Food Intelligence King

Chapter 56 A Love for Meat
Heat oil in a wok, then add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves.

The spices, which had been washed with water beforehand, started crackling as soon as they were put into the pot.

The hot oil evaporates the moisture, releasing a rich, spicy aroma.

Keep the heat low, then turn around and add the scallion segments and ginger slices, and continue to stir-fry until fragrant.

The advantage of using two pots simultaneously is that after the pot for blanching the ribs boils, you can take out the meat pieces from the center of the pot, saving the step of rinsing with warm water.

The main problem was that Lao Zhang had sent over too many ribs; Chen Zhou had never cooked such a large quantity before.

Light soy sauce enhances the umami flavor, soybean paste and sweet bean sauce add flavor, and dark soy sauce provides color.

Stir-fry the ribs evenly until the meat is coated with the sauce.

When hot water is poured in, it makes a sizzling sound and then a cloud of steam rises from the edge of the pot.

The 15 minutes of boiling over high heat is a process of further browning the ribs. Season simply with salt, rock sugar, and pepper.

Then turn the heat down to low and simmer for an hour.

Finally, add the green beans, potatoes, and glass noodles, and simmer until the side dishes are cooked through before serving.

While it was still simmering on a low flame, my junior sister arrived at the shop first.

"Senior brother, what delicious food have you made? It smells so good!"

"I stewed some pork ribs."

With the aim of getting her familiar with the work environment as quickly as possible, Chen Zhou assigned her two tasks: peeling potatoes, picking green beans, and occasionally keeping an eye on the ribs in the pot.

Preparing the ingredients was not difficult for Zhao Yilin.

But the second task was a bit more challenging.

The stewed meat smelled so good, it always made my mouth water. After she finished peeling the potatoes, time seemed to drag on even longer.

"Senior brother, how much time do we have left?"

"Brother Chen, how much longer?"

"boss?"

The first two times, Chen Zhou would stop making the steamed meat buns, look up at his watch, and give her a clear answer.

By the third time,
Chen Zhou finally couldn't help but look at Zhao Yilin with suspicion, "Did you think that by changing the way you address me three times, I wouldn't know it was you?"

"No, not at all," the junior sister waved her hand. "I thought you would get one or two mixed up."

Chen Zhou was amused by her and warmly invited her:

"Next time you eat out, sit at the same table as Chen Taotao."

Zhao Yilin was quite happy after hearing this, "I really like her."

Sincerity is the junior sister's ultimate weapon.

Chen Zhou was no match for him.

I can only convey Chen Taotao's opinion to her.

“My daughter likes you a lot too, and says she can play with you.”

“Right, right!”

Around six or seven o'clock in the evening, the specially invited diners who had been invited before the shop opened gradually arrived.

As the host, Chen Zhou introduced everyone to each other.

Old Zhang works at the Xingfu Vegetable Market, which is so close to here that he recognized both the tobacco and liquor store owner and Tony.

The main concern is Zhao Yilin; she's never met these people before. But working at the store, she'll likely have to deal with them quite a bit.

As for the dishes on the table, everyone recognized them.

A pot of pork ribs, green beans, potato noodles, several new-style cooked meat buns, a large plate of healthy seasonal vegetables, and edible taro bought from the market.
Chen Zhou raised his glass:

Please take good care of me from now on!

"sure"

The group agreed to take care of the newcomer and the new shop, and then also took care of the food served at the table.

Old Zhang's meat is always of excellent quality, and this time he brought only the best spare ribs.

After nearly two and a half hours of stewing from blanching to serving, the ribs were already tender and flavorful.

Gently tear with your teeth,

You can then remove the entire piece of meat, along with the tendons and membranes, from the bone. Eating it is incredibly satisfying.

Potatoes and glass noodles, having absorbed the broth, also have a unique flavor.

The former is soft and fluffy, while the latter is chewy and bouncy. Although both are made of starch, the difference in texture is obvious.

At this point, the importance of a bite of bright green green beans or a large mixed salad becomes apparent.

My mouth felt much cleaner, and I could continue eating meat.

The junior sister is very outgoing and can chat with anyone.

The men saw a pretty young girl with a good figure and appearance, and they thought she was quite pleasing to the eye.

He was easily amused by Zhao Yilin and laughed heartily.

But Zhao Yilin eventually ended up chatting with Tony, the hairstylist. The two had more in common.

"Does this curl my hair look better?"

“Yes, sister!” Tony finally found a kindred spirit. “But you absolutely mustn’t dye it. This hair color is fine.”

The junior colleague nodded. "The boss said I have to tie my hair up when I come to work."

Tony curled a section of her hair on the spot, checked the effect, and said, "It won't stop you from looking beautiful when you get home."

Seeing that the women were having a great time chatting, the three men also started drinking and bragging.

Old Zhang spoke first, recounting his past experiences.

“Our family has a long-standing tradition of slaughtering pigs and selling meat. By the time I was young, we had seven or eight stalls.”

“When I was young, I didn’t want to endure hardship, and my family spoiled me. So I started thinking about doing things that weren’t worthwhile. I started trading futures.”

"That thing is really exciting to buy and sell. I lost some money later, so I leveraged it to try to make it back. Who would have thought that I would lose all the money in the family business."

"It's only in the last few years that things have started to improve a bit, and I've started selling meat again. But I've found that doing honest business makes me sleep soundly."

Chen Zhou agreed with Lao Zhang's words.

No matter what industry you're in, you should always try to improve the quality of your products.

This applies to the construction industry, and it also applies to the catering industry.

Old Meng, who runs a tobacco and liquor store, has always had a smooth life, so he hasn't been able to appreciate the two men's ideas.

However, given the current atmosphere, he wanted to say something.

But he glanced at the liquor on the table—a Group 1 carcinogen—and then touched the small box in his pocket—smoking is harmful to health.

Suddenly I didn't know how to continue the conversation.

Chen Zhou chimed in, "Brother Meng, since this is your place, you have to guarantee the goods are genuine."

Old Meng nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, we can't sell counterfeit goods. Back when I opened my first shop..."

The junior sister's main purpose in coming here was, besides getting acquainted with the place and the people, to take Chen Zhou's electric scooter away.

So Chen Zhou told her to go home early.

I also told her to send a message when she got home and to call if anything happened.

Don't forget to take your phone.

"I understand, boss," the junior colleague said, glancing at her hand to confirm it was indeed a phone. She then turned to say goodbye to her neighbors, "Goodbye everyone~"

Later that evening, after cleaning up the shop, Chen Zhou went home and made a video call to his wife and children.

The little girl was playing with her cousins ​​from her aunt's family. She glanced up at them a couple of times but didn't bother to talk.

Ms. Lin noticed that Chen Zhou seemed to have had a few drinks and told him to get some rest.

Then they asked about opening a shop.

Chen Zhou replied:

"Tomorrow is Friday, the inspection team will come this afternoon, and once we get the permits, we can open for business next week."

My mother-in-law made an appearance in the video.

He praised, "My son-in-law has kept this little shop so well-maintained."

Ms. Lin said to the old lady on the phone, "Mom, he's at home."

(End of this chapter)