Free Web NovelChapter 720: Chapter 627: Tender and Savory, Northeast Braised Big Bones (Part 2)
The meat on the large bones in his pot was very thick, making each piece look big. The pink meat had turned grayish-white due to being blanched, and it didn’t look very appetizing.
But next, they would undergo a magnificent transformation under Wang Fan’s hands, becoming a mouthwatering source.
After Wang Fan explained, the people around him were impressed. Didn’t they just learn something new? Though they couldn’t cook it themselves, when their parents cooked at home, couldn’t they give a reminder and show off a bit?
Although the flame was turned off, blood still seeped from the big bones in the pot. After a while, the blood stopped seeping, and Wang Fan scooped the large bones into a big basin on the side with a colander.
The blanched big bones seemed to expand a bit, and using warm water, he washed away the tiny foam sticking on them thoroughly.
This time, Wang Fan didn’t wait for them to ask as he performed the next step and said, "Actually, the Northeast master chefs don’t use too many spices when stewing meat. Just bake red Sichuan peppercorns and grind them into powder, and that’s enough."
The Sichuan peppercorns gradually released a rich numbing aroma in the pot, and after a simple stir-fry, he put them into the blender and ground them into pepper powder.
"One aniseed for every pound of meat; for this braised big bone, Sichuan pepper and aniseed are enough."
"The step of caramelizing sugar is a bit troublesome, but it greatly enhances the appearance of braised big bones. Many people are afraid of oil splashing when caramelizing sugar, so they can follow my oil-free method."
Then he put the weighed rock sugar directly into the pot, which surprisingly had not a single drop of oil or water.
"This caramelizing sugar mainly requires controlling the heat; most of the time, it’s done with low heat."
Wang Fan taught attentively, and the people around listened intently, even more seriously than attending a class.
After all, you can’t show off with calculus at home, but directing them to cook, especially when the dish turns out better than usual, seeing the shocked expressions of your parents, it’s a thrill that runs from head to toe.
Learn, must learn well. This year, I must show off with braised big bones at the family New Year’s Eve dinner!
"Add scallion segments, ginger slices, dried chili, Northeast bean paste, Sichuan pepper, aniseed, and a few pieces of dried hawthorn into the pot, and stir-fry until the oil and paste separate. When the light and dark soy sauce are added, and the aroma becomes very prominent, then add boiling water."
As soon as he finished speaking, the rich aroma of soy sauce mixed with the scents of scallion, ginger, and pepper began to release, making these people who hadn’t had breakfast instantly feel their stomachs rumble.
Wang Fan poured the freshly caramelized sugar into the pot and waited for the spice aromas to release a bit more before tossing the large bones into the pot.
After finishing one pot of stew, he started on the second one. It’s not that he’s obsessed with making money, but the eager diners came from far and wide, early in the morning, so he couldn’t disappoint them. Being so loved is not easy.
Under the lid, the pot was undergoing a baptism.
The broth kept surging due to the fire, causing continual impact and separation of meat from the large bones.
The meat on the large bones was very firm, and waves of broth impacts couldn’t affect it.
But the principle of water piercing stone applies here; with continuous broth impacts, the originally solid meat quickly showed threads of muscle fibers becoming loose due to the impact.
A dam is destroyed by ants, with one loose thread followed by a second. The broth continued to impact through the gaps, making more fibers even looser.
Simultaneously, a small part of the impacting broth permanently stayed within the muscle fibers, merging with the meat juices and enhancing the flavor.
Throughout this process, the meat gradually cooked, and the aroma began to drift unknowingly. Although the quantitative change in this aspect wouldn’t cause a qualitative change, being surrounded by the meaty aroma steam was an indescribable wonderful experience.
Moreover, because Wang Fan’s seasoning was extremely simple, with aniseed and Sichuan pepper mainly highlighting the meat aroma, the surrounding scent was pure, coupled with the constantly rising white steam, the allure skyrocketed directly.
The enemy was strong, and these diners added a no-breakfast status to themselves, causing the continuous "Gulp, Gulp" sounds to resonate persistently.
"Even though I watched Brother Wang make the stew, why can’t I understand this aroma when it’s done?"
"I used to think the pork from the 400-pound New Year’s pig cooked at home was the world’s best pork aroma, but the aroma of this meat stewed by Brother Wang is clearly more intense."
"Oh my, I’m dying, dying, I didn’t eat last night. This meat not only wants my money but also my life!"
"Slurp, today this thing can’t be settled peacefully. Sorry, little princesses, brother truly can’t withstand this aroma, can’t save any for you."
As the aroma grew stronger, Wang Fan’s nose could keenly detect a faint sourness in the meat aroma, which was naturally from the hawthorn he added.
Not many people from the Northeast add hawthorn to braised big bones, but after experiments, Wang Fan found it incredibly useful and specifically studied the amount and method.
Anyone who has braised meat knows that after heating, proteins in the muscle fibers become tight and hard, and long braising relies on repeated surging broth to soften and break them down.
Hawthorn’s biggest benefit is that it can soften the meat texture.
The acidity in hawthorn can penetrate into the meat fibers during braising, loosening the fiber structure, making the meat easier to soften and more tender, serving as a valuable weapon to reduce braising time in slow cooking.
The slight sourness can also further enhance the aroma without overpowering the flavors, making it very versatile.
Wang Fan lifted the lid, and a mini mushroom cloud of steam erupted instantaneously.
Wang Fan switched to high heat, and meanwhile poured the freshly ground pepper powder into the pot.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle..."
Bubbling with a reddish-brown color, the remaining broth began to shrink.
The previously yellowish large bones in the pot gradually turned alluring reddish-brown as the broth shrank.
With just a thin layer of broth left, Wang Fan took a spoon and evenly drizzled the thick broth over each large bone, eliciting countless drooling sounds from the surroundings.
The rich, crimson broth flowed from the bone’s cut onto the thick and large meat, then trickled through the meat’s fibers, turning the already tempting red meat even shinier.
This broth’s final path wasn’t in the pot but in the hearts of all diners!
Wang Fan picked up chopsticks and gently poked a large bone, and the chopsticks easily went in.
With a flick, he handed it to Zhuo Qianqian behind him, "Here, taste if it’s cooked."
This action made the nearby diners break down again.
Gosh, openly flaunting affection we endured, but you’re feeding our large bone to your wife, that’s beyond tolerable!
"Brother Wang, why don’t you cook at home for your wife? Cook as much as she wants!"
"Precisely! This pot barely holds about 100 pounds, enough for anyone?"
"It’s cooked, definitely cooked. Put that large bone down; I’m buying it!"
"It’s for your sake. I must ensure the quality of my dishes."
Wang Fan sincerely said, "What if it’s not cooked? What if the seasoning is off? It’s minor if my reputation is ruined, but if you can’t eat the tastiest large bone, then I’m at fault. My wife is just acting as a guinea pig."
Zhuo Qianqian nodded forcefully in affirmation: "That’s right!"
After speaking, she blew on the large bone and then performed a live demonstration of turning a delicate mouth into a large gaping one.
"Kill me, kill me! Not only did he take my large bone, but he wants to insult my intelligence! Who doesn’t know that Brother Wang’s nose is sharper than a dog’s? A sniff and he knows if it’s cooked and if the seasoning is right!"
"My heart is already bleeding."
"Mrs. Owner, is it delicious?"
Zhuo Qianqian closed her eyes, savoring the exquisite taste of the meat on the large bone in her mouth.
She opened her eyes, grabbing the large bone and showcasing it: "The taste is exceptional!"
