1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 48 Comrade Xiao Zhou is Highly Skilled (Second Update!)

Wang Hongliang is a gourmet and a chef, and he always has high standards.

The freshly served stir-fried beef with two kinds of peppers is absolutely perfect in terms of appearance.

The beef is minced but not mushy, with distinct grains. Half of the beef is green and red, creating a vibrant and bright color contrast. The beef is glistening with oil, and the aroma of meat and spiciness wafts over you, making you want to swallow your saliva.

"smell good!"

Even the children playing nearby were drawn to the smell, sniffing the air as they climbed back onto their stools.

"This was made by my pot-pot, it's super delicious!" Zhou Momo said proudly.

"Let me try it first." Wang Hongliang scooped half a spoonful of minced beef into the bowl, then used his own spoon to scoop some into his mouth and savored it.

The beef is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a slightly chewy texture. The spiciness of the red pepper, the freshness of the green pepper, a slight numbing sensation, and an exquisite aroma collide on the tip of the tongue, blending together perfectly.

The more Wang Hongliang chewed, the brighter his eyes became, and he couldn't hide his amazement.

In Suji, there is a village called Zhoucun where cattle are slaughtered. Beef is not a rare ingredient, and Wang Hongliang knows all the ways to cook beef. Shredded beef is one of his favorite dishes.

But he must admit that he can't do it that perfectly.

The key to good ground beef is the cooking time. If the ground beef is too small (like a grain of rice) and not cooked long enough, it won't be fragrant. If it's overcooked, it will become tough and dry.

It seems simple, but it is actually extremely difficult.

The green and red peppers were stir-fried until the moisture evaporated, and the fresh and spicy flavor was infused into the beef. The whole dish looks clean and refreshing, and tastes spicy and fragrant.

"It's really good, even better than the shredded beef at Rongleyuan."

Wang Hongliang put down his spoon and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Rongleyuan was founded in 1911 and is recognized in the industry as the "Whampoa Military Academy of Sichuan Cuisine". It has a gathering of top-level and first-level chefs, and the dishes are top-notch.

Every time Wang Hongliang went to eat there, he did so with a learning mindset, and he even became friends with several of the experienced chefs.

This evaluation represents his highest praise.

"It's rare to see you praise a dish like that." Li Meilin was a little surprised. She knew her husband all too well. When he encountered a chef whose skill level was not as good as his, he liked to act like an expert and give some pointers.

"Try it, I certainly can't cook it to this standard." Wang Hongliang smiled and scooped a spoonful into her bowl. "Eat it with a spoon, you have to eat the chili and beef together for the best flavor."

Li Meilin took a bite and nodded, saying, "It's not bad. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, spicy but not too pungent, and very fragrant. It'll definitely go well with rice. However, yours is also quite delicious. I think it's no worse than this."

“We need to be realistic and face up to the gap,” Wang Hongliang said with a smile, but he was still happy to hear his wife say that.

Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe exchanged a glance, their lips curving slightly upward. Since the factory director and his wife both agreed, there was no problem with the meal.

Lin Zhiqiang opened the Wuliangye liquor he had brought, poured one for Wang Hongliang first, and then poured one for himself as well.

As they were talking, the braised beef with dried bamboo shoots and the braised pork ribs were served.

"Here, this isn't spicy, Hao Hao, try one first." Li Meilin picked up a piece of braised pork rib for Wang Hao.

Wang Hao picked up his chopsticks, struggled to pick up a rib, took a bite, and his expression immediately lit up.

The ribs were so delicious!
It's soft and chewy, and comes off the bone with a gentle bite, making it easy to eat.

In no time, he finished a rib, even sucking on the bone a couple of times. Then he turned to look at Zhou Momo, asking with a look of shock and envy, "This... was made by your brother?"

“Of course,” Zhou Momo nodded.

"Your brother is amazing! These ribs are so delicious!" Wang Hao exclaimed enviously, "They're even better than my grandpa's!"

"I'll try it."

"I also want."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen could no longer resist and each picked up a piece of pork rib and began to gnaw on it.

"Wow! It smells so good, and it tastes so delicious!"

"Dad, do you often come here to eat alone?"

The two of them ate with great relish, while Lin Jingxing began to have doubts about his father.

"That's nonsense, don't talk nonsense." Lin Zhiqiang refused to admit to taking all the food for himself.

"Momo, why don't you sit down and eat with us?" Meng Anhe looked at Zhou Momo with a smile.

“Yes, come up and eat with us. Look how much the brothers are enjoying their food,” Li Meilin said. This little girl was just too adorable.

"Auntie, Grandma, you eat first, I'm not hungry," Zhou Momo said obediently, no longer standing by watching, but turning around and running to the kitchen to watch over the stove.

"This little girl is so well-behaved," Li Meilin said with a smile. "Yes, she's so cute," Meng Anhe nodded in agreement.

Braised pork ribs became the children's favorite, while Wang Hongliang picked up a piece of dried bamboo shoot and fed it to them.

The dried bamboo shoots soaked up the rich meat broth, with a slightly crisp texture. The more you chewed, the more fragrant they became, and he nodded repeatedly as he ate them.

Dried bamboo shoots absorb flavor better than fresh bamboo shoots. The broth is incredibly delicious, thick yet not greasy, and the seasoning is just right.

He then tried a piece of beef, brisket with some tendons, which tastes best when cooked.

The rich broth permeates the beef, making the lean meat tender yet firm, and the tendons soft and chewy. With each bite, the juices burst in your mouth, highlighting its fresh and savory flavor!
"This braised beef with dried bamboo shoots is absolutely perfect. The beef is stewed to perfection, and the dried bamboo shoots are even more fragrant than the meat. The seasoning is superb." Wang Hongliang raised his glass, clinked it with Lin Zhiqiang's, and took a sip of wine. "With these two signature dishes, this restaurant can stay in business."

"We still have three dishes to try," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"Be careful, the braised beef is here." Zhao Tieying brought up two bowls of braised beef, reminded the children to be careful, and carefully put the soup down. She smiled and said, "If you need more soup or dipping sauce, just ask. We can add more."

"Okay." Wang Hongliang nodded, took the small bowl and ladled out half a bowl of soup.

Zhoucun's hot pot has always been quite famous in Suji.

Wang Hongliang had eaten there a few times, but his impression of each time was not very good.

Clear broth is harder to make than spicy broth. If you add beef offal with a strong gamey smell to the broth and can't mask the flavor, the broth will be ruined.

The butchers who sell soup pots at their stalls are too rough in their work. Only the laborers at the docks eat there because the prices are affordable.

The soup was very clear, and the rich aroma of beef bones simmered for a long time wafted up with the steam, with almost no gamey smell.

I took a spoonful of the soup.

Wang Hongliang raised an eyebrow.

fresh!
The soup, freshly drawn from the boiling pot, was piping hot and incredibly flavorful.

There was no strange taste at all; the aroma of the spices was very subtle, perfectly complementing the meat's fragrance and enhancing its freshness.

Upon closer inspection, one can detect a subtle aftertaste of Chinese herbs, which is also a very light flavor. Intertwined with spices, it highlights the word "fresh"!
Wang Hongliang blew on the soup, then drank it all in two gulps, let out a long sigh of relief, and exclaimed in admiration:

"So fresh! My eyebrows have fallen out from all the freshness!"

As he spoke, he ladled half a bowl of soup for Li Meilin as well, saying, "Try it."

"Is it really that fresh?" Li Meilin picked up a spoon, blew on it, took a bite, and her eyes lit up. "It's really fresh! This soup pot is completely different from the Zhoucun soup pot I've had before."

"That's why people call it 'Qiaojiao Beef,' not 'Soup Pot,'" Wang Hongliang laughed, then tasted all the beef, tripe, tendon, and intestines in his bowl.

"The beef slices are large, thin, and tender, cooked to perfection. The tripe is crisp and chewy, the tendon is soft and chewy, and the beef intestines are tender and juicy. Paired with this dry dipping sauce, the taste is simply unbeatable." Wang Hongliang pointed to the dry dipping sauce and said, "This dry dipping sauce is exceptionally well-made, with a perfect balance of spiciness, saltiness, and aroma. It's the finishing touch to this 'Qiaojiao Beef' dish."

"Comrade Xiao Zhou is highly skilled. This beef soup with 'Qiaojiao' is delicious and suitable for all ages. It might become a famous dish in Suzhou in the future."

"Yes, that's possible." Lin Zhiqiang nodded in agreement.

The three children were engrossed in drinking their soup, clearly enjoying it immensely.

Many customers were paying attention to this place, and upon hearing this, someone immediately ordered an extra serving of "Qiaojiao Beef" (a type of beef dish), wanting to try what the "Qiaojiao Beef," which the factory manager himself praised, tasted like.

Aunt Zhao listened intently, her lips curving into a smile that never faded. Zhou Yan was such a promising child; it made her feel proud and happy.

"Come on, let's serve the braised crucian carp with agastache." Zhou Yan brought out the braised crucian carp with agastache, the grand finale of the dish, and Zhao Hong moved the dishes on the table and placed them in the center.

Many guests turned their attention to this dish, and now it was the factory manager's table that ordered it.

Whether a serving costs two yuan is worth the price is something everyone is curious about.

Sichuan people love to eat fish and are also good at cooking it. There are many ways to cook fish, such as steaming, braising, boiling, dry-frying, and cold-dressing.

But to cook fish well, the chef's skills are quite demanding.

Zhou Yan's braised crucian carp with patchouli looks really good.

A thick broth is poured over the golden-brown fried crucian carp, garnished with pickled peppers, pickled cowpeas, pickled ginger, and mint. The sauce looks impressive, and the subtle sour and spicy aroma makes many people's mouths water.

This is the taste... but we'll have to wait for the old factory manager to try it first.

The old factory director is knowledgeable and discerning; if he says everything is good, then it must be true.

"Xiao Zhou, each dish you make surprises me more and more." Wang Hongliang looked at Zhou Yan with a smile and said, "Let me try your braised crucian carp with mint. I've had this dish made by a top chef at Rongcheng Restaurant before."

"Please go ahead," Zhou Yan said with a confident smile.

Whether the twenty crucian carp we prepared today can be sold depends on the factory manager's evaluation.
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(End of this chapter)