We're holding the hypothermia at bay by braising everything around us. This cooking technique, where food is cooked in a little liquid for a long time at low temperature, produces luscious, tender meals that comfort the soul and stave off the chill. Plus, the oven stays on throughout a long braise, which keeps the kitchen warm, if nothing else.

All braises use the same basic technique, differing only in time and cooking liquid: Prep, brown, braise, sauce. You don't need a recipe after you've done it a couple times; we didn't use one for the vermouth-braised chicken legs we made for this demonstration. You can quickly braise tough veggies and tender cuts of meat, but the best choice is to slowly cook collagen-heavy pieces of meat like shoulders, shanks, and short ribs. The lengthy braise transforms tough meat into something so tender you can flake it with a fork. Imagine barbecue, but wetter and without the smoke.

Photos by Melissa Schneider