Braisers?

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HumbleHomeCook

HumbleHomeCook

Embrace your knifesculinity!
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Do ya use them?

I have my large saute pan and a cast iron (bare) Dutch oven and am pondering if I should get an enamaled braiser.

Are there times when you think a braiser really (or would) distances itself from my other tools?
 
I thought about it too. but I use my lidded saute pan with pretty good success. heck, I have used a stainless steel hotel tray covered w foil with similar results. I'm gonna pass. I hate trying to solve problems I dont have :) only benefit is I am missing the "AHHHH!' affect of bringing a bubbly dish to the table in a brightly colored braiser..hehe.
 
boomchakabowwow said:
I thought about it too. but I use my lidded saute pan with pretty good success. heck, I have used a stainless steel hotel tray covered w foil with similar results. I'm gonna pass. I hate trying to solve problems I dont have :) only benefit is I am missing the "AHHHH!' affect of bringing a bubbly dish to the table in a brightly colored braiser..hehe.
Click to expand...

Kinda why I've never pulled the trigger myself. My wife saw one on sale and pointed it out to me so it got me asking again.
 
Not sure you really need one of these...

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I think it makes sense if your Dutch oven doesn’t necessarily afford a lot of surface area. An 8 qt Dutch oven will probably cover your needs. But if it’s ok the smaller side, a braiser is a nice complement
 
Michi said:
It’s an optional thing. If you have a Dutch oven, it’ll work just as well for braising.
Click to expand...
:Iagree:
Plus, a dutch oven is more versatile. A brasier is a one trick pony--and also redundant if you have a good straight-walled saute pan.
 
I have one of those lowerish wide enamelled cast iron braisiers... Staub 28 cm... this guy:
71zuMEYewUL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


I think those and saute pans are probably pretty interchangable, although admittedly I never had a saute pans. My observations so far:
-It became my go to pan for fancier rice dishes, risotto, pilav, paella, etc...it does them awesome.
-I'd take this over a small cast iron since it has way more surface area to brown stuff.
-Similarly, because of the lower walls its a lot easier to stir.
-Also great for braising (duh), stews where you dont need the volume of a big tall cast iron.
-This model goes in the oven easy since it doesn't have a long ass handle.
-They sell these without the lid too. Get the version with the lid, I found it useful.
-Enamel is better for just leaving the food in for another day vs stainless.
-It's not a replacement for a big Dutch oven, but might be for a smaller one. Great to have alongside a big one. How much you use it probably depends on whether you already have a saute pan; I think they fill similar roles.

Do you need one? Probably not. You could probably do everything you do in one of these in a big frypan (for example a 32). Yet I found myself using it quite a lot and generally liking it. Definitly not a waste of money.

These models tend to go on sale at Amazon prime and black friday sales.
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
cast iron (bare) Dutch oven
Click to expand...
If you had an enameled dutch oven you probably wouldn't even ask the question. The 7 1/4 quart Le Creuset is the most versatile pot in my kitchen, and when I need to braise... I never think, oh I need a dedicated shorter version. In fact, I try to avoid single, dedicated use items. I'm sure you don't actually need a braiser, but if you decide to add another large vessel I'd go for a large, round Le Creuset. The reason I specify a brand is that they've figured out the formula for light-colored, stain-free enamel (not to say no one has ever managed to make a mess of one). Something to think about... these choices are all quite personal.
 
I honestly don't see the point in having uncoated cast iron Dutch ovens. Half the things I make in my big Dutch oven will tend to have an acid of some kind, or sit there for multiple days. Seems completely pointless to me to have a bare iron Dutch oven.
But yeah like salparaside said; if you can only buy one I'd probably go for a proper big enamelled cast iron Dutch oven before you get a braisier.

I'd pick between Staub and Le Creuset. They both have a good reputation for enamel durability (maybe someone who has both can tell you if either of those is superior over the other). The cheap made in China stuff? Yeah it looks just as good... for the first few years. Until the enamel starts flaking and chipping off everywhere.
 
I agree with the note above that a large enameled or stainless clad dutch oven is essential if you don’t have one. I prefer stainless clad over enameled. Enameled comes in larger sizes. I think Creuset makes a 32cm braiser. I considered it, then I found Falk makes a 32cm stew pot in copper.
 
Staub is lined with dark colored enamel, which makes it harder to see what’s happening inside, and there may be subtle differences in how they sear, make fond, and deglaze. I love gumbo, and I like being able to see the roux and browned bits, for example. A great Dutch oven provides satisfaction beyond practical necessity… like good knives. I’m a thrifty guy, but I paid up for the LC, no regrets.
 
I thought the black enamel might be a problem as well... until I actually used it and realized it was really an academical non-issue. You can still see perfectly fine what's going on, and if I'm checking to see the color on meat, I check the meat, not the pan. Same with roux... it's not a problem at all to see the color.
As an advantage you won't really see discoloration on the black. I've heard the creamy white interior often doesn't stay that way after a decade for a lot of people.
 
Jovidah said:
I honestly don't see the point in having uncoated cast iron Dutch ovens.
Click to expand...

We used to camp a lot and a lot of cooking was done over an open fire and/or hot coals. Cast iron did everything from hash browns to peach cobbler. So I still have a lone piece from those days.

To this day, cast iron is all my brother in law cooks with. He's probably got a couple dozen pieces now including a couple of my grandpa's old skillets that must be over a hundred years old now.
 
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Frying pans are a bit of an exception due to the whole non-stick seasoning thing being an advantage there; I have carbon steel skillets for the same reason... although I still want some stainless alongside it.
I understand camping and open fire cooking might be a bit different, but for home use? Enamelled is by far the superior option IMO. The only thing I'd consider using a bare cast iron Dutch oven for is baking bread.
 
Do we need to tie ourselves to enameled cast iron for braisers? I have a 8QT All-clad TK Rondeau I use to braise. I also use my 12qt all-clad rondeau for that. If it's smaller, I have a tall roasting pan. If we are strictly looking at something to present at the table, then all of those can still be used. Will they be as pretty... probably not, but most meat braises tend to have a lot of fat that I try to not serve. I usually keep around 20-25% of rendered fat.
 
IMO it matters what you braise in which pan, I braise chicory in almost any pan, but there are things that are better off in a cast iron pot, and the acidity makes me choose an enameled or bare pot. or so I miss something fundamental?
 
I think an enamelled braiser, stainless rondeau and a saute pan are probably all rather interchangable. Only thing I can think of is that a saute pan might not fit in your oven. But all of those should be fine with any acidic ingredients you throw at it - unlike bare iron / steel.

I don't think cast iron (whether enamelled or not) really offers any significant thermal advantages you couldn't get from a good stainless pan.
 
daveb said:
The braisier not only cooks well, it looks good on the table. When I use one it also doubles as the serving dish.
Click to expand...
this here is the thing. that striking food presentation at the table. crusty toasted edges, bubbly center, etc. it is the "ahhh" affect.

i remember my uncle bringing a roasted bird to the table in an old carbon steel cassarole pan. i was probaby 10, and even i went, "ahhhh". (i'm buying myself a good watch, and Blu Skillet cassarole for retirment gifts).
 
I just bought a Mauviel 15-inch pan. I plan to use it for roasting bones and stuff. It will also be my Paella pan. It is new so I am hopeful. I am not real sure how it will work out. We will see.

I have a nice Le Creuset 32 low sided pan which I don't really use a lot. I worry about using too high of temperature and burning the enamel. I also have an All-Clad roasting pan with higher sides that I use for Thanksgiving turkey. I have lots of Dutch ovens. Now that I write this, I think I don't really braise that much as I roast more. I like crispy skin. With high side pans you don't end up with crispy skin, on like chicken. When I do chuck roast, I can still use a low sided pan. So, I prefer low sided pans. Plus, I grill and smoke a lot of meat.

What do you cook that you have to have a braising pan? I assume all braising pans have high sides.
 
duplicate post. The system glitched and I ended up with 2 posts. It gave me a oops error and when I pressed the button again, I ended up with 2 posts. You may delete,
 
coxhaus said:
I just bought a Mauviel 15-inch pan. I plan to use it for roasting bones and stuff. It will also be my Paella pan. It is new so I am hopeful. I am not real sure how it will work out. We will see.

I have a nice Le Creuset 32 low sided pan which I don't really use a lot. I worry about using too high of temperature and burning the enamel. I also have an All-Clad roasting pan with higher sides that I use for Thanksgiving turkey. I have lots of Dutch ovens. Now that I write this, I think I don't really braise that much as I roast more. I like crispy skin. With high side pans you don't end up with crispy skin, on like chicken. When I do chuck roast, I can still use a low sided pan. So, I prefer low sided pans. Plus, I grill and smoke a lot of meat.

What do you cook that you have to have a braising pan? I assume all braising pans have high sides.
Click to expand...
I have the Matfer 15" carbon pan for the same thing. I do roast in it and it works great. paella? it's okay. the tomato I do use and the long simmer time will strip my hard earned seasoning coating every single time. it isn't ideal for this reason.

I did a 4-bone standing rib roast and it was spectacular.
 
Supposedly braising in a low sided pan gives better results. Been a while but I think it was something to do with higher evaporation rates concentrating the integral sauce? I do have an older blue staub with the honeycomb bottom in addition to several cocottes and two sauté pans. We use it a lot in the winter. It’s great for 3 lb-ish pork roasts.
 
I haven't read every post in this thread, so my apologies if I'm sharing something already posted, but there's pretty good deals on slightly cosmetically flawed Staub brasiers on eBay. I'd probably buy one at this price if it was a vivid color, but it appears to only be the grey, which still looks good. They have 10 available.

And a big plus, free shipping. Just glancing thru other listings, these heavy pots can run up to $40 just in shipping

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2345462767...NHGYPIsegURgAVXU5FRe1/JnAxIw|tkp:BFBM-tCSkLtg
 
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