12 Braised Dinners So Tender the Meat Falls Right Off the Bone

Braising is the oldest kitchen magic trick there is. You brown the meat, add a little liquid, cover the pot and let low heat do the work for a few hours. Tough, cheap cuts turn silky and spoon tender, and the house smells amazing all afternoon. These braised dinners come from kitchens all over the world, from French coq au vin to Filipino adobo and Moroccan tagine. Most need only 20 minutes of hands on time. Prefer to set it and forget it? See these cozy slow cooker dinners too. Grab your heaviest pot and let us begin..

Braised Dinners Start With Sticky Short Ribs

Short ribs are the king of braised dinners. They look fancy, but they are almost impossible to ruin. After three hours in a mix of red wine, soy sauce and garlic, the meat slides off the bone. Then you reduce the liquid into a sticky, glossy glaze. Serve them over mashed potatoes or rice to catch every drop of sauce. Would you serve these for a A) holiday, B) date night, or C) plain old Sunday?

You will need: 4 lb bone in beef short ribs, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 cup red wine, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tbsp tomato paste, green onions, cilantro, salt, pepper

How to make it: Season the ribs and brown them well on all sides in a heavy pot. Cook the onion, garlic and tomato paste for 2 minutes. Add the wine, soy sauce, sugar and broth. Cover and bake at 325 F for 3 hours. Remove the ribs, boil the liquid until thick and glossy, then pour over the ribs. Top with green onions and cilantro.

Braised Dinners Classic: Sunday Pot Roast

Pot roast is the dish that fills a whole house with the smell of Sunday. A chuck roast cooks slowly with onions, carrots and potatoes until it pulls apart with a fork. The vegetables soak up the beefy juices and become the best part. Make it early and it can wait in a low oven while you finish your day. Who in your family always fights for the potatoes?

You will need: 3 lb beef chuck roast, 2 onions, 4 carrots, 1 1/2 lb small potatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup red wine or broth, 2 cups beef broth, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme

How to make it: Season the roast and sear it on all sides in a Dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic and tomato paste for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and broth and add the herbs. Cover and bake at 300 F for 2 1/2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook 1 more hour.

Coq au Vin

Coq au vin is French country cooking at its best. Chicken legs simmer in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and little onions until the sauce turns deep, dark and glossy. It sounds fancy but it is really a cozy farmhouse stew. Use a wine you would actually drink, since the flavor really comes through. Serve it with mashed potatoes or crusty bread. Have you ever cooked with wine?

You will need: 6 bone in chicken legs, 4 slices bacon, 8 oz mushrooms, 1 cup pearl onions, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp flour, 2 cups dry red wine, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 sprigs thyme, 2 tbsp butter, parsley

How to make it: Cook the bacon and remove. Brown the chicken in the fat and remove. Cook the onions, mushrooms and garlic, then stir in flour. Add the wine, broth and thyme and return the chicken and bacon. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Stir in butter and top with parsley.

Braised Dinners From France: Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is the big sister of coq au vin. Chunks of beef chuck cook slowly in Burgundy wine with carrots, mushrooms and onions until rich and tender. Julia Child made it famous in America, and it is still one of the most loved braised dinners for special occasions. It tastes even better the next day, so it is perfect for entertaining. What would you serve it with: A) mash, B) noodles, C) bread?

You will need: 3 lb beef chuck in 2 inch cubes, 6 slices bacon, 1 onion, 3 carrots, 8 oz mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3 tbsp flour, 3 cups red wine, 2 cups beef broth, thyme, bay leaf

How to make it: Crisp the bacon, then brown the beef in batches in the fat. Cook the onion, carrots and garlic with tomato paste. Stir in the flour, then add the wine, broth, thyme and bay leaf. Return the meat, cover and bake at 325 F for 2 1/2 hours. Brown the mushrooms in butter and stir in before serving.

Braised Lamb Shanks With Beans

Lamb shanks are a hidden bargain at the butcher counter. They are tough when raw, but a long braise in tomatoes, garlic and rosemary turns them meltingly soft. Cooking beans in the same pot means they soak up all that rich flavor. It is a hearty, rustic plate that feels like a restaurant meal. Have you ever cooked lamb at home?

You will need: 4 lamb shanks, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 cup red wine or broth, 2 cups broth, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 cans white or pinto beans, 4 potatoes

How to make it: Season and brown the shanks well. Cook the onion, carrots and garlic. Add tomatoes, wine, broth and rosemary and return the shanks. Cover and bake at 325 F for 2 1/2 hours. Add the beans and potato chunks and cook 45 more minutes until very tender.

German Pork Shank With Sauerkraut

In Bavaria, a giant pork shank is a beer hall legend. The meat braises in beer and onions until tender, then a blast of high heat makes the skin crackle like glass. Tangy sauerkraut on the side cuts through the richness. It is a big, bold meal, perfect for Oktoberfest season and cold nights. Would you dare to finish a whole shank by yourself?

You will need: 2 pork shanks (ham hocks, about 2 lb each), 2 onions, 2 carrots, 1 bottle (12 oz) beer, 2 cups broth, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 2 cups sauerkraut, 1 tbsp mustard, salt, pepper

How to make it: Rub the shanks with salt, pepper and caraway. Place them in a pot with onions, carrots, beer and broth. Cover and bake at 325 F for 2 1/2 hours. Move the shanks to a tray and roast at 450 F for 20 minutes until the skin crackles. Warm the sauerkraut and serve with mustard.

Italian Braised Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Italian grandmothers know that meatballs taste best when they braise slowly in sauce. Brown them first for flavor, then let them simmer in tomatoes for an hour. They become soft and juicy and the sauce becomes extra meaty. Serve them with crusty bread, pasta or green beans. It is a simple Sunday meal that makes everyone come back for more. How many meatballs can you eat?

You will need: 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb ground pork, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup parmesan, 3 cloves garlic, 2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, basil, salt, pepper

How to make it: Soak the breadcrumbs in milk, then mix with the meats, eggs, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll into balls and brown them. Cook the onion in the same pot, add tomatoes and basil and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Braised Dinners From the Philippines: Chicken Adobo

Adobo is often called the national dish of the Philippines, and every family has its own version. Chicken braises in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper until the sauce turns dark and tangy. The vinegar keeps it bright, not heavy. It uses pantry staples and is ready in under an hour. Serve it over plenty of rice to soak up the sauce. Sour, salty or sweet: which do you love most?

You will need: 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup white or cane vinegar, 1 head garlic smashed, 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 cup water, 2 green chilies

How to make it: Brown the chicken in a pot. Add the garlic for 1 minute. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar and water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns, sugar and chilies. Do not stir for the first 5 minutes. Cover and simmer 35 minutes, then uncover and cook until the sauce thickens.

Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly

Hong shao rou is a famous dish from Shanghai and Hunan, and it is pure comfort. Cubes of pork belly simmer in soy sauce, rice wine and caramelized sugar until they turn glossy and deep red. The fat melts and the meat becomes so soft it almost dissolves. A small portion goes a long way with steamed rice and greens. It is one of the most loved braised dinners in China. Have you tried it?

You will need: 2 lb pork belly in 1 inch cubes, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, 4 slices ginger, 3 green onions, 2 star anise, 2 cups hot water

How to make it: Blanch the pork in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain. Melt the sugar in a pot until amber, then add the pork and stir to coat. Add the soy sauces, rice wine, ginger, green onions, star anise and water. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and reduce until glossy.

Braised Dinners From Morocco: Chicken Tagine

A tagine is both the name of the dish and the cone shaped clay pot it cooks in. The lid traps steam so the chicken stays incredibly juicy. Warm spices like cumin, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon fill the sauce, and preserved lemon and olives add a salty, tangy kick. No tagine pot? A Dutch oven works great. Serve it with couscous or warm bread. Would you try preserved lemons?

You will need: 3 lb chicken thighs, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp each cumin, ginger, turmeric and paprika, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 preserved lemon or 1 fresh lemon, 1/2 cup green olives, cilantro, couscous

How to make it: Rub the chicken with the spices and brown it. Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Pour in the broth, cover and simmer 40 minutes. Add the chopped lemon and olives and cook 10 more minutes. Top with cilantro and serve with couscous.

Slow Cooked Beef Ragu With Pappardelle

This ragu is what happens when you braise beef chuck for hours in tomato and wine, then shred it right into the sauce. It clings to wide ribbons of pappardelle and tastes like a trattoria in Tuscany. A big pot feeds a crowd, and leftovers freeze beautifully. Grate lots of parmesan on top. Is this your idea of a perfect Sunday dinner?

You will need: 2 lb beef chuck, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup red wine, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 cup beef broth, 1 lb pappardelle, parmesan

How to make it: Brown the beef in large pieces. Cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until soft, then stir in tomato paste. Add the wine, tomatoes and broth and return the beef. Cover and simmer 3 hours. Shred the beef into the sauce and toss with cooked pappardelle. Top with parmesan.

Braised Dinners for Busy Nights: Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Not every braise takes all afternoon. Chicken thighs braise in under an hour, and they stay juicy every time. Here they cook with whole garlic cloves, baby potatoes, lemon and a splash of white wine. The garlic turns sweet and spreadable, perfect for smearing on bread. Serve it over spinach or greens that wilt in the warm juices. How many garlic cloves is too many? A) 10, B) 20, C) never enough.

You will need: 8 bone in chicken thighs, 20 garlic cloves peeled, 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes, 1 lemon, 1/2 cup white wine or broth, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 sprigs thyme, 4 cups spinach, olive oil, salt, pepper

How to make it: Season the chicken and brown it skin side down until crisp. Add the garlic and potatoes and cook 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and broth, add lemon slices and thyme. Cover and bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes. Serve over spinach.