852 tender recipes

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.

Tenderized round steak dipped in egg wash, coated in cracker crumbs, and pan-fried until golden, then braised low and slow under a tight lid. Southern-style chicken fried steak the way mama made it.

Vegetarian paneer bake with root vegetables slow-cooked in stock until tender and rich. Cubed paneer, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, and mushrooms braise together in a hands-off casserole that fills the kitchen with savory warmth.

Phyllis's avocado quick bread with mashed ripe avocado, sour milk, pecans, and a mix of unbleached and whole wheat pastry flour. Faintly green, tender, and a clever way to use up an over-ripe avocado.

Homemade pop tarts with a tender egg pastry crimped around any fruit jam you like, then baked and finished with a sugar crust or icing. A from-scratch take on the toaster pastry, fully customizable.

Rendang is the legendary Indonesian beef curry: chunks of beef slow-simmered in spiced coconut milk and tamarind until the sauce reduces almost dry and the meat turns fork-tender. Deeply fragrant and richly spiced.

Buttery spiced fig thumbprint cookies, tender brown-sugar dough rolled in a crunchy flax-sugar coating and filled with jammy fig preserves. Warm cinnamon and nutmeg make them a standout on the holiday cookie tray.

Mock shortbread cookies made without butter or sugar, using oil and a sugar substitute for a lighter, diet-friendly take on a tender, golden-edged classic. Simple roll-and-cut rounds in under an hour.

Grandma's pot roast cooks a chuck roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions in one dish until everything turns fork-tender. A classic Sunday-supper beef dinner with built-in gravy from the savory pan juices.

Hearty chicken soup simmered with white wine, tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, and green pepper. A whole chicken boiled tender and chunked back into a rich, veggie-loaded broth. Serve with garlic bread for a full meal.

Easy chocolate angel food cake combines boxed angel food mix with cocoa powder and water for a fat-free, low-calorie loaf with a tender, cloud-like crumb. Three ingredients and one bowl, no whipping required.

Whole baked apples cored and stuffed with dried cherries, chopped almonds, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then baked in apple juice and honey until fork-tender. A rustic fall dessert lighter than pie but just as comforting.

Hearty tomato soup with cooked rice, tender carrot, celery, and a base of canned tomatoes thickened with whole wheat flour and finished with milk. A creamy 30-minute one-pot soup that fills a bowl properly.

Zesty Asian-style pasta with snow peas, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, and scallions, tossed in sesame oil and fresh lime juice. A light, 25-minute vegetarian pasta dinner with crisp-tender vegetables and bright citrus.

How to clean artichokes Roman Jewish style: a spiral trimming technique that strips away tough leaves while keeping the tender heart and stem intact in one whole, flower-shaped piece. The essential prep for carciofi alla giudia.

Slow cooker pork shoulder steaks browned and layered over onions, peppers, and tomatoes in a cumin-spiked barbecue and red wine sauce. Set it for 6 to 8 hours and come home to fork-tender, saucy pork.