Marinated Items Recipe

Make spice sachet and aromatics

Crush the Sichuan peppercorns lightly with the side of a knife. Smash the garlic cloves. Slice ginger into 5 mm thick pieces. Tie star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and five-spice (if using whole) into a small piece of cheesecloth or keep loose if you will strain later.

Combine liquids and simmer

In a large pot, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, and rice vinegar (2 tbs — added here to balance the base). Add rock sugar, crushed peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, smashed garlic, ginger slices, and scallions. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Simmer and finish

Lower heat and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes to let flavors marry. Taste and add salt if needed (approximately 1 tsp). Remove from heat and stir in toasted sesame oil. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl or pot; discard solids or reserve a little for the marinade if you prefer a rustic look. Adjust volume with warm water so you have roughly 4 cups of marinade. Cool to warm (not hot) before adding proteins.

Prepare kelp and eggs

Rinse kelp strips or kombu lightly to remove debris. If using wide sheets, cut into 3–4 cm wide strips. Ensure eggs are hard-boiled, immediately cooled in ice water, and peeled. Poke each egg gently with a fork or the tip of a paring knife to allow marinade to penetrate slightly (optional: roll to create light cracking).

Mix marinade for kelp eggs

Take 1 cup of the reserved cooled marinade base, add rice vinegar (2 tbs) and mirin (1 tbs). Place kelp and peeled eggs into a non-reactive container (glass or food-safe plastic). Pour the warm-but-not-hot marinade over the eggs and kelp until fully submerged. Use a small plate or weight to keep eggs under the liquid if needed.

Marinate

Refrigerate and marinate for at least 8 hours, ideally 24 hours, turning once halfway through. Kelp will soften and eggs will take on a light brown color and savory-sweet flavor.

Serve

Remove eggs and kelp from the marinade. Slice eggs in half or serve whole. Keep refrigerated; consume within 4–5 days.

Clean tripe

Rinse the tripe under cold running water. Rub with coarse salt and a splash of rice wine or white vinegar to scour and remove surface impurities, then rinse thoroughly until water runs clear.

Blanch tripe

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the ginger slices. Add the cleaned tripe and blanch for 8–10 minutes to firm it and remove odors. Drain and rinse with cold water. Trim into bite-sized strips (2–3 cm wide).

Par-cook then simmer

Return tripe to a clean pot, pour in about 2 cups of the strained marinade base (warmed) so it just covers the tripe. Add 1–2 extra whole garlic cloves or ginger slices if you like. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes until the tripe is tender but still with slight bite. Check liquid level and add water if necessary to prevent drying.

Cool and marinate

Turn off heat and let the tripe cool in the braising liquid to maximize flavor absorption (1–2 hours). Transfer tripe and braising liquid to a container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, ideally 24–48 hours for deeper flavor. Reheat briefly or serve chilled/sliced as part of a cold platter.

Clean and parboil tendon

Rinse tendons and trim excess connective tissue. Place in a pot of cold water with a splash of Shaoxing wine and bring to a boil. Parboil for 10 minutes to remove scum. Drain and rinse.

Braise until tender

Return tendons to the pot and add enough of the warm marinade base to cover (about 2 cups). Add the toasted shallot or halved onion. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to very low heat and simmer gently for 3–4 hours, or pressure-cook for 45–60 minutes until tendons are very tender and gelatinous when tested with a fork.

Cool in braising liquid

Allow tendons to cool slowly in the braising liquid to absorb flavor for 1–2 hours. Transfer to a container with braising liquid and refrigerate overnight for best texture and flavor. When ready to serve, slice into 1 cm thick rounds.

Clean thoroughly

Turn intestines inside out if possible and rinse under running water. Rub with coarse salt and the 3 tbs white vinegar, work for several minutes, then rinse thoroughly until water runs clear. Repeat until odor is reduced. Optional: soak in cold salted water for 30 minutes and rinse again.

Blanch and simmer

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with ginger slices and the optional dried chilies. Add intestines and blanch for 8–10 minutes. Drain, rinse, then return to a clean pot. Cover with about 2 cups of the warm marinade base so intestines are mostly submerged. Simmer gently for 1–1.5 hours until tender (test for chewiness; should be tender but with slight chew).

Cool and marinate

Remove from heat and let intestines cool in the braising liquid for 1 hour. Transfer intestines and liquid to a sealed container and refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24, to let flavors penetrate. Slice into 2–3 cm lengths before serving.

When ready to serve, remove each item from its marinade and slice as directed (eggs halved, kelp in strips, tripe/tendon/intestine in bite-sized pieces). Optionally drizzle a little of the reserved strained marinade (boiled for safety if it was refrigerated) or a mixture of toasted sesame oil and chopped scallions over the platter.

Store leftover marinated items submerged in their marinade in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Reheat gently if desired (steam or brief simmer) for served-warm textures, or serve cold as part of a cold appetizer platter.