Chapter 157: Soft Meat and Tasteful Gravy
Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
He wasn't worried for long as the system gave the answer soon.
The system displayed, "The method of making Braised Pork with Soy Sauce out of rice is to be provided three hours later."
Seeing that, Yuan Zhou finally felt relieved. After that, the opening hours in the evening started.
When the business time ended, the time for the system to provide the cooking method arrived. Only after Yuan Zhou shut the door did he receive it.
Upon obtaining it, Yuan Zhou got to know the cooking method of making Braised Pork with Soy Sauce out of rice. Although Yuan Zhou was knowledgeable, he still couldn’t help praising it, "How exquisite."
The rice tofu was used to make the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce. The system also provided the compounding ratio of the different ingredients.
The system displayed, "The preparation method of the rice tofu is fairly easy."
"The early indica rice is selected as the raw ingredient. After optimized cultivation, the grains are plump and shiny with rich nutrition as high as 9 times that of the ordinary indica rice. However, the yield of the rice is extremely low."
"Before making the rice tofu, rice grains of identical size and color have to be selected out manually. Then, they are washed clean with the mountain spring water before putting them in a vessel and adding water inside until the water level is 3.5cm above the rice.
"After soaking the rice in the water for 3-4 hours, it is then scooped up, with the water being drained. Then it is ground with the stone mill for 4 times until it becomes rice starch. Water is added with baking soda inside to decoct it; after that, the rice is placed into the bamboo vessel and immersed into a deep well to be shaped, and then the alkaline taste was remove from it with the help of water pressure and cool well water."
By then, Yuan Zhou had obtained the preparation method in his hand. The subsequent procedures of grinding and decocting were to be handled by him.
Luckily, he needn’t do the manual selection of the rice by himself as the system provided rice that had been well selected.
Then Yuan Zhou began to wash and soak the rice. Even if Yuan Zhou was fast, it still took half an hour to finish. During the period, Yuan Zhou first went to feed Broth dinner, a bowl of noodle broth from his leftovers.
Then, he went upstairs and took a shower, in order to ensure that no smoke smell contaminated the rice starch when he grounded the rice.
It took one and a half hours from the start of the process until it was placed into the bamboo vessel. The final shaping of the rice required a longer period of time to finish. Therefore, Yuan Zhou sat on his chair and took a nap to regain his strength.
The whole night passed while Yuan Zhou was continuously practicing making the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce using rice.
Currently, Yuan Zhou’s skills were good enough to meet the requirements of the system. Contentedly, Yuan Zhou started the business of the day.
On the other side, Jiang Changxi also began to contact her friend, inviting her to go together and taste the dish.
"Le Yi, shall we go now? It’s almost the agreed time," she said to the other end of the phone.
"Humm. But do you think it’s possible?" From the other end of the phone passed a clear and melodious female voice, with a hint of uncertainty.
"It’s definitely not a question. That Boss Yuan is the one that I have often dropped by for meals," Jiang Changxi spoke to the girl in a gentle and patient manner.
"Well, alright. I’ll trust you," there passed an affirmative reply from the other end of the phone.
"Hurry up and move. I’ll wait for you at the crossing." Jiang Changxi hung up the phone as soon as she finished talking.
"This fellow still hangs up the phone as fast as before," Not having answered in time, the girl, Le Yi, helplessly took a look at the phone that had been hung up.
She picked her handbag by the door, tidied her hair and opened the door, heading for the appointed address mentioned by Jiang Changxi.
There were still 10 minutes left before the agreed time when Le Yi caught the sight of Jiang Changxi.
"Changxi, I’m here," Le Yi shouted while crossing the street.
"Careful," standing across the street, Jiang Changxi shouted loudly to Le Yi.
"Sorry, I’m late. Have you waited for a long time?" Le Yi had a gentle personality. She spoke politely and apologized first as soon as she arrived.
"Never mind. Let’s go. The time is almost up. That guy never waits for anybody once the time is up." In an ungraceful manner, Jiang Changxi dragged Le Yi heading for Yuan Zhou’s restaurant in quick steps.
Thankfully, it was not far and was just located at the street behind them. Le Yi likewise followed Jiang Changxi’s pull and rushed to the street obediently.
"Boss Yuan, my Braised Pork with Soy Sauce from the 100 Styles of Rice Cuisine," as soon as she entered the restaurant, Jiang Changxi asked in a loud voice.
"Sit down, please. It’ll be served in no time," Yuan Zhou made a gesture of ‘please’ with his hands.
"It seems that he truly knows how to cook it," Jiang Changxi whispered in a low voice and thought in her heart "He’s not kidding, right?"
"What’s the matter with you?" Staying close to her, Le Yi asked in puzzlement.
"Nothing. Just in a short while, we can finally taste the dish passed down from your ancestors," Jiang Changxi said to Le Yi with an excited expression on her face.
"Humm," Le Yi put her hands on her thighs. Even now, she didn’t believe it. However, she still smiled and nodded.
No one knew better than her about the difficulty in cooking that dish. Even after dozens of years of careful study, her father was still unable to cook the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce to be as perfect as was described in the book, which described that the skin and meat had to be crisp and soft while the lean meat and fat meat were evenly distributed.
Even if it was made from soybeans, a block of tofu couldn’t be cooked to that extent, let alone the rice tofu that was more inferior in softness and texture. Where did the feeling of fat meat and lean meat being evenly distributed come from, not to mention the crisp skin?
Le Yi felt those were only some adjectives appearing in the book.
While thinking this way, she was suddenly attracted by the scent of Braised Pork with Soy Sauce. The faint fragrance was quite strong, which contained a scent of sugar and roast, as well as a hint of delicate fragrance. With the combination, the mixed fragrance almost made people drool.
"Wow. Boss Yuan, you are so amazing. I’m drooling just by smelling it," Jiang Changxi said without any exaggeration.
On a small white porcelain plate painted with bright green leaves on the edges as the decoration, the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce was stacked up like a tower. Although there was no chopped green onions for decorations, the dish nevertheless carried a faint delicate fragrance.
Jiang Changxi couldn’t help swallowing the saliva, saying, "Is this really made from rice?"
The Braised Pork with Soy Sauce in the plate had also skin, fat meat, and lean meat, which appeared to be made of top-grade streaky pork.
Yuan Zhou had never responded to Jiang Changxi’s queries all along, but just gestured for her to have a taste.
"Shall we have a taste now?" Jiang Changxi turned head and asked Le Yi.
"Sure, but I don’t have chopsticks," Le Yi was a little embarrassed while saying that.
"Boss Yuan, why is there only one pair of chopsticks?" Jiang Changxi shouted straightaway.
"There’s only one pair," Yuan Zhou took a look at Jiang Changxi and then said with a serious look.
"Alright. Le Yi, you just order a dish casually. Every dish here is perfect anyways," Jiang Changxi urged Le Yi. She almost couldn’t wait to eat it now.
"Then give me a serving of Jin’ling Grass and Clear Broth Noodle Soup, please," looking at the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce that had an oily luster and attractive color, Le Yi selected refreshing dishes decisively.
"One moment, please," Yuan Zhou then turned around and began to prepare the dishes.
"Le Yi, let me have a taste first, ok?" Jiang Changxi could no longer bear the tempting fragrance and hence couldn’t help asking.
"No, you can’t. You promised to eat together with me," Le Yi rarely persisted. She dragged Jiang Changxi away from the dish.
"Alright. I will wait for you," having unconsciously swallowed the saliva, Jiang Changxi said with great effort.
Two girls, moreover, beautiful girls, started to stare at the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce on the table for a moment and at Yuan Zhou’s back the next moment, appearing to be just waiting to eat.
Fortunately, Yuan Zhou’s cooking speed was amazing. In no more than 5 minutes, he carried the dish back to them; therefore, Le Yi also got her chopsticks.
"I’m starting to eat now." With quick actions, Jiang Changxi picked up a piece of Braised Pork with Soy Sauce and stuffed it into her mouth straightforwardly.
Being reluctant to fall behind, Le Yi also stuffed a piece of the pork into her mouth.
A fragrance of the pork instantly occupied the entire mouth. It was not greasy at all. The lean meat carried a little chewy texture while the fat meat interspersed in the middle instantly melted, carrying a glimmer of sweetness.
At the end, the skin of the Braised Pork with Soy Sauce was surprisingly too well-cooked, carrying slight colloid texture of pork skin. With the simple bite, it brought about full happiness.
This dish was about to become famous. With the delicious taste of Braised Pork with Soy Sauce and low-fat content of rice tofu, it was simply the best recommendation for those on a diet!