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It’s a rather unassuming-looking place, isn’t it? Don’t let that fool you. The incredible things that happen on this little corner down a nondescript side street will blow your mind.

We all have those places on our “food bucket list” that we hope we will be able to get to someday. One of mine was Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas. It is the epitome of what barbecue should be. Smoky, full of flavor and soft as butter. The brisket was so tender I nearly wept, the ribs literally fell off the bone when picked up… This was it, this was what I had been waiting for.

It was our first stop on the “Tour de Tex”. We had checked the website and unfortunately found that due to the holiday schedule, there was only day they would be open while we were in Texas. So, here is how it went: We woke up at 3:45 in the morning, got on a plane to San Antonio (our original destination), went straight to the rental car place from baggage claim, made an hour long drive on a wing (or a rib) and a prayer to arrive at Franklin Barbecue by 11:45 am. If this seems like a reasonable time to arrive, you’d be mistaken. The line started at 8:00am, which means we were pretty far back and it wasn’t looking good for us.

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It’s no secret that winter is my least favorite season, however it does get serious bonus points for the kind of cooking that it ushers in… the braise! Culinary comfort, the only real benefit of freezing temperatures.

Braises are perfect for winter. It’s a long, slow process (which is how winter feels to me) and it is usually comfort food cooking. What is a “braise” exactly? In its most basic definition, it’s cooking something (usually meat) in a liquid (usually stock, wine or a combination thereof) for a long period of time on a low heat. Most often, braises are tough cuts of meat that benefit from long, slow cooking turning them into the most succulent and flavorful of meals.

Another benefit of braising is, it’s easy. Many braises are one-pot meals, some with a side of starch (and we all know how I love that…) which means you aren’t left with an entire sink of dirty dishes, something else I can really appreciate.

I have a particular pot that I use for braises, it is a Le Creuset enameled cast-iron pot. I have had this pot for almost 15 years. It has made hundreds of meals and looks almost the same as the day I bought it. This is one very good example of “you get what you pay for”. These are expensive, but it is something you only buy once.

I wanted to do a post about braising and was searching for short ribs that would make the cut. It took some time, but I found locally raised organic meat with beautiful marbling and so in went the ribs… deciding what to put with them was easy. I had been craving rutabaga, which I know is not something you hear everyday, so once I had my veggies I was ready to get this braise going.

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