Braising involves cooking meat or vegetables slowly in a covered dish with a small amount of liquid — water, stock, and perhaps even a splash of wine. It can be done in the oven in a covered casserole, on the stove top in a Dutch oven, or on your counter in a slow-cooker.

Time Saver: Braising requires very little supervision. No basting, stirring, or flipping required. Most recipes involve just a single step: Meat, vegetables, and seasonings are unceremoniously combined, and the meal basically cooks itself while you go about the rest of your day.

Extra Healthful: Cooking meat at high temperatures or over direct heat (such as char-broiling or grilling) increases the formation of harmful compounds, such as acrylamide, HCAs, and PAHs. Experts believe that potential health risks associated with meat consumption can be vastly reduced by choosing healthier cooking methods like braising. (No need to hang up your barbeue tongs entirely, however! See my previous post for tips on making your barbecues healthier.)