14 Items with Chuck Cruz

Linked up with chef Chuck Cruz, to talk about his favorite gear, the best kitchen shirts, and more. Plus: an exclusive recipe for a Braised Beef Shank that I still think about.

May 14, 2026

You’re reading The Items, an interview series where we dive into the personal items of friends of the blog. Read our interviews with Mac DeMarco, Joy Crookes, Keith Henry, Jonah Yano, Wanze Song, and more here.

When I first got the follow from Chuck Cruz, I was beyond hyped. I’ve been watching his videos for inspiration for meals at home for a long time, and even though I don’t really come close to his level of execution, it’s the ideas and nature of his content that have me coming back. Chuck’s content is executed in a perfectly relaxed way, where most of the time, I end up being hungry after watching his videos past midnight.

Chuck also has his own newsletter were you can enjoy his collection of amazing recipes all in one place.

I geek about food just as much as I do with clothing, so when I saw that Chuck was also a gear head, I had to get him on the blog. So, I did what anybody would do: get in the car and drive to New Jersey to kick it with him, eat some of his amazing food, and check out what gear he’s currently obsessed with.

In today’s letter, Chuck also put together a recipe for a Braised Beef Shank, a dish he made while I stayed at his place, and Hailee — his partner who’s also a fantastic chef — contributed with her own Parsnip Sticky Toffee Pudding. Needless to say, the meal was insane. You can find both recipes at the bottom of today’s letter.

14 ITEMS WITH CHUCK CRUZ

Words by: Chuck Cruz

THE RECIPE

Coconut and Sherry Braised Beef Shanks

Serves 4

Braised Beef Shanks

3 pounds beef shanks, about 2-inch thick discs (about 3 large pieces)
Neutral oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
3 medium shallots, peeled and halved
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
4 bird’s eye chili, stem removed
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
4 ounces sherry or cognac
1 13.5-oz can of coconut milk, unsweetened
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Steamed rice, for serving
Soft-boiled eggs, for serving
Pickled mustard greens, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F.
Season beef shanks with salt and pepper all over.
In a dutch oven or large oven safe pot over medium heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Once shimmering, sear beef shanks, mostly untouched, until both sides are browned, about 15 minutes total.
Remove beef shanks from the pot and set aside.
Add shallots, garlic, ginger, and chilis to the pot. Cook until the shallots and garlic and slightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Add in peppercorns and toast until aromatic, less than 1 minute.
Add in sherry and scrap the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Reduce sherry by half, about 3 minutes.
Pour in coconut milk and soy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and bring the liquid to a boil. Add beef shanks back into the pot and cover with lid and transfer to the oven.
Cook until beef shanks are tender, about 2½-3 hours.
Once the beef shanks are tender, carefully remove beef from the pot and set aside. Strain the sauce and reduce sauce by half, about 8 minutes. Add shanks back to the pot and coat with the sauce.
Serve beef shanks over rice with pickled mustard greens, and a soft boiled egg.

Parsnip Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 8

Wet Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
6 ounces pitted dates (about 8 Medjool dates)
2 medium parsnips (about 8 ounces), peeled and roughly chopped into small pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, or extract
¼ cup sour cream, room temperature

Dry Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Toffee Sauce

¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for searing the cake
¼ cup brandy, optional
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or extract

Sour Cream Whip

1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
Flake salt, for serving if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Grease the pan all over with butter, and dust with flour. Set aside.
Begin by browning the butter for the cake. Melt the ½ cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk the butter continuously until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, as this can happen quickly!) Set aside to cool slightly.
Add dates to a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let the dates soak for at least 10 minutes.
While the dates soak, prepare the dry ingredients. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
Drain dates from the soaking liquid and discard the liquid.
Add parsnips, sugar, dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, soaked dates and the reserved brown butter to a food processor. Process until the parsnips and dates are very finely chopped and everything is fully combined. This should take about 2-3 minutes of blending. Add in the sour cream and process just until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool.
While the cake cools, make toffee. Add cream, brown sugar, butter, brandy, salt, and vanilla to a small saucepan. Cook the toffee over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the mixture reduces to a saucy consistency, 12 -15 minutes. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Set the toffee aside.
Next, prepare the whipped cream. Add the cream and sour cream to a large bowl. Whip to soft peaks. Set aside in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Once the cake is cool, prepare a serving: melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add a thick slice of the cake and sear on both sides until golden.
Place the warm, seared cake on a plate and top with the warm toffee sauce (reheating the toffee as needed). Sprinkle the cake with flake salt, and add a dollop of the whipped cream on the side. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Follow Chuck Cruz on Instagram here. Read his recipes on his Substack here. Follow his side project, Two People Cooking, with his partner Hailee Catalano here.