Chương 61: This smells so good!!

"How is pork belly wrong? Aren't they all half-fat and half-lean meat?" Zhou Jie followed into the kitchen, humbly seeking guidance. In his mind, Zhou Yan was already a master of Sichuan cuisine. Not to be outdone, Aunt Zhao also followed into the kitchen. Twice-cooked pork was her specialty, her secret weapon for controlling the kitchen in the Zhou family. If this kid Zhou Yan wanted to seize power, she... had to taste it first before deciding whether to give it to him.

"The fat between the skin and lean meat of the second-cut pork belly only needs to be boiled for twenty minutes and then taken out for later use. It's tender yet crisp. The sinewy part between the skin and lean meat of the pork belly needs to be cooked for a long time to soften, otherwise it'll be mushy and chewy. It's suitable for braised pork and steamed pork belly," Zhou Yan explained to the two with a smile.

"There's such a thing?" Aunt Zhao and Zhou Jie both seemed thoughtful. They usually made twice-cooked pork by buying whatever meat the butcher had on hand; if there was no pork belly, they'd buy pig's head meat—it was delicious stir-fried anyway.

"Brother Jie, start the fire," Zhou Yan called to Zhou Jie to help.

"Sure thing!" Zhou Jie went to the back of the stove, stuffed a bundle of straw into it, and pulled the bellows a couple of times, immediately igniting the remaining embers. Zhou Yan scooped two ladles of cold water into the pot, added a flattened piece of ginger and a few sections of scallion, then cut the cleaned pork belly into three-finger-width, six-centimeter-long pieces and added them to the pot.

"Three-finger-width pieces are enough; if they're too thick, they won't cook through. Add scallions and ginger to the pot, put the meat in cold water, and cook until the blood and scum rise to the surface. Skim it off promptly, and the meat will have almost no bloody taste," Zhou Yan explained to the two as he cooked. While the meat was cooking, Zhou Yan prepared the other ingredients. The shop uses Pixian Doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste), categorized by year of fermentation.

Older Doubanjiang has a longer fermentation time, resulting in a richer aroma, but its color is darker, causing the pork to turn black and the color less appealing. Therefore, they use newer Doubanjiang, finely chopped, which is crucial for the pork's color.

"You even went out of your way to buy sweet bean sauce? Can't you just use white sugar?" Aunt Zhao asked curiously, looking at the sweet bean sauce Zhou Yan had opened.

"Sweet bean sauce helps cut through the oiliness, reduces greasiness, and enhances the aroma. While white sugar can also enhance flavor, too much can be cloying," Zhou Yan explained. The garlic sprouts were washed, and the large, fleshy ends were gently smashed with a knife before being sliced diagonally, tapering to maximize the flavor. The white and green parts of the garlic sprouts were separated.

The pork belly was cooked for about twenty minutes; when a chopstick could easily pierce the lean meat, it was about six or seven tenths cooked. It was then removed and sliced.

"This step of slicing the meat is very important. Look, you need to slice it into pieces about two millimeters thick, like copper coins. If it's too thick, it won't absorb the flavor and will be too greasy. If it's too thin, it will curl up as soon as it hits the pan, and the fat will turn into crispy bits that you can't even chew." Zhou Yan picked up a piece of meat.

"The best state is when the meat is still slightly undercooked in the middle." Aunt Zhao and Zhou Jie put their hands in front of them, listening and watching attentively, just like two apprentices. They didn't know why, but usually, when they stir-fried twice-cooked pork, it was done in a few quick stirs and was delicious with rice. But after Zhou Yan described it this way, the dish suddenly seemed more refined. Zhou Yan didn't cook all 1. 2 jin of meat in one pot.

He saved 4 liang (approximately 200 grams) and put it in a bowl to cook again later that evening, so it would be fresher and more delicious.

"Turn up the heat a little, but not too high. First, add the rapeseed oil, then pour in the sliced meat and stir-fry over low heat. See, it shrinks instantly, turning into a perfect lamp-shaped hollow." Zhou Yan stir-fried the curled meat slices, pushing them to the side. He first cooked and fragrant the finely chopped fermented bean paste in the oil at the bottom of the pan, then stir-fried it with the meat. The originally white meat slices instantly turned a bright red color.

He added a spoonful of sweet bean sauce and stir-fried until fragrant, then added the garlic sprout heads and stir-fried, finally adding the garlic sprout leaves. After a few stirs, he took it out of the pan and plated it. The bright red meat slices curled into lamp-shaped hollows, glistening with oil, while the white garlic sprout stems and green garlic sprout leaves blended together to create a perfect dish of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The rich aroma of twice-cooked pork, mixed with the fragrance of garlic sprouts, wafted up with the steam.

"Gulp." Aunt Zhao and Zhou Jie swallowed simultaneously.

"It smells so good! I want to see too!" Zhou Momo, drawn by the aroma, ran over and stood on tiptoe to peek at the stove. She was too small; even on tiptoe, she couldn't reach the stove, so she couldn't see what was in the plate, which made her very anxious.

"Look, your brother made twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts. We're having meat for lunch today," Zhao Tieying said with a smile, scooping her up.

"Wow, it looks so delicious! The cook is amazing!" Zhou Momo clapped her hands, already swallowing hard.

"Come on, take it out, rice!" Zhou Yan carried the generous plate of twice-cooked pork out of the kitchen. Zhao Hong and Zhou Jie brought out rice and bowls, giving each person a pair of chopsticks. Besides the twice-cooked pork, they also got two bowls of braised beef and a bowl of cabbage as a vegetarian dish. However, the star of today's lunch was undoubtedly the plate of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts placed in the center of the table.

It looked excellent, smelled wonderful, and was somewhat different from the twice-cooked pork they usually made.

"Don't just look, pick up your chopsticks!" Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"I'll try it first." Aunt Zhao picked up her chopsticks and first took a piece of twice-cooked pork. Inside was a piece of garlic sprout. It wobbled when she picked it up, very elastic, glistening with oil. The first bite revealed a fragrant and tender skin, the fatty meat melting in her mouth, and the lean meat not dry at all, with a slightly chewy texture. One bite was rich but not oily, fragrant but not greasy.

Biting into the garlic sprout in the middle, its unique fragrance blended with the twice-cooked pork, the taste was simply amazing! Aunt Zhao held the empty chopsticks for a while, savoring the taste, the fragrance lingering on her lips and teeth.

"Delicious! From now on, you'll be in charge of making twice-cooked pork at home," Aunt Zhao said to Zhou Yan, a hint of melancholy mixed with satisfaction. The latest novel is first published on 69shu. com! This was her signature dish, which she had cooked for twenty years, but today she was handing over the reins. However, it was Zhou Yan who had taken the reins, and he had produced such a delicious twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts. She couldn't argue with that. She even… wanted to learn how to make it.

This was even better than the village chef's at the village banquet. The village chef used pork belly, and the texture was indeed not as good as Zhou Yan's version made with pork shoulder.

"Fourth Auntie is convinced already? Let me try." Zhou Jie picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and put it in his mouth. His expression went from shock to intoxication, and finally to amazement. This twice-cooked pork was so fragrant! He couldn't think of any other words to describe it. The meat was tender yet slightly chewy, and how could the garlic sprouts be stir-fried so fragrantly?

The savory aroma with a hint of sweetness created a complex and intoxicating flavor that made you want to shovel rice into your mouth. Zhou Jie picked up his bowl and shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice. The fragrant steamed rice paired with twice-cooked pork was simply divine.

"Zhou Yan, from now on, for any family gathering, you have to make the twice-cooked pork. Grandma can't come!" Zhou Jie looked at Zhou Yan with a serious expression. He would call it the most delicious twice-cooked pork ever! Without a doubt.

"You'll have to tell Grandma that next time," Zhou Yan laughed.

"The pork is so delicious! I want to eat three bowls of rice!" Zhou Momo had already started eating, her cheeks bulging as she chewed the meat, her little head bobbing up and down as she ate with great relish. She was too young to describe how delicious it was. But the meat was very fragrant, better than her mother's, and not as spicy. Zhou Miao and Zhao Hong ate it and praised it repeatedly, saying it was the best twice-cooked pork they had ever eaten.

Zhou Yan was the last to pick up his chopsticks, taking a piece of twice-cooked pork and rolling it up with a garlic sprout—the proper way to eat it. With one bite, his eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully savored the subtle changes in the meat between his lips and teeth. This feeling was very interesting, like reviewing a performance.

The exquisite texture of the pork, the precise knife skills, the perfect cooking time, and the perfect seasonings ultimately created this dish of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, with its superb texture and unique flavor. He did it! Perfect twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, done!