A braise where vinegar does the work, cutting through chicken thighs and building sauce in one pan. This is what half a bottle of vinegar was made for: sour, rich, done in under an hour.

Serves 2. 50 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 450 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Pat 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then lay the thighs skin-side down and cook without moving them until the skin is golden and crisp, about 6 minutes; flip and cook the other side until golden, another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Slice 1 medium onion and mince 4 garlic cloves. In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and the onion, stirring often until soft and starting to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Pour in 1 cup vinegar, scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Return the chicken thighs skin-side up to the skillet, nestle them into the liquid, and bring to a simmer.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 25 minutes. The sauce will reduce and concentrate; tilt the pan and baste the chicken with it halfway through.25 min
5. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper. Spoon the reduced vinegar sauce over the chicken and serve from the pan.

Note Swap chicken thighs for bone-in pork chops or halved duck breast if you prefer. Leftovers keep for three days refrigerated and make a fine cold salad with a handful of greens. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, or over rice to stretch it to three people.

Chicken thighs braise in vinegar until tender and the sauce clings to every bite. A quarter bottle of vinegar finally finds its purpose, mellowed by butter and time. Serve with rice or crusty bread to catch every drop of sauce.

Serves 2. 45 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 640 calories a serving, 45 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 41 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Pat 6 bone-in chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Working in batches if needed, place the thighs skin-side down in the pan and sear until the skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate.8 min
3. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add 1 medium onion cut into wedges and 3 smashed garlic cloves to the pan, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes.2 min
4. Pour in 2 cups vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken thighs to the pan skin-side up, nestling them into the liquid.
5. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and braise until the chicken is tender and the vinegar has reduced by half, about 25 to 30 minutes. Check halfway through and turn the chicken if it is not mostly submerged.28 min
6. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter until it melts and emulsifies into the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the onion wedges and sauce spooned over the top.

Note Swap white vinegar for red if you have it. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days and reheat gently on the stove. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or thick slices of toasted bread to soak up the sauce.

A bright pan sauce built on vinegar cooks chicken through and turns rice into something worth eating. The vinegar is the whole point here, sharp and purposeful against the richness of butter and the soak of grains.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 25 at the stove.

About 1140 calories a serving, 75 g protein, 127 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Start the rice: bring 1 1/2 cups chicken broth to a boil in a small pot, add 3/4 cup rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir once, lower heat to its lowest setting, and cover. It will be done in 18 minutes; set a timer.
2. While the rice cooks, pat 2 chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then lay the chicken in it. Cook without moving it for 5 minutes until the underside is golden, then flip and cook 5 minutes more on the other side.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Finely mince 1 small onion and 2 cloves garlic and add them to the same skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. Pour in a few tablespoons of vinegar (about 3 to 4 tablespoons), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for 1 minute, then return the chicken to the pan. Lower heat to medium and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius), about 5 to 8 minutes.8 min
5. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter until it melts into the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it between two plates. Set a chicken breast on each bed of rice and spoon the pan sauce over the top.

Note Swap the chicken for pork chops of similar thickness, cooking them the same way. Leftovers keep refrigerated for three days and are good cold or reheated gently. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side to balance the richness.