1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 256 Are you afraid of the pork being too painful? (6.2k words combined)

I'm definitely not available on Wednesdays; it's during regular business hours.

But since Director Chen extended an invitation, Zhou Yan guessed that the guest must be someone special.

Furthermore, it triggered a side quest.

Putting everything else aside, the rewards have never disappointed him.

Zhou Yan hesitated for three seconds before asking, "Noon or evening?"

"That dinner tonight," Chen Ming said.

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded: "Alright, I'll definitely go since Director Chen invited me. I'll post a notice in advance so that the guests don't make a wasted trip."

Chen Ming glanced at the customers queuing at the door and said somewhat apologetically, "Is business this good even at night? I'm sorry to have interrupted your business."

Zhou Yan shook his head: "It won't delay me. Being able to cook for the leaders is also a kind of experience for me."

"Okay, I'll have Xiao Lin contact you later." Chen Ming nodded in satisfaction.

"Lin Qing, Master Zhou, I'll contact you later." A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes said, extending his hand to Zhou Yan.

"Okay, I'll contact you later." Zhou Yan shook hands with him.

"Then you go ahead and get busy, so as not to delay the workers' meals," Chen Ming said, leading everyone out.

"Take care, everyone," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Your cooking skills are getting better and better." Wang Hongliang patted Zhou Yan's arm and left with a smile. It was clear that Director Chen and the others were very satisfied with their meal today.

"The textile factory workers are really lucky to have such a good restaurant right at the factory gate," Chen Ming said with a smile as he looked at Wang Hongliang who had followed him up. "Do you know who I'm thinking of? Master Kong Huaifeng, the former head chef of Leming Restaurant. When entertaining higher-ups, they would always specifically request him to be in charge of cooking, and the leaders were always very satisfied with the food."

“Zhou Yan is Kong Huaifeng’s grand-disciple. His master, Xiao Lei, was Kong Huaifeng’s last disciple. He is a true disciple of the Kong school,” Wang Hongliang said.

"Really?" Chen Ming was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. "Then why not transfer him to Leming Hotel? Since Kong Qingfeng retired, the food at Leming Hotel has become rather ordinary, and there's no chef who can hold his own."

Wang Hongliang shook his head with a smile: "Director Chen, the private economy is booming now. Although Zhou Yan's restaurant is small, it is very popular. Even if Leming Restaurant wants to hire him, I'm afraid Zhou Yan may not be willing to go. The state-owned restaurant can't offer him a salary that matches his income."

“That’s right. This young man is not only an excellent cook, but also very good at running a restaurant.” Chen Ming glanced at the customers queuing outside and nodded with a smile. “Come on, let’s go take a look around the workshop and see how to plan and arrange the new production lines, as well as how to arrange your production plan for next year.”

“Great!” Wang Hongliang’s eyes lit up. “We plan to import advanced production lines from abroad…”

……

Under Director Wang's guidance, the twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens became a very popular dish.

The once highly sought-after twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts has suddenly become a thing of the past, with few people interested in it anymore.

Zhou Yan had anticipated this and didn't care.

This is actually his way of compensating customers for the fact that meat prices have dropped but the prices of dishes have not been lowered accordingly.

A serving of twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens has a very limited cost increase from the pickled mustard greens, less than five cents.

But the emotional value it brings to guests goes far beyond that.

The twice-cooked pork became even more appetizing, and the flavor of the bean sprouts was also loved by most customers.

Of course, there were also customers who didn't like the bean sprouts and just wanted to eat pure garlic sprout twice-cooked pork, so we still sold two portions at noon.

"Zhou Erwa Restaurant is so great! Boss Zhou introduces new dishes almost every week! Every single one is just what I want to eat."

"Young people learn quickly, making new dishes one after another, unlike some old chefs who stick to just a few dishes for their whole lives."

The guests enjoyed the meal and couldn't help but offer a few words of praise.

"Here, Auntie will add another bowl of soup for you." Aunt Zhao smiled and picked up the guest's earthenware bowl, adding a bowl of beef soup.

That's a good compliment, she likes to hear it, and it touched her heart.

Zhou Erwa Restaurant is now truly on the right track; customers are satisfied with their meals, and they're making money too.

Xia Yao and Wang Wei have become good friends, and they eat lunch together.

Xia Yao spent the whole morning drawing blueprints, which delayed her getting off work. Wang Wei waited for her for a while, and when she came out, she could only wait in line for the second round.

The two sat down and ordered a plate of twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens, as well as a platter of braised vegetables.

"You seem really busy lately. Did the interns assign you so much work?" Wang Wei looked at Xia Yao, puzzled but also a little worried. "You look a bit haggard."

"I've been staying up late drawing these past two days, and I'm also learning fashion design from the teachers in the design department, so I've been quite busy," Xia Yao said with a smile. "But it's not too bad, it's quite interesting. I've learned new knowledge and skills, and I feel like I'll be able to get started with fashion design very soon."

"You're amazing! You're excellent and hardworking. I think I should learn from you," Wang Wei said earnestly, looking at her.

Xia Yao looked at her and said earnestly, "Sister Wang Wei, you're great too. They all told me you're so brave. You were the one who took down the big bastard in the factory canteen. Everyone says the food in the factory canteen tastes better now, all thanks to you."

"That's nothing. I just can't stand the dirty things they do, turning the factory canteen into a mess. Now the factory canteen's monthly expenses have been reduced by a third, but the workers' meals are obviously much better than before. I'm quite happy about that, since I eat two meals a day at the factory canteen." Wang Wei's lips curled up, unable to suppress it.

As they were talking, their dishes were served.

Twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens, topped with chopped pickled mustard greens that gleam with an oily sheen.

"It looks amazing! Braised pork belly with pickled mustard greens is so delicious, this twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens should be delicious too," Xia Yao said.

"Try it." Wang Wei couldn't wait to pick up a piece of twice-cooked pork, roll it up with pickled mustard greens and garlic sprouts, and put it in her mouth. After chewing it, her eyes lit up.

The bean sprouts are very fragrant, having absorbed all the oil from the twice-cooked pork. They are crisp and tender, and when combined with the soft and glutinous twice-cooked pork, they are a match made in heaven, oily but not greasy.

The garlic sprouts sandwiched inside give it a special fragrance, and you can immediately follow up with a bite of soft and sweet steamed rice after swallowing it.

Comfortable!

"Delicious! It's even more fragrant and goes better with rice than twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts. I love pickled mustard greens! Back when I was in school, there was a Yibin-style spicy noodle shop near the back gate of the school, and I loved it so much!" Wang Wei exclaimed. "I think Zhou Yan is a genius! How can he learn so many delicious dishes? It's incredible."

"Perhaps, he's been working very hard learning and experimenting in places we can't see. After all, cooking skills aren't something you can develop overnight," Xia Yao said with a smile. She took a bite and was quite surprised. "Mmm, it smells so good! The twice-cooked pork doesn't feel so greasy anymore."

Wang Wei nodded in agreement: "You're right. He's only been learning to cook for less than three years. After being fired, he opened this restaurant. The dishes he made at the beginning were really awful. Later, he tore up the entire menu and started making noodles. Every dish he introduced was a pleasant surprise. You can imagine how much hardship he endured and how much effort he put in behind the scenes."

The two sighed softly, suddenly feeling a little sorry for Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan knew nothing in the kitchen, after all, he had never experienced the hardship of learning to cook.

There is nothing difficult in the world, just give up.

He has temporarily put the fish-flavored tofu project on hold because he has been too busy lately and has no spare time to research this new dish.

I've been making Yu Xiang Tofu occasionally lately, and the reviews are stuck at the "good" level; I haven't been able to break through yet.

Zhou Yan plans to seek advice from his elders at the next Kong School exchange meeting to find out the core secrets of making fish-flavored tofu.

Although they are both tofu, fish-flavored tofu and mapo tofu are completely different.

Trying to figure out a recipe yourself is definitely not that simple.

Isn't that how sects use it? If you just keep your head down and figure it out, how are you any different from a rogue cultivator?

After the business closed at noon, Zhou Yan took off her apron and came out, picked up the two teapots on the counter, poured herself a large cup, and then gulped it down in one go.

This is a new enamel mug with the words "Heroic Acts Are Glorious" printed on it. It was a prize that came with the last commendation.

Zhou Yan has been drinking water from this cup lately, and the water seems sweeter to her.

If Zhou Yan weren't still too young, she would be taking this water cup to the park to play chess with the old men.

Oh, right, Comrade Zhou recently took another cup fishing.

"You're going to the city to help with cooking on Wednesday? Does that mean you won't be open for business that day?" Aunt Zhao walked over and asked him.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "We'll be open as usual at noon, and I'll go up in the afternoon to prepare dinner. We'll only sell takeaway braised pork in the evening, and we won't sell braised beef anymore. That way, you can have a half-day off."

“Okay.” Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile. “Then I’ll go play mahjong for half a day.”

Comrade Zhou smiled and said, "That's fine too. Many customers like to take some braised dishes home to go with their drinks. I need to do my job well."

"Then I'm going out to learn a trade." Zhou Yan wrapped the kitchen knife up, put it in a cloth bag, and pushed his bicycle out the door.

He accepted Chen Ming's invitation partly to pave the way for his trip to Jiaozhou.

He would rarely have the opportunity to meet cadres of this rank unless Director Wang brought him to dinner.

When I arrived in Jiaozhou, I was unfamiliar with the place and the people. But since I knew some people there, I wouldn't be bullied.

Once the house is built and the restaurant opens in Jiaozhou, we'll have to consider Zhou Momo's schooling.

He still has a lot to learn about interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

After all, he was no longer alone in this life, and he had to take these things into consideration so that his family could live a better life.

Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou had lived in the village for half their lives; they never imagined such things.

Zhou Yan rode his bicycle into town and soon found Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang dividing meat on a dam.

"Master, are you slaughtering a pig?" Zhou Yan pulled the car over to the side of the road, locked it, and walked forward with a smile.

"Want to give it a try?" Xiao Lei looked at him and handed him the handle of the boning knife. "In the master chef exam, if you draw roast suckling pig, you have to start from slaughtering the pig."

Zhou Yan glanced at the half-pig on the table, and without hesitation took the knife. "I've never slaughtered a pig before, Master. You need to give me some pointers."

"Put the ribs in first, then cut the knife from here, following the ribs..." Xiao Lei instructed from the side.

Zhou Yan had never slaughtered a pig, but he had watched his father slaughter cattle since he was a child, and he also had good knife skills. So he was able to cut exactly where Xiao Lei pointed and clearly divide the half of the pork.

Ribs, pork fat, pork belly, pork hock, and other cuts of meat were laid out one by one.

"Okay, I didn't embarrass you, old man," Xiao Lei nodded.

"This pork is perfect, not too fatty, not too lean," Zhou Yan said with a smile. These days, local pigs are fed only pig feed and bran, so the quality of the meat is beyond question. "Master Zhou, is this also a family recipe? You've cut meat better than me on your first try!" Zheng Qiang, who had also finished cutting the other side of the pork, came over and felt humiliated when he saw Zhou Yan's cut.

Xiao Lei comforted him, "It's alright, Master Zheng. It's just a pig. We still have a lot to learn. Later, we'll have Master Zhou teach us how to make salted braised pork belly."

“Exactly! Please give me your guidance, Master Zhou.” Zheng Qiang nodded in agreement, his smile gradually turning sinister.

Zhou Yan: ...

Their cooking skills are questionable, but when it comes to being sarcastic and unconventional, the Kong school is probably the best in the world.

Xiao Lei patted the cut pork belly and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Come on, let's start with braised pork belly today. Master Zhou, you'll make the braised pork belly today, and we'll assist you and learn from you."

“Since you’ve asked so sincerely, I can’t keep it from you.” Zhou Yan coughed lightly and said, “Come on, Xiao Zheng, first cut this piece of meat into strips two inches wide, put it in the pot to scald the skin, and clean off the hair.”

"Okay!" Zheng Qiang responded, made a few cuts with his knife to separate the pork belly, and then went to the side to light a fire and start scalding the skin.

"Teacher Zhou, what should I do then?" Xiao Lei asked with a smile.

"You should prepare the bean sprouts, wash them three times with well water to remove the salt and mud, and then prepare the other ingredients," Zhou Yan said.

"Okay, then you have to give me some pointers. I feel that the flavor you've mixed is a little different from mine. Can you take a look and see where the problem is?" Xiao Lei nodded and started working.

Zhou Yan walked to the side with his hands behind his back and watched.

Zheng Qiang put the prepared pork belly into a pot of hot water to boil, then took it out and set it aside to cool.

"Claws? Do you think my meat can color itself? Hurry up and rub the salty red soy sauce onto the skin while it's still hot! That way, the skin will have a nice color when it's fried, and the flavor will penetrate better." Zhou Yan's voice rose a few decibels.

"Huh? This step is a little different. We usually wait for it to cool down a bit before applying the soy sauce." Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang were a little surprised, but without any hesitation, they scooped up some salty red soy sauce and started applying it to the pork skin.

After coloring the meat, put oil in the pan and start frying it.

Zhou Yan didn't have much to say about this step.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang did a very good job; the fried pork skin was a deep red tiger-skin pattern, and its appearance and color were quite beautiful.

"Hey! Apply soy sauce while it's hot, and the fried tiger skin will have a much better color!" Xiao Lei nodded repeatedly as he looked at the bright red tiger skin.

Put the fried pork into hot water.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang each took a cutting board and began cutting meat.

Two inches long, one and two-tenths inches wide, and one-tenth of an inch thick, it was a perfectly standard long strip, with uniform thickness and impeccable quality.

In terms of knife skills, both of them are far superior to Zhou Yan.

The knife skills honed by frontline chefs through daily practice are absolutely genuine.

Place the sliced ​​meat at the bottom of the earthenware bowl, and then start seasoning.

Salt, dark soy sauce, pickled peppers...

"Wait a minute!" Zhou Yan said, taking the spoon and smelling it. "Master, you added salty red soy sauce again? I added sweet red soy sauce this time, so there's no need to add caramel coloring separately. The taste will be more refreshing."

"You're adding sweet red soy sauce? Which brand do you use?" Xiao Lei asked, looking at him.

Zhou Yan said, "The salty red soy sauce is from Tangchang Town in Pixian County. The salty red soy sauce produced here has a rich flavor and color, and is perfect for making salty braised pork belly."

Zhou Yan picked up a chopstick, dipped the tip in some salty red soy sauce, tasted it carefully, and shook his head, saying, "It's a bit too salty. If the color is too full, it will be too salty. If the taste is right, the color will be a bit off. Next time I'll take you to buy the kind I use, which is just right."

"Okay." Xiao Lei nodded, poured sweet red soy sauce into the bowl, and the braised pork belly in the bowl was dyed a bright red color.

Top with bean sprouts, and half the dish of braised pork belly is done.

"You really are a genius. You even grasped such a subtle adjustment," Xiao Lei said, looking at Zhou Yan.

"So reading more books is beneficial. It is clearly recorded in the Sichuan Cuisine Manual that the second dish is served with sweet red soy sauce," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Teacher Zhou, let me borrow it to study later," Xiao Lei said.

"Teacher Zhou, I need to make a copy," Zheng Qiang said.

"Yes, yes." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

The three of them worked together and soon arranged thirty bowls of salted braised pork belly in the steamer.

"What do you want to learn today?" Xiao Lei asked Zhou Yan.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yan said, "I want to learn how to make steamed pork with rice flour. Right now, the shop only has one steamed dish: braised pork belly with pickled mustard greens. The steamer is just sitting empty anyway, so I want to learn a few more steamed dishes."

“Okay, let’s make steamed pork with rice flour first. This dish is similar to braised pork belly, but the steps are not as complicated. As long as you get the seasoning right, it’s very simple,” Xiao Lei said, picking up a bag of rice flour from the side and spreading a small handful in his palm. “Look, this rice flour is made by mixing rice and glutinous rice in a 3:1 ratio, frying it until golden brown, letting it cool, and then grinding it into coarse powder using a coarse-toothed stone mill. I prepared this at home beforehand. If you can’t do it well, I’ll come over and teach you next time.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yan poured the small amount of rice flour from his master’s hand into his own, observed the size of the grains, and got a rough idea of ​​what it was.

"The hair must be removed, and then the meat should be cut into slices that are three inches long and one and two-tenths inches wide, roughly this width."

"Then let's make a marinade. Finely chop Sichuan peppercorns and scallion leaves, and mix them with salty dark soy sauce, soy sauce, fermented rice wine, fermented bean curd juice, brown sugar, rapeseed oil, and fresh broth. Stir them well until they reach a slightly viscous consistency. Then add the sliced ​​meat and stir well to ensure even coloring."

"The marinating step is crucial; it's the key to seasoning the steamed pork. Then, add the rice flour. For this serving, use about 1.4 taels of rice flour. Stir well so that every piece of meat is coated with rice flour. The standard is when the coating doesn't drip."

"Then lay the slices of meat one by one in the earthenware bowl, with the skin down and the lean meat up, and place one slice on each side. It looks like a 'book,' which is the same way as the salted braised pork belly."

"As for the choice of fillings, it generally depends on the season. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, and peas are all acceptable. The old pumpkins I've been using recently have been stored for more than a month and are very sweet. After steaming, they are tender, sweet, and delicious. I always use pumpkins."

Xiao Lei taught while also providing hands-on practice.

Zhou Yan took out her notebook and scribbled down notes, not daring to miss a single one.

This steamed pork looks delicious.

He also loves steamed pork with pumpkin as a base; the sweetness of the old pumpkins this season is something city dwellers can't quite describe.

Why do roasted sweet potatoes taste best in winter?

Because after being dug up and left for a period of time, the sweet potatoes will gradually accumulate sugar and become sweeter and sweeter, just like they have been coated with molasses.

After making three bowls, Xiao Lei immediately let Zhou Yan start working, while he provided guidance from the side.

For Zhou Yan, the main difficulty in making steamed pork with rice flour lies in the seasoning.

The seasonings used were so abundant; he really hadn't expected fermented rice wine and fermented bean curd juice. He was very careful with the proportions, striving for precision.

After all, Zhou Yan was practicing with the steamed pork that would be served at the banquet the next day, so he was highly focused and dared not tarnish his master's reputation.

"Put less salt! Good heavens, who are you trying to kill with all that salt?"

"Use more force when you stir! Are you afraid the pork will hurt?"

"Cut the pumpkin like this so it's evenly sized; you're cutting it the wrong way!"

Teacher Xiao's voice gradually became irritable.

Zheng Qiang had already gone to the side to work on the inlaying of bowls, afraid of being affected.

Fortunately, Zhou Yan was thick-skinned. He immediately corrected his mistakes after being scolded and made sure not to repeat them. He meticulously refined the details and determined the amount of each seasoning.

It must be said that the master is quite skilled in teaching.

After making more than twenty bowls of steamed pork with rice flour, Zhou Yan stopped being scolded by the last few bowls.

Xiao Lei nodded and said, "Okay, the seasoning is fine now. Go back and figure it out slowly, adjust it gradually. That feeling of just the right amount can't be taught; you have to figure it out yourself."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master!" Zhou Yan grinned. "And the steaming time?"

"Steam for two hours, just like braised pork belly," Xiao Lei said.

“Okay!” Zhou Yan nodded, glanced at the time, it was already four o’clock, and said, “Master, I’ll go back first then, and I’ll come back to learn from you again next time.”

"Go ahead, it won't interfere with your shop's business." Xiao Lei nodded.

"Let's go, Senior Brother Zheng." Zhou Yan said goodbye to Zheng Qiang.

"Come inspect our work again next time, Teacher Zhou," Zheng Qiang replied.

Zhou Yan went to the town's post office and mailed the letter Zhou Momo wrote to Duan Yuyan along with the drawing.

You can send ordinary letters from Hong Kong for 80 cents a letter, which isn't too expensive.

Back at the hotel, I sat behind the counter and wrote down my thoughts on today's steamed pork with rice flour.

A bad pen is worse than a good memory. This dish has a rather complicated seasoning process, and Zhou Yan has already asked his master where to buy all the various seasonings.

Steamed dishes are the main course at the "baba banquet" (a traditional Sichuan banquet), and the status of "three steamed dishes and nine braised dishes" in Sichuan cuisine is self-evident.

One dish of braised pork belly is definitely not enough; he needs to master steamed pork with rice flour as soon as possible so that he can enrich his steamed dish repertoire.

……

Meng Anhe didn't get home until it was dark.

Lin Zhiqiang followed him in carrying a large bag and closed the door behind him.

"Are the babies all asleep?" Meng Anhe asked.

"I just fell asleep. I didn't know you were coming back tonight, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have been able to sleep," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

“I’m so tired today, I don’t want to hear them calling me ‘Mommy, Mommy’ all the time.” Meng Anhe walked to a chair and sat down, letting out a long sigh. “The Jiaozhou project has finally passed the inspection, I can rest for a few days now.”

"You've worked hard." Lin Zhiqiang poured her a glass of water and handed it to her, then went behind the chair to massage her shoulders. "The other day, thanks to Yao Yao for helping take care of the two kids, they were very happy. They went to Zhou Yan's place every morning to eat for free, and today they were even telling me how delicious the meat buns Zhou Yan made were."

"Eating for free?" Meng Anhe put down her cup, her expression somewhat serious. "You didn't pay? How can you do this? No matter how close you are to Zhou Yan, you can't do this."

　There will be another update later, but it might be a bit late. You can check it out tomorrow.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)