36 meat tenderizer recipes

Mince-meat cookies made with a tender cake flour dough rolled thin, filled with cooked mincemeat, and sandwiched together. A vintage holiday filled cookie that makes 36.

Microwave steamed lobster cooked in salted lemon water in just 12 minutes. A fast, no-fuss method for whole live lobster with tender, sweet meat.

Italian-style venison pot roast braised low and slow in red wine, tomato sauce, and oregano. A Dutch oven recipe that turns lean game meat fork-tender with rich gravy.

Baked oranges boiled whole until tender, then baked in a red cinnamon candy syrup and chilled overnight. A sweet, spiced fruit side dish for roasted meats.

Golden, crispy beer batter softshell crabs fried to perfection. The batter rests to thicken before frying, giving each crab a crunchy shell with tender, sweet meat inside.

Jellied venison salad sets tender game meat in a savory bouillon gelatin with vinegar tang, served chilled on lettuce with mayonnaise. A retro cold salad worth reviving.

Taco lentils simmer green lentils until tender, then bake them in a smoky pureed ancho chile and tomato sauce spiced with cumin and chili. A high-protein, high-fiber vegan stand-in for taco meat.

Whole roasted chicken glazed with sweet honey and warm curry spices creates crispy golden skin over tender meat. Clove-studded onion inside perfumes the bird as it roasts.

Pickled spring garlic in vinegar and sweetened soy sauce, Korean-style. Slow ferment that mellows young garlic into tender, savory cloves perfect for rice bowls and grilled meats.

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.

Traditional Shabbos cholent slow-cooked overnight with meat, soup bones, potatoes, barley, beans, and onions. This classic Jewish Sabbath stew simmers 18 to 24 hours for deeply rich, tender results.

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.

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.

Traditional Mexican barbacoa: whole lamb slow-roasted in a maguey leaf-lined earth pit for hours. This ancient communal feast from Mexico City feeds 24 and delivers smoky, fall-apart tender meat like nothing else.