Low & Slow

Chef Briggs, an admired instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, passed away in May 2012 at the age of 57. He leaves behind this concise and workmanlike volume of lessons and recipes culled from his Low and Slow adult education course. Three cooking methods are covered: braising, which involves searing the meat before introducing the moist heat of a sauce or stock; barbecuing, with all of its regional variations, from Memphis dry ribs to Kansas City wet spareribs; and slow roasting, which calls for low heat, and high patience, with up to a four-hour wait for the perfect slow-roasted pork belly. Just when one thinks that the collection is weighed down with standards like osso buco or braised oxtails, Briggs will pull a rabbit out of the hat, or more likely, a duck, smoke-roasted, with dried cranberry sauce, or a smoked trout, served with apple-horseradish cream, or even a plate of ravioli, stuffed with barbecued pork butt. Also surprising, and perhaps a disappointment to the eager carnivore, is that about a quarter of the recipes are for salads and side dishes, ranging from classic mac & cheese to a roasted corn and jicama salad. (Apr.)