What does braise mean?
To braise is to cook food gently and slowly in a covered vessel with only a small amount of liquid, usually after browning it first. The technique combines two methods — dry-heat searing and moist-heat simmering — which makes it ideal for tougher cuts of meat like brisket, short ribs, or lamb shoulder, as well as hearty vegetables such as cabbage and leeks. Over hours of low heat, connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, yielding meat that is tender enough to cut with a spoon and a sauce that is deeply flavorful. The word also functions as a noun, naming the resulting dish itself, as in 'a rich braise.' Braising carries connotations of comfort, patience, and homey abundance; it is the culinary emblem of slow Sunday cooking. Derived from the French word for glowing coals, it entered English cookery vocabulary in the nineteenth century and remains a cornerstone term of both professional kitchens and home recipes.
To cook food slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid, typically after first browning it.
"Braise the lamb shanks in red wine for about four hours."
Transitive; most often applied to tough cuts of meat and sturdy vegetables.
A dish prepared by braising.
"The menu features a pork braise served over creamy polenta."
The word 'braise' comes from the French for 'live coals' — the original technique meant cooking on embers, not in a pot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of braise
Braise derives from the French verb braiser, meaning to cook on live coals, which traces back to braise, the Old French word for glowing embers. The ember sense ultimately connects to brese, an Old Norse-derived Germanic root also reflected in the English word brazier. English adopted the culinary term during the nineteenth century as French cuisine's influence on British and American cooking deepened.
Related word forms
How braise is actually used
Common in culinary writing and everyday cooking contexts; neutral register. The verb is transitive and typically used with meats, but also applies to vegetables such as leeks and cabbage.
Easily confused with braise
Braising uses moist heat at low temperature over a long time, while broiling exposes food to direct dry heat at high temperature for a short time.