Chef John Toulze from the girl & the fig (Sonoma, CA) defines Braising as: "Braising is a technique of cooking something slowly for a period of time to either induce tenderness, flavor, richness or a combination of all. It is usually done at lower temperatures. The idea behind braising, for meats, is taking lower quality cuts of meats and cooking them slowly to bring out their true greatness. Braising brings out a lot of flavor. I also love braising vegetables because you soften them and produce a texture they wouldn't normally have. Braising takes time, you can't rush it. You must take it slow, do it at the right temperature and be patient. More people should do it at home. It is the ultimate home cooking technique. You start it in the morning at low temperature, cook it really slow, and leave it. It is very important technique in our kitchen. We are very technical on how we do it from searing meat properly to making sure you get the right carmelization for the flavor. The end-product of braising is amazing."

Chef Clark Frasier from Arrows (Ogunquit, ME) defines Braising as: "Braising is slow cooking, covered normally, in the oven, with liquid."

Braising means to cook slowly at a low temperature in a small amount of liquid. Foods may be braised in the oven or on the range top.  Food is sometimes browned first on high heat. Slow, moist cooking breaks down the fibrous connective tissue called collagen in tougher cuts of meat and they become tender and very flavorful. Osso Buco and lamb shanks become tender and flavorful due to braising.