Braising is a professional chef’s BFF. It’s a simple cooking technique that can take a cut of tough meat and make it fall-off-the-bone tender. It’s flavorful. It’s moist. It’s delicious. And anyone can do it.

Chef Dave Swanson believes in it so much that he even named his restaurant after it (in fact, Braise in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood had its fifth anniversary this December).

“To braise is a pillar of the culinary world,” he said. “Marinating, reductions, sauce making, searing proteins — to me it’s a return to cooking.”

In its simplest form, braising is pot roasting. The meat is cooked low and slow partially submerged in liquid (vs. stewing in which the meat is totally submerged in liquid).

You can braise any type of meat, from lamb and beef to pork and chicken. However, the best cuts to use are the muscles used for stabilization and locomotion — like legs and shoulders.

“This is because those muscles build up connective tissue and it needs a longer cooking time to break down and get tender,” Swanson said. “Think about the muscle that moves the animal forward. That is a good meat for braising.”

One of Swanson’s favorite meats to braise is goat.

“It gets overlooked, but it’s one of those dishes that will have a resurgence in the next year,” he said. “Five years ago, you couldn’t get a goat. But with so many people making goat cheese, they’re becoming much more available.”

One of his favorite ways to use goat is in a curry with diced potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, carrots and parsnips.

Although a recipe is helpful for braising newbies, once you know the correct method you can cook without a recipe.

The first step is seasoning your meat with salt and pepper (or marinating) and getting your pan nice and hot. Next, add your oil and sear your meat until it is dark brown on all sides.

Remove the meat to a plate and add your veggies to the pot. When the veggies are brown and slightly soft, deglaze the pan with wine (the acidity will balance the richness of the meat). This is where that flat-bottomed spoon comes in. Reduce the wine before adding the meat back in.

Next add stock to the pan so it reaches halfway up the meat; bring to a boil and then reduce it to a low simmer. Then add aromatics (like a bunch of fresh herbs) and let simmer on the stove or in a 325-degree oven for one to three hours (pieces of stew meat will take less time to braise then a whole roast).

What you’re left with is tender meat in a rich, flavorful sauce that guests will smell as soon as they walk through the door.

This method also can be used for vegetables to make them rich and delicious. Some hearty vegetables that braise well include brussels sprouts, kale and flat beans (also known as Romano green beans).

“At Braise, we make a lot of fresh chevre,” Swanson said. “We save the leftover whey and braise turnips in there.”

At Braise Culinary School, Swanson teaches a braising class where students learn proper techniques as well as a classic braised beef recipe. “You can braise anything your heart desires,” he said.

Braised Brussels Sproutsin Bacon and Shallots