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| | Braising is the method of cooking something, usually meat but it can also be done with vegetables, in a  particular order. First the product is seared in fat (this could be in olive oil, butter or chicken fat), and secondly it's simmered in stock or some other liquid such as wine, in a covered vessel. When you braise something you don't usually cover it completely in the pot with liquid, instead it's frequently covered about half way up.
So if you're braising a piece of meat, then you're first searing it on all sides to create a browned surface, then next you pour some liquid (such as tomatoes, wine, beer or stock) into it, and then cover it. When braising you don't want to boil the liquid, instead you want a low simmer.
Braising is an excellent technique when you want to use a tough piece of meat as it breaks down the collagen (connective tissue) in the meat and makes it very tender. Therefore, it's a great method to use when you're on a budget, as you don't require an expensive cut of meat, in fact cheap and tough is usually better.
Some examples of dishes that utilize the braising method includes pot roast, coq au vin and shredded pork.
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