pjbooks Chapter 106 Beautiful
Chapter 106 Beautiful
Chapter 106 Beautiful
The old man shook his head and chuckled to himself.
When Wang Sheng took a taxi back to his rented room, his mother had already gone out to play.
When you make more money, you naturally feel better.
I used to dislike going out, but now I sometimes want to.
He couldn't wait to take out the clay pot and, as instructed by Old Man Ma, rinsed it inside and out with hot water, deliberately preserving the oily, dark patina on the pot's surface.
Examine it carefully under the light.
The clay pot is sturdy and rustic, with a noticeable grainy texture from the purple clay, giving it a substantial weight in your hand. It feels very breathable, especially the "oil film" on the inner wall that has accumulated over time, radiating a unique luster and aroma.
It's definitely not comparable to a brand new pot.
"Great stuff!" Wang Sheng exclaimed, his hands itching to grab it.
Luckily, there was still some fresh pork belly in the fridge that I bought this morning.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work!
Wang Sheng took out two standard "three parts fat and two parts lean" pork belly with skin from the refrigerator.
The meat strips were a perfect balance of lean and fat, with distinct layers and a fresh-looking skin. He picked one up, turned on the gas stove, and set it to the lowest flame.
The flames flickered and licked the air.
Wang Sheng held a strip of meat, skin side down, and slowly seared it over the flames at close range.
"Sizzle—"
A very faint sound. The hair follicles beneath the skin contracted under the high temperature, and a faint smell of burning rose. He moved the strip of meat, ensuring that every inch of the skin was heated evenly. The skin gradually turned a golden brown, and tiny bubbles appeared on the surface—a sign that it was properly singed.
Soak the seared meat in warm water for a few minutes to soften the charred skin. Take out your best knife and carefully scrape off the charred parts.
The scraping sound was particularly clear in the quiet kitchen.
The charring fades, revealing the golden skin underneath. After scraping and washing it clean, the skin has an enticing light golden color and a slightly rough texture. It will become extremely tender and chewy after stewing.
Put it in a pot of cold water.
A few slices of ginger, a section of scallion, and a small spoonful of cooking wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and scum gradually rises to the surface. Wang Sheng, holding a fine-mesh strainer, patiently skims off the scum bit by bit. This is a step emphasized by Old Man Ma: "Only by skimming off the scum can the broth be clear and the meat pure."
Once the broth becomes clear, remove the meat chunks, rinse them with warm water, and cut them into even, bite-sized pieces.
Next, we caramelize the sugar.
Add a little oil and a handful of rock sugar granules to a pot. Simmer over low heat until melted. The syrup will change in the pot: from large bubbles to small bubbles, from light yellow to amber, and finally, fine, dark red foam will appear.
It's now!
Quickly pour in the chopped meat and stir-fry rapidly!
"Sizzle!"
The hot oil sizzled as it met the caramelized sugar. Each piece of meat tossed and turned in the pan, evenly coated with a beautiful reddish-brown sauce. As the stir-frying continued, some of the fat was rendered out, and the edges of the meat pieces browned and curled up slightly.
The crucial step has arrived.
Wang Sheng poured the stir-fried and browned meat chunks, along with the oil and sugar syrup from the pot, into the old clay pot. He then added enough hot water to completely submerge the meat chunks.
Add two star anise, a small piece of cinnamon, two bay leaves, a few slices of ginger, and a knotted scallion.
Cover the casserole and move it to the stove.
Once the fire boils, immediately reduce the flame to the lowest setting!
The flames barely touched the bottom of the casserole, ensuring the contents remained at a gentle simmer. Wang Sheng leaned in and listened intently, hearing an extremely faint "glug-glug" sound.
Like the breathing of an old man taking a nap in the afternoon, slow and long.
Time is the only magic in this moment.
Wang Sheng moved a chair and sat at the kitchen doorway.
At first, the aroma was quite subtle. Only occasionally would a hint of meaty fragrance waft out from the vents in the pot lid, mixed with a faint scent of spices.
Half an hour later, the aroma began to become richer. It was the sweet caramel aroma produced by the melting of rock sugar and soy sauce under heat, mixed with the oily scent of meat.
An hour later, the entire kitchen was filled with a complex aroma. The spiciness of star anise and cinnamon, the freshness of ginger and scallions, the richness of meat gravy—layers upon layers, intertwined together. Most wonderfully, this aroma also carried a hint of the warm, earthenware-like scent unique to old clay pots.
Wang Sheng occasionally got up to check the cooking time.
The lid of the casserole trembled slightly, and white steam continued to escape from the vent. Through the gaps in the glass lid, one could see the deep amber broth slowly bubbling inside, with chunks of meat rising and falling gently within it.
Two hours have passed.
Wang Sheng turned off the fire, but did not open the lid immediately.
Let it simmer a little longer in the residual heat—this is also the secret taught by Old Ma: "Even after the fire is turned off, the pot is still hot, and the flavor is still seeping in."
Another ten minutes or so passed.
Wang Sheng took a deep breath and carefully lifted the pot lid.
"Wow, an even more intense and rich aroma suddenly exploded out, instantly taking over the entire kitchen! The aroma was so real, it warmly enveloped my face, entered my nostrils, and went straight to my lungs with my breath."
In the casserole, the broth had reduced to a perfect consistency, turning a glossy, viscous deep amber color. The thick sauce, like fine glass, tightly coated each piece of meat, reflecting an enticing sheen under the light.
The pork belly chunks were a perfect deep reddish-brown color.
The fatty parts are translucent, like fine amber jelly, trembling slightly under the light, as if they would melt at the slightest touch; the lean parts are deeply soaked in the broth, tender yet not falling apart. A thin layer of oil floats on top, glistening and tempting.
This is what Old Man Ma meant by "sparkling oil"!
Wang Sheng gently poked the pork skin with his chopsticks.
With almost no effort, the chopsticks sank in easily. Picking up a piece of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean, the meat trembled slightly at the tips of the chopsticks, and the fatty part really had a "melting" feel to it.
He ignored the heat, blew on it, and took a bite.
Delicious! Sticky! Fresh! Sweet!
Fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry!
The charred skin, with its unique caramelized aroma and chewy texture, is the finishing touch. The fatty part melts in your mouth, the richness of the fat exploding on your tongue without being greasy at all. Instead, it is perfectly balanced by the savory and slightly sweet flavor of the caramelized sugar and sauce, transforming into an ultimate sense of satisfaction.
The lean meat absorbed the broth perfectly, becoming incredibly flavorful and so tender that it required almost no chewing.
The most wonderful part is the thick sauce that coats and clings to the meat. The saltiness, sweetness, umami, and aroma are perfectly balanced, with the richness of a blend of spices and the unique mellowness of slow cooking in a clay pot.
Wang Sheng immediately compared the braised pork he made at window number 05, which was also enhanced by the system's technology.
The braised pork in dish #05 was also delicious, with a precise flavor, beautiful color, and tender meat. But it always felt like something was missing.
Lacking the sedimentation of time.
It lacks that subtle "wok hei" (the smoky aroma imparted by a hot wok).
It lacks the indescribable chemical reactions that occur between the old clay pot and the meat juices, spices, and heat during the long stewing process.
And this was made in an old earthenware pot —
"Absolutely amazing," Wang Sheng uttered, then picked up another piece.
of course.
Soon.
I didn't forget to remind Zhang Wei to make an appointment.