#braising

#braising

Short ribs might look like a steak with extra bone, but they're built differently. Cut from the lower rib cage, they carry thick, durable layers of muscle, connective tissue, and fat, all woven around hefty bones. That structure means quick heat is all wrong for them. Drop them in a sizzling skillet, and the proteins in the meat will seize up, chewy and unyielding.

There's nothing like a good beef stew. Every country's got one - Hungarian goulash, Spain's rabo de toro - and they're all worth making at least once. But Julia Child kept coming back to boeuf bourguignon. In "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," she called it "one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man." Hard to argue with that. Big chunks of beef, plenty of red wine, smoky bacon, mushrooms, onions - and somehow, it's even better the next day.

"The stock is really the most important element. Wine adds complexity and acid. Stock bolsters the meaty taste of your protein, doubling up on its natural umaminess."

Ground meat isn't your only option; instead of just using ground pork, Secchi enriches his ragù with pork sausage and ground prosciutto for deep flavor.