"OpenMac" > wrote in message
news:2004070221334850073%OpenMacNoSpam@speakeasyne t...
> > You aren't going to get any simmering unless the liquid is at the
boiling
> > point. At sea level, that would be 212F. At 180F you are just giving
it a
> > nice sauna. Three-hundred is a pretty common temperature for braising.
> > Some people go to 325. Give it a try, it will be lots easier than what
you
> > proposed.
>
> again, i'm after a long slow braise, and am interested in the best
> method for monitoring/controlling the temperature.
>
> as for the "simmer", that's not actually the case ...
>
> at 212F, the liquid is "boiling", not simmering.
>
>
> e.g., http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking...03article.html
>
> "To keep meat tender yet safe during braising, you must maintain an
> important balance. Cooking temperatures must be high enough to kill
> microorganisms, yet not so high that the meat toughens. Use a
> thermometer to check the temperature of the surrounding stock and keep
> it at a simmer of 180 F/82 C-190 °F/88 °C."
>
> from what i'm reading, 180-190F ~ "low" simmer, 190-200F ~ "med
> simmer", 200-210F ~ "high" simmer, and > 212F, by def'n, is boiling.
>
> try it with a pot o' H20 and a probe thermometer ... you'll start
> seeing your first simmer bubbles ~ 180F ...
>

I would then recommend that you get an array of thermocouples and connect
each one to an analog to digital converter. Connect the convert to a
multi-channel board that allows you to transfer the data to a computer. On
a separate I/) port, connect an interface device that is computable with the
electronic oven controller in you oven. Write a custom software package
that monitors the oven conditions and food temperature and keeps everything
within a few hundredths of a degree of your desired internal meat
temperature. Be sure to allow for the fact than most ovens vary as much as
25F +/- from the set temperature.

In lieu of that, set your oven temperature at 300F, put you food in a heavy
vessel with a tight fitting lid, and go away for three to four hours. Most
people consider braising to be a "door slammer" technique. In other words,
you slam the door and walk away. It's literally NOT rocket science. The
type of food that one braises is generally lower cost cuts of meat that are
tough, but big on flavor. If you don't believe me (or every cookbook ever
written), go to the store, get a chuck roast, brown it, add liquid and
seasoning, and put it in a 300F for four hours. I've been doing that for
over 40 years and it works every time.