Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 103 Erina's Steak

"Don't just focus on the steak!"

"Not only were the main courses delicious, but the side dishes were also amazing!"

"Onion and wood ear mushroom salad is also delicious! The onions are crisp and refreshing, the wood ear mushrooms are thick and soft, and the tangy and spicy flavors combined are incredibly refreshing!"

"Oh my god! I'm so happy to be able to eat this!"

"I don't feel like the training has been tough these past few days."

"Yeah, boohoo~"

"If I had known I'd be able to eat food like this before I came, I would have trained like crazy these past few days!"

"Delicious! Delicious!"

"Can I have more rice? Every dish is so delicious, so satisfying and perfect with rice! I'd like another bowl of rice!"

"Me too! Please give me another bowl of rice!"

"Me too!"

"I want one too!"

The group of burly men exclaimed in surprise as they ate, their eyes even brightening.

At the food counter, Lin Yu moved swiftly, smiling as he handed out steak sets one by one.

Looking at the scene in the auditorium, Lin Yu couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Sorry! All fifty steak set meals have been delivered!

Lin Yu handed out the fiftieth steak set meal and then loudly reminded the people still queuing behind him.

"Please don't queue anymore! The set meals are all gone!"

A commotion immediately erupted in the crowd.

"What?!"

"there is none left?"

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?!"

"Yeah! How come there aren't any left here? I've been queuing for ages."

"Who isn't!"

"Young chef, could you make a few more? We've all been waiting in line for ages, eagerly anticipating this!"

""

"Yes, yes! Young man, could you make a few more?"

The diners in line were unwilling to give up and began to complain, with some even clamoring for Lin Yu to make a few more servings.

The aroma in the air and the sight of their companions enjoying their food made them even hungrier!

But Lin Yu naturally couldn't agree to their request.

Not to mention the troublesome preparation of the dish itself.

Despite the short time Lin Yu spent, he not only designed a new menu but also made fifty steak set meals.

But this is the speed that Lin Yu can achieve when he is at "full power".

After all, even for him, frying fifty steaks at once is extremely energy-consuming.

In addition, he had already done three "serious" cooking sessions during the day, so he was really exhausted.

At this moment, he was not only thirsty and exhausted, but also weak and sore all over. Even his hands were trembling slightly and he was so weak that he could not even clench his fists.

Moreover...

Lin Yu turned slightly to the side and glanced at the bustling kitchen behind him, and the students moving and working busily between the stoves.

Today's task is to make fifty qualified dishes.

The definition of "fifty portions" certainly includes the element of "served by diners".

If he actually complies with the request and makes more, even just one extra serving, then the students' dishes might be taken one less serving.

What if some unlucky person, just one or two portions short of reaching the fifty-portion mark, is eliminated because of Lin Yu...?

Although Lin Yu wasn't exactly a saint, his moral compass wouldn't allow him to do something that harmed others and didn't benefit himself.

Lin Yu looked at the diners who were still queuing and reluctant to leave, and saw the anticipation on their faces, as well as the restlessness and anxiety caused by their long hunger and waiting.

Lin Yu sighed, suppressing his emotions.

"I'm so sorry!"

Lin Yu gave an apologetic smile to the diners who were still waiting in line.

First of all, thank you all for your support!

"Unfortunately, all the materials I prepared for tonight have been used up, and I'm out of ideas for the time being. I hope you can understand!"

Upon hearing this, the team immediately let out frustrated groans, their faces filled with resentment and disappointment.

"My classmates' dishes should be finished soon! Everyone can look forward to it."

"The food will be ready soon, please be patient."

Hearing Lin Yu's words of comfort, the group quieted down. Everyone suppressed their hunger and restlessness and waited patiently.

"Looks like the diners are getting impatient?"

Lin Yu had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

Lin Yu turned around, and Kiri Erina walked over carrying two trays.

"That makes sense!"

She smiled and glanced at Lin Yu.

"The aroma is so enticing, even I find it makes me hungry. No wonder so many diners get frustrated when they can't get their hands on the food."

"You~"

Lin Yu rolled his eyes at Nakiri Erina in an annoyed tone.

"Knowing I'm upset, you're still making sarcastic remarks!"

"Just tell the truth!"

Erina Nakiri glared back without any politeness.

"I rarely give you genuine compliments, and you're acting all modest?"

"Okay, move aside, move aside, don't stand here in the way!"

Erina Nakiri, carrying a tray, approached the food serving area and shoved Lin Yu aside.

"Are you done?"

Erina Kiri didn't reply to Lin Yu, but instead warmly greeted the diners who were picking up their food.

Seeing Kiri Erina regain her "tsundere" nature, Lin Yu wasn't annoyed. He just quietly leaned to the side, watching Kiri Erina busy herself, her beautiful long hair sticking to her back, the golden ends swaying in the air with her movements.

"Still watching!"

Erina Kiri had naturally noticed Lin Yu's gaze fixed on her back long ago.

Busy delivering food, she didn't want to pay any attention to Lin Yu.

But to her surprise, his gaze became increasingly unrestrained, his burning eyes almost nailing to her back, making her feel as if a knife was pressed against her lower back, making her very uncomfortable.

Feeling like she was being pricked by a thorn in her side, Erina Nakiri trembled all over and turned around to glare fiercely at Lin Yu.

"Damn it, haven't you seen enough?"

"No...it's so beautiful after all..."

""

"you!"

Erina Nakiri was taken aback by Lin Yu's words and stood there stunned, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"You bastard, you're playing tricks on me again..."

'

The next moment, a glint of light seemed to flash in Erina Nakiri's eyes. Her expression was a mixture of shyness and anger, and her cheeks flushed crimson all the way to her ears.

She glared at Lin Yu, said nothing, but kicked him hard in the shin. Then she ignored him, turned and left to continue her work.

Although Erina Nakiri's expression was fierce, Lin Yu felt the force landing on his leg and was not annoyed. Instead, he laughed and then began to serve Erina Nakiri the dishes.

"I don't need your help!"

"Alright, alright, as you command, you spoiled young lady..."

"7

Although he said that, Lin Yu did not stop what he was doing.

Looking at Lin Yu who was doing as he pleased, Erina Nakiri felt a surge of powerless rage. She forced a fierce look into her eyes, even more so than before, and glared at Lin Yu.

But Lin Yu seemed oblivious to her expression, still wearing a carefree grin, continuing to do as he pleased, even greeting guests.

Erina Nakiri sighed in frustration and joined Lin Yu in greeting the queuing customers.

The fifty steak sets prepared by Erina Nakiri were quickly distributed and received unanimous praise from diners.

Hearing the diners' praise, Erina Nakiri's depressed mood immediately improved, and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

Erina Nakiri didn't know why she was acting this way, or rather... why she was happy because of the compliments from some ordinary diners...

You know, if it were her in the past, even if she were praised by "high-level people" such as food critics or well-known chefs in the industry, she wouldn't have been too emotionally affected.

The diners tonight are just a group of students from a sports school.

Despite being someone she used to consider "rough, low-class, tasteless, and someone who had never enjoyed fine dining," this customer unexpectedly brought her a sense of relaxation and joy.

Hearing the diners' praises and seeing the genuine happiness and enjoyment on their faces as they ate with gusto, Erina Kiri felt quite emotional.

It seems...

I seem to have changed myself...

Thinking of this, Erina Kiri's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Lin Yu's back.

snort!

Erina Kiri angrily turned her head to the side.

"It's not because of this annoying guy!"

Erina Kiri gritted her teeth and muttered, "Absolutely impossible!"

But the more she thought about it, the more Lin Yu's image lingered in her mind.

Erina Nakiri closed her eyes, shook her head, and tried to shake the image out of her mind.

But the more she tried to banish it, the clearer Lin Yu's figure became in her mind.

Finally, the "Lin Yu" in his mind even turned around.

Profile, face, smile, eyes...

Lin Yu's figure drew closer and closer.

"No! No!"

Erina Nakiri screamed!

"What's wrong?"

Lin Yu's voice startled Erina Kiri awake.

"Erina?"

"What's wrong? Why is it suddenly acting so strangely?"

When Erina Nakiri opened her eyes and saw the familiar and handsome face so close to her, her heart almost stopped!

"what!"

Erina Nakiri screamed and pushed Lin Yu away.

"No, what exactly happened...?"

'

"Stop talking!"

Before Lin Yu could finish speaking, a panicked Erina stomped on Lin Yu's foot, causing him to gasp in pain.

Lin Yu was about to lose his temper, but when he looked at the proud and beautiful girl in front of him, whose face was full of shyness, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were glistening with tears.

He sighed, pulled his foot out, but ultimately didn't say anything harsh.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you..."

26

Erina Nakiri was both ashamed and angry, and could barely speak, but she still apologized to Lin Yu with a look of remorse in her eyes.

The image in my mind gradually overlapped with the image in reality; their eyes and smiles were exactly the same.

The girl, who was once extremely arrogant, was now no longer the same.

"But please... don't speak..."

'

Seeing Erina Kiri's somewhat disheveled appearance, Lin Yu finally sighed, reached out, and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from the girl's head, tucking it behind her ear.

"Okay, I'm not blaming you..."

"9

"oh...

'

Erina Kiri bowed her head and responded, then handed over a dish.

"You let me try your food, so you can try mine too."

"OK!"

Lin Yu smiled and accepted the dish from Erina Kiri. "Since it's Erina's thoughtfulness, I'm flattered to accept it!"

"You're so... talkative!"

Under Erina Nakiri's expectant gaze, Lin Yu picked up a piece of golden, oily steak and put it in his mouth.

"It smells so good!"

"Such a rich, oily aroma!"

After chewing a few bites, Lin Yu's eyes lit up.

Lin Yu felt a sense of familiarity with Erina Nakiri's cooking, as it was similar to the experimental dish he had made at noon that day.

However, due to time and quantity constraints, Kiri Erina was unable to process the beef using the same meticulous and complex methods as at noon.

Erina Nakiri likely made fine cuts on the ribeye steak she selected, and then marinated it with a blend of spices.

Like Lin Yu, Erina Nakiri also chose to use a massage technique to make the beef more tender and allow the marinade to penetrate better.

Then, Erina Nakiri apparently used an astonishing amount of chopped onions to completely bury the steak in the onion mixture for further marinating.

The substances in onions can make beef more tender and create a fresh and aromatic base for the beef.

"That's a brilliant idea!"

Lin Yu, having carefully considered this step, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

After marinating the ribeye steak, pan-fry it in fragrant olive oil.

Thanks to the full Maillard reaction, the steak was seared to a beautiful amber color, with an enticing aroma.

The steak, seared until golden brown, is then sprinkled a second time with a secret blend of spices.

In addition, there is rosemary, chopped onion, sage, smoked garlic flakes, herb butter, cinnamon powder, and honey.

The steak is wrapped with various ingredients, then sealed in aluminum foil and placed in the oven to bake slowly over low heat.

This approach, while not as cumbersome or focused on perfection as the lunchtime method, is still effective.

However, it can still bring out the full potential of ribeye steak (with its even fat distribution, juicy texture, and rich fat aroma) while maintaining efficiency.

Lin Yu nodded approvingly, picked up another piece of steak and put it in his mouth, chewing it heartily.

The marinated steak is very flavorful, with both the deep and complex aroma of the secret spices and the freshness of fresh onions.

In addition, the addition of a topping wrapped in aluminum foil during grilling makes the steak even more flavorful and layered.

One moment it climbs to the mountain peak, the next it plunges into the deep sea, and then it seems to rise from the sea again, soaring straight into the clouds.

Yes, as the beef gradually revealed its flavors in his mouth, Lin Yu's experience was truly magical.

Not only the steak, but also the sauce drizzled on it, were meticulously prepared by Erina Nakiri.

Don't throw away the chopped onions from marinating the beef. Mix olive oil and butter in a pan, and once the oil is hot, pour in the chopped onions and sauté continuously.

Keep the heat high throughout the process, stirring constantly.

The process is only partially complete when the onions are fried until they turn a deep, dark brown color, releasing a rich, smoky aroma.

Only then can you adjust the heat to medium, pour in half a bottle of red wine, add a little spice and soy sauce and other seasonings, and simmer continuously.

The process continues until the water in the red wine evaporates and the liquid becomes viscous, thus fully concentrating the wine's flavor.

Meanwhile, the onions were also cooked until they completely melted under the continuous heat.

The melted onion puree was mixed with thick red wine and stirred constantly, initially creating a rich, [unclear] flavor.

The sauce has a silky smooth texture.

"but!"

A glint of light flashed in Lin Yu's eyes.

This dish...

To be precise, the marinating of the steak and the cooking of the sauce involve much more than just that...