Long before fancy cuts like filet mignon existed, our ancestors were dealing with some seriously tough cows. These weren’t the pampered, grain-fed cattle we know today. They were working animals, so their meat was hard and chewy.
Think about it: you wouldn’t try to grill a bicep muscle, right? Our great-grandparents knew this well. So, they turned to the oldest trick in the book: low and slow cooking.
This is where the magic of braising was born. By searing the meat and then letting it swim in a little liquid inside a covered pot, they broke down the tough connective tissue. That tough old roast turned into something you could cut with a fork.
