Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 104 82. Come and try it
"First, put the pork belly in cold water to skim off the blood foam. Bring me real water, Oliver. I want the best ingredients. Just buy me a whole bucket!"

Carl responded, heating up the wok on the induction cooker.

"Then blanch it in water and remove the floating residue. Wait a minute, why is the fishy smell so strong? Wasn't the pig bled when it was killed?! What? The pig wasn't even castrated, my God!"

David sat on the sofa in the apartment, staring in amazement at Carl, who had always remained calm even when facing a cyber-psychopath. But now his face was filled with a look of despair. David felt that his preconceived impression of Carl had changed a lot.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, this stuff really... Never mind, it's fishy, ​​I can just add more seasoning to get rid of the fishy smell, cut the pieces into smaller pieces, and try to stir-fry them to let the seasoning penetrate into them. But forget about the bloody water, Jack, get an empty pot, pour cold real water and white vinegar into it, I'm going to soak it for a while, then take it out and wash it clean, I hope this will get rid of more of the bloody smell."

"Is it really necessary to go through so much trouble, Carl?"

"As for that! Oh, right, didn't we buy a lot of corn? Bring the corn here. My pot is empty. Pour out the water and cook the corn first."

Karl turned his eyes and looked at David: “David!”

"Yes!"

Being stared at by Carl with such an unquestionable look, David subconsciously stood up from the sofa.

"Go get that extra little bag I bought."

"What's the small bag?"

"It's labeled as a small bag containing three spices: cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves. Be careful with it. I got one of those bags."

"clear."

Under Karl's command, several people were busy in Karl's apartment.

Originally, Oliver was thinking about Carl cooking and being busy, but when he arrived, he found out that Carl was just treating them as laborers and was basically telling them what to do throughout the process.

"Karl, you are too lazy!"

Oliver couldn't help but complain, but under Carl's intimidating gaze, he still obediently carried out his request.

"I'm in charge of cooking, so of course you guys have to do this kind of work. You'll also have to wash the pots and dishes after the meal."

Jack laughed indifferently at Karl's words:
"In the past, I would only help my mother cook on my birthday. I didn't expect that I would be busy cooking even though it's not my birthday."

"Don't worry, it will definitely be delicious and you will definitely not be disappointed."

Karl made a solemn promise, and said something that made Oliver feel like he was stabbed in the heart again: "After all, it's okay for you to eat it. Bring it to Old Wei, Mrs. Wells, and Misty to eat. Don't be wronged."

“I don’t want to be a guinea pig.”

Oliver now only hopes that this thing that Carl has been looking forward to for a long time will really be that delicious.

"After preparation, heat the oil in a pan, add the spices to the cold oil, and start slow frying."

The fragrance is coming out.

"Bring me the pork belly I prepared."

Then start stir-frying to bring out the flavor of fat.

Then add soy sauce, salt and rock sugar bought from Chinatown.

There are many ways to cook braised pork. Some methods add sugar first and then the meat, but Carl’s method is to put the meat first.

Then start stir-frying until the sugar color comes out.

"Stab!"

Pour in boiling water, turn to low heat, cover the pot, and start simmering. "Is this all right, Carl?"

Jack asked as Carl stopped moving.

"In the end, we should have poured some wine or tea water in it to remove the fishy smell, but we didn't have the conditions, so we'll just have to do it this way."

"May I?"

"Red braised pork is a dish that can be prepared in every household. It can be made casually. There is no fixed process. Some people even add cola to it. What's wrong with that?"

"Yeah."

Jack didn't quite understand, but he roughly memorized Carl's steps. If Misty thought it tasted good later, he could learn to make it.

"The corn is ready."

Oliver lifted the lid of another pot and saw the corn underneath the lid in a cloud of white mist. The corn was not crystal clear but beautifully yellow. He took one out impatiently, but then he almost threw it away because it was burned.

"I've never had real boiled corn. I've only had cornmeal and flakes."

Smelling the fresh scent of the corn leaves, Oliver broke it into two pieces after it cooled down for a while, and handed one to David and the other to Jack.

"Come and try it, David, and Jack. Aren't you looking forward to this the most?"

"Can I eat first?"

David took half the corn, feeling a little embarrassed.

"There are plenty. Don't worry. Taste it first. If it tastes bad, we can add salt and cook it again. Let's try boiling corn in salt water."

When Oliver turned his eyes back to the pot and considered which corn to take, Jack had already started to chew the corn. Watching Jack's actions, David began to eat the corn in the same way.

He had learned about the corn plant at Arasaka Academy, but he didn't chew it with the stalk. He ate the kernels. The plump and soft texture of the corn gave him a completely different feeling from any food he had eaten before, almost as soon as he took a bite.

To put it in other words, when you eat this, you can really feel the taste of corn.

“A bit sweet”

"Chewing more starch will make it sweeter."

Carl had a pair of good hands, so his hands were not as painful as Oliver's, but his lips and teeth were not strong enough to come into direct contact with the hot corn, so he also waited for it to cool down for a while before eating it.

When the familiar taste came into his mouth, Carl felt his heart suddenly empty for a moment, and then
"I feel like crying."

The familiar taste of the past, even in 2075, can I still feel it?

He lifted the lid of the pot, turned off the fire, and directly brought a pot of braised pork with a beautiful sugar color to the people.

"Come and have a taste."

Having said this, he couldn't wait to take out the takeaway fried rice, picked up a piece of soft and tender braised pork that had soaked up the rich soup with chopsticks, and put it into his mouth along with the fried rice.

The juice from the meat soaked the distinct grains of fried rice. When the two were chewed together in the mouth, the taste was transmitted to the brain through the tongue, making Carl unable to stop eating.

"Mercenaries, you really can't just eat vegetarian food."

Looking at Carl wolfing down the food, Oliver made this comment from the bottom of his heart.

　Today we eat braised pork~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)