Braise

It’s worth seeking out pork belly for the amazing texture it lends, but if you can’t get it, substitute with another pound of shoulder.

Where most chefs used to just reach for kosher salt, there are now many paths to savory goodness.

Straining the ricotta will tighten the filling, making it easier to roll. Let it hang out in a sieve while you’re measuring everything else out.

Long-grain rice is not starchy enough to hold together, so make a batch of short-grain a day ahead and you’ll be good to go.

Pick artichokes with tightly packed, squeaky-firm green leaves and a fresh-looking cut on the stem end.

You can braise the duck on Saturday and crisp it Sunday, which pares down the day-of duties.

To make the finished dish less of a knife-and-fork affair, remove the braised chicken from the bone, shred it with a couple of forks, and then stir it back into the tomato-kimchi sauce.

We've flavored the lamb shanks with North African spices and woken up the rich meat and vegetables with a handful of pomegranate seeds and fresh mint leaves sprinkled on just before serving.

This Levantine-inspired leg of lamb recipe from the duo behind L.A.’s buzzy restaurant Animal makes for an impressive, and festive, centerpiece. The Flintstonian-sized bone lends flavor as the meat braises, but if you prefer, a boneless tied leg of lamb is a little more manageable and cooks more quickly.

Also known as the “cooked to hell” method, this braise renders the greens meltingly tender.

We love cooking with wine…and yes, sometimes we do even put it in our food.

If you can’t find guajillo chiles, use New Mexico or Californian chiles, and for moritas, try chipotle chiles in adobo. 

You might think the braised pork belly is too sweet on its own. But paired with the sour kimchi and salty roe, it comes into eye-opening balance.

This Sunday sauce yields twice what you’ll need, but it freezes beautifully; bank the extra and cash it in on another night.

Now that it's spring, you don't have to put away the Dutch oven. These braising recipes are light enough to cook all spring.

This elegant stew can be made up to the point that the farro goes in; cool, then cover and chill up to 2 days.

This makes enough sauce for three 12-oz. portions of pasta, but leftover sauce is a good thing. Freeze it for next time. Learn more here.

Stock adds flavor, but do you really have to use it? Here's our guide for when you can get away with water, and when you should, um, stock up.

Here's how to go from "braising liquid" to homemade sauce perfection.

You know those dishes that everyone says taste even better if you make them ahead of time? This is a perfect example. The flavors continue to deepen as the braise sits, and it’s that much easier to skim the surface when the sauce has a chance to chill.

This fragrant sauce calls for a mix of dried spices. If the ones you’ve got in the pantry smell musty or you can’t remember when you bought them, restock.

Broiling the brisket gives it a nice crisp top layer, but you can skip this step and it will still be delicious. Braising the meat with beer in the slow cooker, however? Absolutely necessary.

Leftover sauce? Bring a pot of water to boil: It’s pasta night.

If you have any trouble getting short ribs with long bones, go ahead and use smaller pieces.