The cooking method that sears meat and then slow-cooks it in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot is braising.
Braising combines dry heat and moist heat. The meat is first browned at high temperature, encouraging Maillard reactions that create a savory, aromatic crust. It is then cooked gently with liquid such as stock, wine, beer, coconut milk, or tomato-based sauce. The liquid usually reaches only partway up the food rather than fully submerging it.
The long, gentle cooking time helps break down collagen in tougher cuts, turning them tender and enriching the cooking liquid into a sauce or gravy. Famous braised dishes include osso buco, coq au vin, pot roast, and many Chinese red-cooked dishes.
Braising is often confused with stewing. Stewing generally uses smaller pieces covered by more liquid, while braising commonly uses a larger cut with less liquid. Pot roasting is closely related and is sometimes treated as a type of braising.