Sunday Braised Meat “Meal Prep” Method
If you hate meal prepping, try braising meat instead. Almost every Sunday I’ll put a cut of meat into the oven to braise. Then I have a large batch of cooked, shredded protein that lets me whip up a variety of quick meals all week.
Ingredients
Your choice of:
Chuck roast
Short Ribs
Pork Shoulder
Chicken Thighs
(or any other cut of meat with enough connective tissue and fat for braising)
You will also need:
Salt
Neutral cooking oil
Broth or water
Optional Aromatics: Onion, garlic, bay leaves, spices*
Equipment: A braising vessel such as a dutch oven or pot that you can cover (large enough to submerge your meat in water)
*If I’m prepping a large batch of braised meat for the week, I usually leave out aromatics and flavorings. This way I can use the neutrally-flavored meat in a variety of dishes and cuisines throughout the week.
Instructions
Salt the meat & preheat the oven: Generously cover all sides of your braising meat with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 300 F.
Sear the meat: Over high heat, add oil to your braising vessel and lay in your meat to sear, in batches if necessary. Sear it on all sides to develop some nice browning. If using aromatics, this is where you would brown those afterwards.
Add the braising liquid and put into the oven: Add enough braising liquid to cover your meat. Water or broth will work. Bring that liquid to a boil and then pop it into a preheated 300 F oven for 3 to 7 hours, depending on your cut of meat (the exception here is chicken. I would check it after an hour).
Shred and set away for meals throughout the week: You’re braise is done when the meat shreds apart easily. I separate that out into containers and save the broth to use as well.
Now that you have a batch of braised meat for the week, try making these three recipes with it:
