Huayu Chef

Zhang Jinxuan and Xiao Dangjia stood side by side in front of the camera, with fresh pork tenderloin, pork liver and pork kidney, scallions, ginger, garlic, starch, sesame oil and Sichuan peppercorn oil, and several large and small douchi (a type of Chinese herbal medicine) in front of them.

"Next, we're going to start making Lao Bao San. Speaking of Lao Bao San, we have to mention the top celebrities in the food world, Emperor Qianlong and Empress Dowager Cixi."

"It is said that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he ate this dish called Lao Bao San. He thought it was delicious and he always wanted to eat it. He loved it so much that he named it Lao Bao San."

"Another theory is that Empress Dowager Cixi also ate Lao Bao San and named the dish Lao Bao San."

"The third explanation is more realistic. In the past, living conditions were poor and supplies were insufficient. People couldn't afford meat. When they finally got to eat meat, they wanted it to be plentiful and oily, and cheap. Stir-fried Three Delicacies just met everyone's needs, so it became popular. Since people kept ordering it, it was simply called 'Old Stir-fried Three Delicacies'."

Master Wang, Huang Mengying, and Brother Leziren chuckled softly.

The young master listened with great interest and praised, "Brother Xuan, you know so much!"

"This is just hearsay, just for fun. When I film other dishes in the future, I'll definitely mention Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Qianlong again; they're both incredibly famous in the culinary world."

Zhang Jinxuan waved his hand and continued, "The dish 'Lao Bao San' (Old Fried Three) was originally from Shandong. It was adapted and localized in Tianjin, becoming the Lao Bao San we often eat today."

"Tianjin Lao Bao San can be roughly divided into Han Chinese and Hui Chinese versions. The Han Chinese version is made with pork, which is cooked with garlic, resulting in a rich garlic flavor and a bright red sauce that goes well with both alcohol and rice."

"The Hui version usually uses three kinds of lamb, and the lamb is served with scallions, so the scallion flavor should be stronger. Secondly, the Hui version of Lao Bao San is a bit dry, with only a little bit of oil at the bottom of the plate, making it more suitable for drinking than the Han version."

"Today, Little Master and I are making a Han Chinese version of Lao Bao San (a type of spicy fried dough)," Zhang Jinxuan briefly explained the origin of Lao Bao San, then tilted his head and asked, "Little Master, are you ready?"

The young master replied confidently, "Ready."

"Let's begin then."

Like a soldier receiving a command, the young chef swiftly picked up a cleaver and pork tenderloin, slicing the pork against the grain into thin, willow-leaf-sized pieces. With a series of clanging sounds, the knife fell swiftly, and a piece of pork was almost completely sliced ​​away.

His knife skills are truly remarkable.

When Mr. Wang and Aunt Sun saw how successful their son was, their faces immediately showed expressions of relief and joy.

The older brother, Leziren, looked surprised and thought to himself, "Kids these days are amazing."

Huang Mengying and Zhuangzhuang were a little worried for Zhang Jinxuan, so they looked at him. They saw Zhang Jinxuan calmly walk around the cutting board and go to the stove to boil a pot of water.

The young master noticed his actions out of the corner of his eye and asked curiously, "Brother Xuan, why are you boiling water?"

Blanch the meat.

The young chef, who had been making braised pork belly for nine years, was hearing for the first time that this dish required blanching the meat. He kindly reminded him, "Brother Xuan, Tianjin-style braised pork belly doesn't need to be blanched."

Zhang Jinxuan said with a faint smile, "You do yours, I'll do mine."

The young chef opened his mouth, shook his head, finished slicing the pork tenderloin, picked up a pork kidney, sliced ​​it in half, and carefully removed the glands. If this thing isn't cleaned properly, the smell is too strong.

Some people just don't like it, they just like it, they love strong flavors.

After boiling the water, Zhang Jinxuan returned to his original position, but his method of preparation differed from Xiao Dangjia's. Xiao Dangjia cut the pork tenderloin first, while Zhang Jinxuan cut the pork kidney first. The initial processing methods were similar, but the later steps were completely different.

Unlike the way Little Chef marinated and seasoned pork kidneys, which have had their glands removed, pork kidneys that have had their kidneys marinated and seasoned after being processed, are soaked in water with white vinegar and rice wine to remove any unpleasant odor.

The two men also had different methods of handling pork and liver. Huang Mengying, Zhuangzhuang, and Leziren, who couldn't cook, were completely confused and remained silent, their eyes fixed on Zhang Jinxuan and Xiaodangjia.

Aunt Sun only had eyes for her son, Xiao Dangjia. Master Wang kept glancing at Zhang Jinxuan, wondering to himself, "Does Xiao Zhang really know how to make Tianjin Lao Bao San?"

He processed it too meticulously, which certainly reduced the fishy smell of the offal, but the resulting braised tripe didn't suit the taste of Tianjin people.

There were five judges, three of whom were from Tianjin. If the judges from Tianjin were not satisfied, he would lose.

Zhang Jinxuan did not offer any explanation to Master Wang's doubts. After picking up the cleaver to cut the meat, he remained silent, his expression serious and his eyes focused. He calmly and unhurriedly processed the ingredients and prepared the sauce according to his own ideas.

A soft clanging sound came from the ground.

Zhang Jinxuan looked up slightly and saw that Xiao Dangjia had already completed all the preparations before the oil was applied. He walked around the cutting and preparation station and was about to start heating the pot.

He remained unmoved and kept his head down, doing his own thing.

Aunt Sun said happily, "My son is amazing, he's about to finish making Lao Bao San."

Is Little Chef almost ready?

Upon hearing this, Huang Mengying and Zhuangzhuang felt a pang of anxiety. They stared intently at Zhang Jinxuan, both worried and anxious. "Hurry up, Brother Xuan!"

As the young master was heating the pot, he was about to pour in the oil when he suddenly turned around and glanced at Zhang Jinxuan. He felt a pang of pity and wondered if he should wait for Brother Xuan.

At this moment, Zhang Jinxuan also made his move. He brought the simply seasoned pork kidneys to the stove, poured them into boiling water to blanch them, and added some Shaoxing wine to remove the pork kidneys' unpleasant smell.

Once the pork kidneys have turned white and curled up, remove them and cool them to maintain their texture.

Zhang Jinxuan then poured out the hot water, washed the pot briefly, dried it with the heat, and prepared to fry the three ingredients in oil.

Upon seeing this, Chef Wang suddenly realized that he understood Zhang Jinxuan's cooking approach. Everyone had been misled by him, thinking that he was going to blanch the three ingredients.

wrong.

Big mistakes.

He just wanted to blanch the pork kidneys because they have the strongest gamey smell.

Although the pungent glands on the pig's kidneys are removed, they are still connected. Over the years, the pungent smell penetrates deep into the skin, and no matter how cleanly you cut the glands, the pungent smell cannot be completely removed.

Zhang Jinxuan processes the pork kidneys multiple times, which greatly reduces their gamey smell. The pork and liver still have a slightly unpleasant odor, so stir-frying them together might just be the right flavor. Blanching the pork kidneys and then cooling them makes them even crisper, which is a plus.

Another point is that Master Wang realized he had overlooked the key figure who would determine the outcome—Brother Leziren.

Not all people from Tianjin have strong tastes. What if he's a heretic?

Xiao Dangjia's Lao Bao San is made in the style of a dog food restaurant, catering to the traditional tastes of Tianjin people. Zhang Jinxuan's Lao Bao San is made in the style of a hotel, more refined and meticulous, relying on experience, the taste of ingredients, and skill to gain an advantage.

Neither method is inherently better than the other; what matters most is how well it tastes and who it's made for.

After figuring out the cause and effect, Master Wang slapped his thigh in frustration.

The sound of the slap was so loud that it attracted everyone's attention.

Looking at the anxious expression on his father's face, the young master asked in a flustered and bewildered tone, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Before Chef Wang could speak, Zhang Jinxuan said, "Young Master, the oil in your pan is hot enough. You can start blanching the pork tenderloin. Don't get distracted while cooking. Just do it your way. The real test is in the taste."

"Son, cook well."

"Go for it, son!"

The young chef nodded emphatically, skillfully and almost instinctively preparing the three ingredients by blanching them in oil, pouring out the hot oil, washing the pot, drying it, adding a little oil back in, and then sautéing the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.

The kitchen of Xingyuan Restaurant uses large ladles, which are large iron pots with a single handle.

The young chef, with his broad build and amazing arm strength, added pork tenderloin, pork liver, pork kidney, and sauce. With one hand, he picked up a large ladle and performed a smooth, skillful flip, causing the ingredients to mix in the air and the bright red sauce to coat the surface of the ingredients evenly.

Because it's stir-fried over high heat, the pork liver and kidneys can easily become tough if cooked for too long, so controlling the heat is crucial. Before long, Xiao Dangjia's stir-fried pork liver, kidneys, and kidneys were ready to be served.

"Go, Xuan-ge!" Huang Mengying shouted, clenching her fist.

Zhuangzhuang's voice then rang out, "Go, Brother Xuan!"

At this point, Zhang Jinxuan's "Old Fried Three" dish had reached the final stir-frying stage.

Sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then add the pork tripe and sauce to the pot, and stir-fry briefly.