don’t overcook badly. Many slow braises and
stews are cooked in a low oven, but the usual
temperatures specified — 325–350ºF/165–
175ºC — are high enough that they’ll
eventually raise the contents of a covered pot
to the boil. Unless the pot is left uncovered,
which allows cooling evaporation (and
concentrates and creates flavor at the liquid
surface), the oven temperature should be kept
below 200ºF. (The original braisier in France
was a closed pot sitting on and topped with a
few live coals.)
Meats cooked in liquid should be allowed
to cool in that liquid, and are best served at
temperatures well below the cooking
temperature, around 120ºF/50ºC. The capacity
of the meat tissue to hold water increases as it
cools, so it will actually reabsorb some of the
liquid it lost during the cooking.
Tender Meats: Surprisingly Quick Cooking
Hot water is such an effective heat transmitter