio

• When creating a braising liquid, use a standard ratio of one-half to one-third part wine to every one part stock. This will allow for a flavorful braising liquid that does not overpower the taste of the meat itself. For dishes in which the red wine is the main flavoring for the meat, use a ratio of one part wine to one part stock.

Considerations

• Brown the meat before braising, then deglaze the pot by adding the braising liquid in the desired wine-to-stock ratio. Scrape up any brown or stuck-on bits of the pot with a wooden spoon. This process adds a caramelized flavor to the liquid, which will then flavor the meat. Cover the meat halfway with the braising liquid, and turn it over halfway through the cooking process to ensure that both top and bottom receive the same amount of immersion time. Cook the roast until it is tender, which depends on the temperature of the oven and the size of the roast.