braising, the cooking of meat or vegetables by heating them slowly with oil and moisture in a tightly sealed vessel. Braising differs from stewing, in which the food is immersed in liquid, and from covered roasting, in which no liquid is added. Braising is a combination of covered roasting and steaming.
The food to be braised is first browned in a small amount of fat in an open pan, and then it is cooked further with the pan covered; meats are frequently braised over a bed of vegetables. A small amount of liquid may be added after browning is completed. The term fricasseeing may be applied to the making of a stew by braising small pieces of poultry, rabbit, or veal. The braising of a large piece of meat is sometimes called pot-roasting.