Again, no picture to document this one. Notes for peanuts: try to drain the pickles and limit the amount of vinegar. Notes for peas: Use less chicken stock. Get the pan really really really hot (or reduce in advance) – difficult to get al dente.

Joe’s Ratings: 6/6

Difficulty Rating: 5/6

Notes: Really liked the dish, BBQ sauce, and the braising liquid (I used all dark soy sauce.) Tails are fun snacks. I would either do this as an app or choose a less bony cut to make a main course. Don’t forget to salt at the end.

Joe’s Rating: 6

Difficulty Rating: 7

A bit on the salty side. Be careful to keep the pastrami as moist as possible. A double batch was no problem. Some extra mild peppers were good too.

Joe’s Rating: 7

Difficulty Rating: 6

Worth the time investment! I cured my own corned brisket. It took 9 days for a full brisket and just barely reached the center. I also had to hang out outside at a friends house for 12 hours while this smoked at 215F. Then, when it hit 165F-170F, I finished it using a traditional Jewish technique of sealing in foil and steaming in the oven until it hit the appropriate temperature (I forgot to note this, but you should look it up if you attempt the recipe.) This was delicious on its own, and in Kung Pao Pastrami!

Notes: Don’t be shy with the Sichuan Peppercorn in the brine or the pepper rub. It came out salty – consider using 3/4 of the salt in the rub next time, assuming you do the same 9-day salt cure. Get extra mustard for serving. Take care that the rub does not slough off. Do 1:1 ration of black to Sichuan peppercorns. I also smoked Coca Cola and drippings to make the BBQ sauce for the pig tails.

Joe’s Rating: 6.5

Difficulty Rating: 9.5

Note how much the brisket contracted after it was smoked – these are the very first slices of the pastrami.

Like many of the recipes in TMCC, this one relies on another recipe that takes a bit of time. Do yourself a favor and make those chile-pickled long beans the requisite 3-5 days in advance. The resulting dish is among the most impressive I’ve made, and hands-down my favorite Chinese dish that I’ve made.

Notes: I made a triple batch with a frozen lamb rib and back and this worked well. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly, which worked amazingly well. The only thing I would consider changing is to use the breast (as the meat did not pull easily off of the bone) and also maybe cook it a little longer to see if it gets to this point. “Crowd Pleaser!” Serve with rice.

Joe’s Rating: 8.5

Unfortunately, this lovely dish is another example of one that I did not take a picture of. Great meal, especially served fresh. Noticeable BBQ flavors (used my favorite “Taste & Technique” cookbook indoor smoking method). Smokey-sour. Had to order the menma on Amazon, although in larger cities (e.g. Boston), I’ve since found it much more conveniently and affordable in Japanese specialty markets.

Joe’s Rating: 7.5

Yes please! This is one of the marquee recipes in TMCC, featured in the second interview profile of Danny Bowien “San Francisco” (I think… It’s actually been about 4 years since I’ve read it.) The “Chili Crisp,” a spicy numbing homemade version of the umami bomb with red label that is ubiquitous in asian markets, is the real highlight.

Cooking notes: consider cutting salt in the chili crisp for this recipe (subsequent use of this ingredient had a good salt balance). Also, consider using a more delicate (very soft) tofu next time.

Joe’s Rating: 6.5

Great bar snack with some bread. (6$) Watch out – this contains gluten! (and lots of other stuff). No image available. No cooking notes. Made about 4x times.

Lovely “crowd pleaser” according to my notes. Uses a classic overnight uncovered freeze to get a crispy texture. A bit of tripe adds some unexpected crunch and chew, although I remember it mostly being chewy.

Cooking Notes: use less salt probably (?) Spice rub rocks! Try cooking tripe less next time.