One of my favorite ways to make meat when I’m in a hurry and/or have a cheap cut is to braise it. For most recipes, the meat gets seasoned then browned in a pan. Then it’s transferred to a crock pot and liquid added for slow cooking. Alternatively, one can simmer on low on the stove. Three meats I often cook this way are
- Boneless or bone-in short ribs
- Chunks of pork shoulder or butt
- Lamb shanks, shoulder, or leg chunks that are fatty or have lots of sinew, even a lamb bone will work
Short ribs are one of my absolute favorite things to braise. Sometimes I make Mexican taco filling this way. Other times I make Texas style chili. Another option is coconut curried short ribs.
Lamb is also an awesome thing to braise. Shanks in particular lend themselves to braising. My grandmother used to make a Greek dish she called lamb and noodles which involves cooking lamb in a tomato based sauce until it falls off the bone and then serving over noodles. I think she may have even added the noodles to the braising liquid to cook them. Lamb curry (Indian style) is often what I find myself making. This recipe from Cooking Light is pretty easy and doesn’t require too many “special order” ingredients.
When I braise pork I typically make pork chile verde. I often used store bought green tomatillo salsa to save time. This week I wanted something different. Inspired by the curried short ribs I went searching and decided to make a pork coconut curry. This is an exceptionally simple recipe but was super tasty. I added a quarter cup of lime juice to it to mellow out the fish sauce which can be overwhelming. I also added some sliced mushrooms, Napa cabbage, and green beans at the very end of the cooking process. My husband said it really need some spice in it. So I think if I make it again I’ll add a couple of tablespoons of green curry paste.