Tips & Techniques > Combination Cooking Temperatures

To obtain the best results when braising, stewing or pot roasting, we recommend cooking at low temperatures of around 200°F (95°C).

Slow cooking at lower temperatures allows the meat to gradually tenderize and most importantly, provides plenty of time for the meat, mirepoix and surrounding liquid to exchange flavors. The end result is a more flavorful, fork-tender dish.

Many recipes indicate higher temperatures for combination cooking. The advantage to higher heat is that the dish obviously cooks faster; however, the higher heat will cause the dish to boil. Boiling will cause the rendered fat and impurities to emulsify into the liquid making it more difficult to remove at the end of cooking. This can result in a greasy, cloudy and less-refined sauce.

Just keep in mind that the lower the heat and the larger the cut of meat, the longer the meat will take to tenderize and become fork-tender.