Free Web NovelChapter 94: Chapter 94 Dongpo Pork
Pork Belly a la Dongpo, as a renowned dish within Huaxia Cuisine, was something that Chen Ze had always wanted to try his hand at making due to its uniqueness. However, because of his own culinary skills and some other reasons, he had not yet started.
"Although I want to make Pork Belly a la Dongpo, the problem is that the right kind of pork is hard to find," Chen Ze said somewhat helplessly. He really wanted to replicate that version of Pork Belly a la Dongpo made by Su Dongpo himself in history, but sourcing the original ingredients was a major issue.
Even though there’s plenty of pork available in Huaxia, and even with the recent high prices, it wasn’t much of a burden for Chen Ze. After all, the income from his daily street vending was enough to allow him to easily purchase the ingredients he wanted.
But the problem was that the most common pork in Huaxia was still mainly the Yorkshire pig from the United Kingdom, which is the most famous and widely distributed breed worldwide. However, this breed is not particularly suitable for some of the ancient Huaxia dishes.
Chen Ze once had the fortune to have tried Twice-cooked Pork in Sichuan Province. At first, he didn’t think much of it, feeling that the Twice-cooked Pork wasn’t particularly delicious. Yet, the restaurant’s price for it was much higher than elsewhere, which puzzled Chen Ze until he took a bite and realized that this was how Twice-cooked Pork was supposed to taste.
After inquiring with the restaurant owner, Chen Ze learned that the most suitable pork for Twice-cooked Pork was actually from the Chenghua Pig of Sichuan, as their higher intramuscular fat content resulted in a better texture.
It was the first time Chen Ze realized that there were so many intricacies involved in making a dish. Both the ingredients and the cooking methods played a decisive role in the outcome of the final dish.
And for making Pork Belly a la Dongpo, it was another kind of pig native to Huaxia, one that was on the brink of extinction, whose pork Chen Ze had not managed to buy. This made him feel quite uncomfortable, as he was somewhat of a perfectionist.
"Forget it, let’s just try to make it first. When I can make an Exquisite Level Pork Belly a la Dongpo, then I’ll find a way to get some pork and see if I can elevate it to a perfect level," Chen Ze shook his head, took out a piece of pork from the fridge, and began working on the pork while looking at the recipe.
Betty, who was curious, came in for a look and saw Chen Ze tying up several pieces of meat with twine, which made her shiver involuntarily. freewebnovel.cσ๓
"Manager... I didn’t know you were that kind of person..." Chen Ze looked at Betty with a puzzled face. He had no clue what he had done that would make Betty look at him as if he were trash.
"Are you practicing your technique on this meat before trying it on me?" Betty leaned against the kitchen door, her face showing she was ready to scream for help at any sign of trouble.
Chen Ze looked down at the pork belly in his hands and saw nothing wrong with them. Although his skills were lacking and the tying was not very pretty, he didn’t see any issues.
"You’re overthinking it. This meat is still edible, but what about you? What can you do?" Chen Ze said disdainfully. He had no interest in how to tie up Betty.
Tie her up for what? To eat grilled Succubus wings? Chen Ze thought that it would be better to make some grilled wings himself.
Chen Ze heated the pan, which was when things got a bit tricky. Even though he had already started learning to cook, he still wasn’t very good at making caramel. Chen Ze had tried it once before, and the result was a burnt mess.
He glanced at the Pork Belly a la Dongpo in the pot. As the oil temperature rose, the pork slowly started to change color. Chen Ze gritted his teeth and continued to follow the recipe to make his first Pork Belly a la Dongpo.
Hastur took a glimpse at the kitchen. Ever since the cooking began, a peculiar aroma had been wafting from the kitchen, but it quickly turned a bit burnt. Picking up a cup of Paluda, Hastur took a slow sip, relieved that He had already eaten. Otherwise, smelling that aroma might have made it difficult to stomach any food.
Chen Ze looked at the Dongpo pork in front of him with a resigned expression. Although he had managed to make a serving of Dongpo pork according to the recipe, he felt that no one would want to eat the Dongpo pork he made based on its color and presentation.
[You have made a terrible serving of Dongpo pork, Huaxia Cuisine cooking experience increased by 1 point.]
Chen Ze sighed, threw away the Dongpo pork, and began to consider getting a dog. That way, he could feed the dog his failed meat dishes, as long as they weren’t too terrible.
"Manager, I’d like to pay my bill," Hastur’s voice rang out, causing the corners of Chen Ze’s mouth to twitch. No matter how many times he heard it, he was still not used to Hastur’s voice.
But Hastur seemed to like his own voice very much and never changed it, so Chen Ze had to keep listening to this familiar voice while providing Hastur with delicious food.
"Here~ Take this~" Hastur got down from the chair, patted his skirt, and then pulled a fruit out of his pocket.
Chen Ze took a deep breath, it was truly the first time he had seen someone say "here" with a "~" in their voice, but still, he took the fruit. As soon as he touched it, Chen Ze felt that this fruit was a bit magical.
The fruit looked ordinary, about the size of a cherry, yet when touched, one could feel a sort of dryness. It was magical—dryness isn’t a texture, but touching the fruit made Chen Ze feel as if he were standing in the desert.
"I found this in a desert. I’ve tried it, and when you take a bite, a lot of water flows out, almost as much as from a small lake. So, I’m giving it to you~" Hastur hopped out, leaving Chen Ze suddenly wondering if he should keep downloading anime for Hastur, who knew what strange things Hastur might do next time he came.
"Your world is truly amazing, Betty," Chen Ze said without doubting Hastur’s words. To think that such a small fruit could contain the water of an entire lake, that was truly magical.
"I think the manager is more amazing," Betty replied while clearing away Hastur’s bowls and cutlery, responding to Chen Ze’s comment.
"Me? You should know, I’m just an ordinary person." Chen Ze didn’t think he was amazing. He had no magic power, nor did he know any peerless martial arts; he was just a normal person learning how to cook.
"But manager, your restaurant is amazing. I have never seen a restaurant like yours before," Betty said seriously, recalling the pressure she felt when she used to pray to the demon deity, which was entirely different from the pressure of the Magic Circle.
Maybe this restaurant is run by a deity? Betty considered this possibility seriously.
Chen Ze looked down at the restaurant under his feet, then thought about the System he had, and felt that Betty might be right, these things he possessed were indeed magical.
"Betty, knock off after you finish the dishes, see you tomorrow at the usual time." Chen Ze yawned, anticipating the customers of the next day.
"Manager, do you need me to warm your bed?"
"Miss Betty, please have some self-respect."
