I love my new stainless all clad! Just an unreal crust on this chicken ❤️

(this recipe serves 4 btw)

🍁 Sichuan Peppercorn Maple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Steps

1. Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the toasted peppercorns, maple syrup, and salt to a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a light simmer, then remove from heat and let steep while preparing the rest of the recipe.

🧇 Scallion Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1¾ cups whole milk
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Steps

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and sesame oil.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
4. Fold in the sliced scallions.
5. Preheat and lightly grease a waffle maker.
6. Spoon the batter into the waffle maker and cook until golden brown and crisp.

🍗 Five-Spice Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Steps

1. Combine the chicken thighs, buttermilk, 1½ teaspoons five-spice powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours refrigerated.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining five-spice powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off.
4. Dredge each thigh thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing the coating onto the chicken.
5. Heat about 1½ inches of oil in an All-Clad skillet or sauté pan to 350°F.
6. Working in batches, carefully add the chicken and fry until deeply golden brown, crispy, and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes per side depending on thickness.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and immediately season with flaky salt.

🍽️ To Serve

1. Place a crispy scallion waffle on each plate.
2. Top with a piece of five-spice fried chicken.
3. Garnish with sliced scallions and some of the toasted Sichuan peppercorns.
4. Drizzle with the Sichuan peppercorn maple syrup.
5. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Sichuan Peppercorn Maple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Steps

1. Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the toasted peppercorns, maple syrup, and salt to a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a light simmer, then remove from heat and let steep while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Scallion Waffles 🧇

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1¾ cups whole milk
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Steps

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and sesame oil.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
4. Fold in the sliced scallions.
5. Preheat and lightly grease a waffle maker.
6. Spoon the batter into the waffle maker and cook until golden brown and crisp.

Five-Spice Fried Chicken 🍗

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Steps

1. Combine the chicken thighs, buttermilk, 1½ teaspoons five-spice powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours refrigerated.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining five-spice powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off.
4. Dredge each thigh thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing the coating onto the chicken.
5. Heat about 1½ inches of oil in an All-Clad skillet or sauté pan to 350°F.
6. Working in batches, carefully add the chicken and fry until deeply golden brown, crispy, and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes per side depending on thickness.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and immediately season with flaky salt.

To Serve

1. Place a crispy scallion waffle on each plate.
2. Top with a piece of five-spice fried chicken.
3. Garnish with sliced scallions and some of the toasted Sichuan peppercorns.
4. Drizzle with the Sichuan peppercorn maple syrup.
5. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Hey everyone!

Just added post flair that once finalized we'll add to the sidebar to allow folks to filter posts by them.

Took a first stab based on what we see, but wanted to get yinz feedback as this is a space for all of us! ♥️

Any flairs we should add that are missing, tweaks you'd suggest, etc...?

TL;DR - This post is now a community PSA of what NOT to do, as it's not allowed. You have been warned!!

UPDATE! I posted this because Michael who works downtown for the city told me when asked the project had been approved and if the park service / borough had wanted to stop people they would have put up signage or some indicator not to access the walkway. But given how several of you said this wasn't allowed (‼) I made sure to call a friend who texted Tim (former mayor council member of Aspinwall for +15 years) who then texted him and shared with me (proof) he said this WAS NOT ALLOWED.

- Alex from All-Clad

P.S. While we're on the topic of community PSAs: flavor wise, if it's bland, then add salt. If the salt is right but it's not quite flavorful enough, then add a little vinegar/acid. If the savory side is there but it still isn't right, then a bit of sugar or honey (or even Heinz ketchup in small amounts if lacking other options, but that's highly situational) as that will often round the whole thing out. When you think it's perfect, then add a little butter. 🧈

P.P.S. "All-Clad, why are you here." Well dearest reader, yours truly has been here in the Pittsburgh area for fifty-five years. We're PROUD to be a local company that still manufactures & employees yinz, so thought only natural to give back in other ways like this post, showing you where NOT to go, because it's dangerous and not allowed! (Thank you again, Tim.)

We get asked this from time to time ("why do professionals prefer bonded stainless steel pans"), so given our founder invented the technique, thought we could dispel myths and speak to the topic.

TL;DR - Professional chefs prefer bonded metal cookware because no single metal performs well at every cooking task, and bonding multiple metals into one pan combines the strengths of each. Stainless steel is durable and non-reactive but conducts heat poorly. Aluminum conducts heat exceptionally well but reacts with acidic ingredients. Bonding them solves both problems in a single vessel.

What is bonded (clad) cookware?

Bonded cookware, also called clad cookware, is made by permanently bonding layers of different metals together under heat and pressure so they behave as a single material while keeping the properties of each layer. The critical distinction is that the layers run through the entire body of the pan, from the base all the way up the sidewalls to the rim, not just a disc stuck on the bottom. That is why fully bonded pans heat evenly across the whole cooking surface and eliminate the hot spots that cause uneven browning. All-Clad's explainer on what clad cookware is covers the metallurgy in more depth.

Who invented bonded cookware?

Bonded cookware was invented by John Ulam, an American metallurgist with more than 75 patents, who founded All-Clad Metalcrafters in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1971. Ulam spent decades bonding metals for aerospace and industrial applications, including metal used to mint coins, before applying the same science to cookware. His first bonded pans cooked more evenly, didn't alter flavors, and didn't tarnish or warp. All-Clad still manufactures its bonded cookware in the same Pennsylvania factory today, which is why the phrase you'll see on their materials is "Bonded, Engineered, and Assembled in the USA." The full history is on All-Clad's About Us page.

What do tri-ply (3-ply) and 5-ply actually mean?

Tri-ply cookware bonds an aluminum core between two layers of stainless steel; 5-ply adds two more alternating layers for steadier heat and greater warp resistance. In practice:

• All-Clad D3 Stainless (tri-ply): the original fully bonded construction, fast and responsive, the reference point for the category since 1971. The D3 Chef's Selection line is built around specific techniques like sauce work and controlled braising.
• All-Clad D5 Stainless (5-ply): a steel core distributes heat more gradually and consistently, giving a more forgiving, controlled cook.
• All-Clad Copper Core (5-ply with copper): copper is the fastest-responding conductor in cookware, for cooks who want precision above everything.

Why does this matter for actual cooking technique?

Even heat across the full pan body is what makes technique-driven cooking work: hard searing, fond development, deglazing, and pan sauces all depend on the cooking surface browning uniformly. A fond that develops evenly deglazes into a better sauce. Chefs also rely on details that come from professional kitchens: riveted handles shaped for an underhand chef's grip, flared rims for drip-free pouring, and oven and broiler safety up to 600°F so a dish moves from stovetop to oven without a pan change. Bonded stainless works on every cooktop including induction.

Honest tradeoffs: bonded stainless costs more than disc-bottom pans, it's not inherently nonstick so there's a short learning curve on heat control, and quality varies between brands since "tri-ply" alone doesn't guarantee the layer thickness or bond quality. That's why the layer construction and where it's made are worth checking before buying.

Sources: What is Clad Cookware | Where Clad Cookware Began | About All-Clad | Bonded, Engineered, Assembled in USA

Ingredients & Gear

• Meat: 3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs, cut into large chunks.
• Aromatics: 4 lbs yellow onions (thinly sliced), plus a soffritto base of diced carrots and celery. Optional but traditional: a few ounces of diced pancetta.
• Liquids & Seasoning: 1/3 cup dry white wine, a splash of beef broth or water, a few squirts of tomato paste, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
• Finish: Rigatoni, ziti, or paccheri pasta, plus freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sear the Beef: Season the beef slab or chunks (personal preference) generously with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in your All-Clad heavy pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef until well-browned on all sides, then remove and set aside.
2. Build the Base: In the same pan, briefly sauté the diced carrots and celery (and pancetta, if using). Pour in the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the massive mountain of thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt.
3. Simmer Low and Slow: Nestle the seared beef back down into the bed of onions. Add a splash of broth, drop in the bay leaves, and cover tightly.
4. Braising Time: Cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the onions have collapsed. On the stovetop, stir occasionally; in a low oven around 300°F, the sealed pot can largely be left alone.
5. Uncover and Reduce: Remove the lid for the final 45 to 60 minutes, stirring more frequently, until the excess liquid cooks off and the onions turn deeply bronze, sweet, and jammy. If the pan gets dry before the color develops, deglaze with a small splash of water and keep going.
6. Shred and Toss: Pull the beef out, shred or roughly chop it, and return it to the rich onion sauce.
7. Finish the Pasta: Boil your tubular pasta in salted water until one minute shy of al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining. Transfer the pasta directly into the warm Genovese sauce with a splash of the reserved water, tossing vigorously until glossy and coated.
8. Serve: Plate immediately and top with plenty of grated Pecorino Romano. 🍽️

Though the Millie's pickle ice cream pick on my part was an... adventurous... choice. 😅

- Alex from All-Clad

p.s. Yes, we're local as a company and I (yinzer behind the account) am local too.

p.s. a Pickled Red Onions recipe 🧅

(The chicken-fat chimichurri is the bonus!)