How To Cook Braising Steak Quickly? (Explained)

When people talk of braising, the common thing that comes to mind is cooking beef or lamb, but steak is also ideal for braising.

Braising is a cooking method whereby the steak cooks slowly in a liquid. As the meat continues to cook, it becomes tender, and the liquid is allowed to thicken but not dry. A braised steak is served with a thickened liquid to add nutrients and flavor.

One question that people tend to ask is how to cook braising steak quickly. Let’s look at some of the ways to cook braised steak quickly.

Use of Pressure Cookers

Do you wish to spend minimum time in your kitchen while cooking steak? The idea of braising steak is to let it cook slowly in liquid and low heat. While this method might be effective in cooking the ideal meet, it is time-consuming.

Some people might not have all the time to wait for the steak to cook. Therefore, a pressure cooker is an ideal solution. The appliance employs the technique of cooking food under high pressure. The pressure reduces the cooking time, and in some cases, you only need a few minutes to finish cooking the specific food.

Using a pressure cooker for braising meat would only be useful in making the steak soft. The appliance facilitates the easy breakdown of the steak’s connective tissues, making it soft to chew.

Once your meat is ready, consider cooking it in your preferred liquid. Some people prefer to use alcohol, such as Guinness or wine.

Fry many red onions and garlic in a pan and add the meat. Add your preferred liquid and let it simmer for some minutes until the liquid thickens. In less than thirty minutes, you’ll enjoy a soft braised meet.

Add Meat Tenderizers

Braising steak allows people to add their preferred spices to make the dish more delicious. While adding species, consider meat tenderizers as part of your spices. These spices weaken the connective tissues in meat, allowing it to soften within a short period of cooking.

The best part about meat tenderizers is that they have no flavor. Therefore, they will not interfere with your preferred flavors but make the steak soft.

The essence of braising is to cook the meat for a long to ensure it softens and absorbs all the necessary flavors. Therefore, adding meat tenderizers would allow you to achieve similar results within a short period.

If you want to achieve the best results using these products, poke your steak with a fork and massage the meat tenderizer into the poked holes. Let the meat sit for approximately 30 minutes and begin the cooking process.

Most meat tenderizers are available in stores, but you can also make one at home. If you prefer to make one at home, add one tablespoon of vinegar to your braising liquid. The vinegar softens the steak, allowing it to cook faster than the normal braising process.

You could also use the hand-powered tool to prepare the steak before cooking.

Use Premium Cuts

The quality of any meat you buy determines how well and easy it would cook. Some steak might be tough to soften, so you would braise it for hours before it softens. Consider buying from a reputable source.

These sources would sell you steak from grass-fed, sustainably raised, and organic animals. When you buy such steak, you can be assured of spending minimal time cooking it.

If you don’t buy premium cuts, your steak will take a long period to soften. Braising is done under high temperatures; therefore, the liquid is bound to dry quickly. Therefore, you must ensure your steak is of good quality to avoid experiencing a failed recipe.

If your steak is soft enough, you’ll not need much time to cook it. The liquid will not dry up before the dish is ready. When the braising liquid dries up before the steak is ready, you would add more of it, and this could damage the original flavors.

You want your steak to cook with the original liquid to preserve as many nutrients and flavor as possible. In that case, always get premium cuts from your trusted supplier.

If you do not have a trusted supplier, don’t worry because you can still identify premium steak to facilitate a fast braising process. These steaks contain marbling and among them is a flank steak and a chuck roast. A cow’s shoulder also provides ideal meat for braising.

Use High Heat

Braising requires people to cook a steak slowly until it softens and the liquid thickens enough to form stock. In most cases, the process is done on slow heat.

Consider using more heat and liquid if you want to braise steak quickly. The high heat would facilitate a quick softening of the steak’s connective tissues, making it soft to chew.

Consider covering the steak during the entire process. Covering the steak would concentrate heat in the pan, allowing it to soften quickly. Some people might be tempted to monitor the cooking process.

If you are one of those people, only check on the food a few times during the cooking process. You do not have to keep it open to know it’s cooking well.

Final Thoughts

While there are many ways to braise steak, what matters most is having the meat retain its nutrients and flavors. When cooked over a long period, the steak might lose nutrients.

Although braising is about cooking steak slowly, the above ways can speed up the process. In turn, you’ll have soft-to-chew meat, full of flavors and the perfect texture.