72 meat tenderizer recipes

Slow-roasted beef brisket brushed with soy sauce and smothered in onion soup mix. Four hours in the oven yields fork-tender, deeply savory meat that practically carves itself.

Soy-sherry marinated broiled chicken served cold, perfect for picnics and summer gatherings. Feeds a crowd of 12 with crispy, savory skin and tender meat you can make ahead.

Stoba is a traditional Caribbean lamb stew simmered with habaneros, tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, allspice, olives, and capers. Fall-apart tender meat with bold island heat and tangy brightness.

Grilled soft shell crabs basted in a tarragon and lemon pepper marinade. Cooked slow over indirect heat for crispy shells and sweet, tender meat. A Chesapeake Bay summer classic.

Lamb steaks braised in dry apple cider with crystallized ginger, English mustard, apple, and yogurt. A British-style casserole with a sweet-sharp sauce and tender, fall-apart meat.

Westphalian leg of lamb roasted in a buttermilk and vegetable sauce inside an oven bag. A German roasting method that keeps the meat incredibly tender with a tangy pan gravy.

Smoked carnitas: pork shoulder smoked low for three hours, then braised with onions, chilies, cumin, and garlic until the meat pulls apart. BBQ-meets-Mexican with crispy-edged tender bites.

Lemon oregano chicken thighs: pan-seared until golden, then roasted in a bright lemon-butter-oregano pan sauce. A fast Greek-leaning weeknight dinner with crispy skin and tender meat.

Fork-tender pot roast braised in cola, tomatoes, and Italian seasonings until it falls apart. The Coca-Cola breaks down the meat fibers while adding subtle caramel sweetness to the gravy.

Budget-friendly turkey drumsticks browned and braised low and slow with poultry seasoning until fork-tender. Just 5 ingredients and a couple hours of hands-off cooking for juicy, fall-apart meat.

Prime rib roasted in a rock salt crust that seals in every drop of juice, producing fork-tender, deeply seasoned meat. A showstopping Old English technique you crack open with a hammer.

Italian boiled beef brisket simmered with carrot, celery, onion, and Roma tomatoes for fork-tender meat and a clean, golden broth. The classic two-for-one bollito: dinner now, soup base later.

Venison meatloaf cuts ground deer with pork sausage for fat and flavor, then bastes with onion soup broth every ten minutes for a tender, savory game-meat loaf that doesn't dry out.

Mandarin Cornish hens: small game hens roasted and basted in a bright orange juice glaze for tender, citrus-kissed meat and burnished skin. An elegant, simple main with one bird per person or to share.

Chicken Alla Spina braised with red wine, onions, and oregano in a roasting pan. An Italian-American one-pan chicken dinner with tender meat and a savory wine sauce for sopping with bread.

Braising can turn a tough piece of meat into a tender, fall off the bone, comfort food. I can think of no better example than the classic dish osso buco, made from veal shanks.