959 tender recipes

Whole chicken braised with dried apricots, currants, and apricot brandy until fall-apart tender. Thyme and sliced lemon round out this sweet-savory comfort dish that fills the house with warmth.

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.

Slow-simmered pork burrito filling with cubed pork, jalapeno, bell peppers, cumin, oregano, and green chiles. Browned and braised until fork-tender for stuffing into warm tortillas.

Beanless Texas-style chili built on 4 pounds of sirloin, both ground and cubed, with bold chili powder, cumin, and a generous pour of hot sauce. All-beef and slow-simmered until thick, fiery, and fork-tender. Feeds ten.

Beef chuck roast braised low and slow in a peanut butter and tomato sauce with lemon juice and red pepper. Fork-tender West African-inspired pot roast with a rich, nutty gravy.

A bright, fiery Thai squid salad (Yum Pra-Hmik) with tender poached squid tossed in lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, mint, and crushed chilies. Fresh and bold.

Calamaria Gemista: traditional Greek stuffed squid filled with rice, pine nuts, currants, and fresh herbs, then slow-simmered in wine and tomatoes until fork-tender.

Japanese-style simmered eggplant with a fresh ginger soy sauce. Silky, tender oriental eggplant served cold, warm, or at room temperature as a simple, clean side dish.

Pounded round steak seasoned with dry mustard and Worcestershire, then braised until melt-in-your-mouth tender and topped with savory mushrooms. A classic crowd-sized dinner that feeds 10 with minimal prep.

Slow cooker chicken and pork cubes marinated in red wine, beef stock, tomatoes, garlic, and rosemary. Set it, forget it, and come home to fork-tender meat after 6 to 8 hours.

Scandinavian pot roast braised in beer with dill, allspice, brown sugar, and cider vinegar, finished with a sour cream gravy. Fork-tender and deeply savory.

Master method for cooking duck: first steam to render fat and tenderize, then roast at moderate heat for crisp skin. The two-stage technique pros use for perfectly rendered, crackling-skinned duck.

Tender chuck roast soaked overnight in a whiskey, brown sugar and soy sauce marinade, then grilled to smoky, caramelized glory. Feeds a crowd with minimal effort.

Three-step BBQ pork spareribs: broiled, slow-cooked upright 8 hours in the crockpot, chilled overnight, then basted with sauce and grilled. Fall-off-the-bone tender with a sticky finish.

Country-style pork ribs boiled with lemon and onion, then finished on the grill with barbecue sauce. A two-step method for tender, saucy ribs every time.

Shredded yellow summer squash seasoned with oregano, garlic, and chicken bouillon, then microwaved to crisp-tender in minutes. The fastest veggie side dish in your rotation.