Chuck is a not-so-tender (though flavorful) cheap cut of meat which comes from the shoulder area. It’s got a lot of connective tissue (aka collagen) so it’s not great for making steaks out of. Cooked slow over low heat however and the collagen breaks down into gelatin and makes the meat delightfully melty and moist. I love braising pork shoulder in beer so when I realized that the cut of veal I had wasn’t going to work for schnitzel I rummaged through my pantry looking for beer. As it turned out, I had no beer, but I did find a few bottles of hard apple cider. If you’ve never tried real cider (not the carbonated vodka, sugar, and flavoring crap), you’re missing out. Warwick Valley Winery makes a line of cider’s that are inexpensive, subtle and refreshing. Think of it as poor-man’s champagne… in fact, they even use the same yeast used to produce champagne. With a few inexpensive ingredients and a bit of time in the oven this “mistake” ended up turning into a luxurious winter meal. Play around with the cuts of meat, try adding some different spices, but most importantly, remember that when it comes to cooking, you can turn lemons into lemonade:-)
Other Braises
Chicken Adobo Ossobuco Beef Pork Sugo with Strozzapreti Pork and Sauerkraut Goulash
📖 Recipe
