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Smothered pork chops may be an iconic soul food specialty, but this recipe proves you can smother anything. All it really means is coating slow-cooked meat with a blanket of saucy aromatics that end up as gravy too.

This dish is the embodiment of a chowder-style Southern fish stew, packed with shrimp, scallops, potatoes, corn, and more.

When you have a big backyard full of people to feed, it’s tough to beat pulled pork that’s been smoked until it’s fork tender. 

I love the notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, sweet warming spices in these baby back ribs.

Marinate shrimp in a sweet-spicy mixture of apricot preserves, lime, habanero, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger—then throw them on the grill for dinner in 15 minutes.

Mix the batter with a fork until it just barely comes together. A lumpy batter now means a light and tender waffle later.

The key to these juicy steaks is to flip them often, so the fat renders evenly without overcooking the meat. And don’t sleep on that herb salad—it adds freshness to the sticky-salty-sweet pork.

You can fill this tart shell with your choice of sweet or savory fillings—from cheeses, to roast vegetables, to stone fruits.

This one-pot dish, called khichdi in some regions, is made from rice, yellow lentils called moong dal, which are split mung beans without skin, and black pepper and cumin seeds fried in ghee or butter. The lentils and rice cook together, making a creamy, rich dish resembling risotto. 

This grilled pizza is the perfect mix-and-match situation. Top it with fresh mozzarella, sliced cured meat, juicy burst tomatoes, or whatever else you like.

This method is endlessly adaptable: Swap the black bass for salmon; use spinach instead of cabbage. Don’t like mushrooms? Skip ’em!

Poaching boneless, skinless chicken breasts in well-salted water yields juicy, flavorful meat that won’t dry out. Crunchy veggies and a punchy Dijon vinaigrette make this hearty salad complete.

We skipped the milk, butter, and cheese in this polenta; a spoonful of savory miso adds tons of depth while still keeping the texture light

Here’s a Sichuan-inspired stir-fry of snappy, blistered asparagus and crispy pork. Can’t find asparagus? Green beans or snap peas work just as well. (One thing that’s non-negotiable: a side of chile crisp.)

A slight twist on scallion noodles: the same savory, lip-smacking flavor but now with a lot of texture from the crunchy, spicy garlic topping.

The combination of garlic and ramps may seem like overkill, but we promise it’s not. The garlic will mellow as it cooks while the ramps stay pungent.

This buttery roast chicken gets rubbed with green garlic and cooked low and slow in the oven for juicy, shreddable meat underneath crispy, crackly skin.

We strongly endorse eating this dish with your hands, discarding shrimp tails and pepper stems as you go. Soy sauce, lime, and plenty of grated garlic create a marinade that adds tons of flavor in as little as five minutes while helping the shredded coconut adhere to the shrimp.

This dish is so easy to make and yet looks and tastes impressive enough to serve for a dinner party.

Who needs beef? When you combine chicken with shredded veggies and a tangy Greek yogurt sauce, you get a burger as thick and juicy as any other.