Chinese Character of the Week: 炖

红烧肉

炖, known as to braise/stew, is a method of cooking that involves stir-frying a variety of aromatics such as onions (洋葱) or spring onions (葱) along with the main ingredients of a dish before adding a large amount of water or stock and seasoning to slowly cook to the desired tenderness. In Chinese cooking, there is a distinction between 熬 and 烧, both of which are derivative of 炖. 熬 generally involves a shorter heating period and the addition of more water when compared to 烧. A popular dish prepared using the 烧 method is 红烧肉,  which traditionally involves a significantly smaller amount of water/stock than other dishes prepared using 炖. A distinctive feature of 炖 is the relatively low heat used to cook the dish after water/stock has been added, leaving it to slowly simmer and giving the chef more control over the texture of the dish.