I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

"After the first two rounds, the total scores of the three contestants are very close, so this last dish will determine their final result."

"The rules for this final round are simple: the total cost of ingredients cannot exceed 10 yuan, and there are no restrictions on the type of ingredients or the cooking method. The final score will be determined by three judges, combined with the average score from the first two rounds. The contestant with the highest total score will be the champion of this year's Culinary Master Competition!"

"One hour limited, starting now!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the three contestants walked towards the ingredient area.

Then something completely unexpected happened.

All three of them chose the same ingredient without prior agreement—winter melon.

"What's going on? All three of them chose winter melon. Was this pre-arranged?"

"No way, are all three of them planning to make the same dish?"

"If you choose the same main ingredient and make the same dish, it'll be quite a show if you end up making the worst-tasting one."

"Chef Fang Guoping only launched vegetarian braised pork at Hefeng Xiyu a little over a month ago, so choosing winter melon isn't surprising at all. Zhou Yun is the head chef at Suxinzhai, a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian food and has won numerous awards for it, so choosing winter melon is normal. As for that Shaxian restaurant owner, I'm a bit confused. Does he also want to make vegetarian braised pork? Or is he planning to make something else?"

"Don't even mention it, it would be interesting if all three of them made vegetarian braised pork."

"..."

The judges and the audience were surprised that the three of them chose the same main ingredient so coincidentally. Although it was a bit unexpected, on second thought, it did increase the excitement and pressure.

Just like the audience said, when making the same food, whoever makes it worse is the one who feels embarrassed.

Yu Shen and the others lost interest the moment they saw Li Zhibai pick up the winter melon.

This is boring; it's bound to be a one-sided victory.

"The game was over the moment Li Heizi picked up the winter melon."

"So, is there any point in continuing this match?"

"That's all."

"I also think that's all, let's just give out the awards."

"I suggest the other two contestants withdraw so as to avoid wasting winter melon. After all, food is hard-earned and grown by farmers."

Several audience members sitting nearby scoffed when they heard their arrogant conversation.

"I have to say, you guys, number 33's friends and family, are really bragging a lot! Do you really think you're judges?"

"It's like number 33 has already won."

"Chef Fang has won the gold medal in the East China Culinary Competition. I think he can win. I've tried his vegetarian braised pork before, and it's really delicious."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shen turned and glanced at the person who had said it was delicious: "Delicious? How delicious?"

"Last time I ate Chef Fang's braised pork, I ate three big bowls of rice with it. Wasn't that delicious enough?" the man said.

Yu Shen was even more disdainful: "Last time I ate the braised pork made by contestant number 33, I ate a whole pot of it."

Pang Yi and the others nodded: "Yes! We all eat from the same pot."

A bystander: "..."

A basin! Why don't you just say a bucket?

They're all such braggarts!

............

Fang Guoping took the winter melon back to his stove and began to process it.

Peeling, cutting into chunks, blanching... Judging from her skill level, she's clearly done this many times before; it's a piece of cake for her.

Furthermore, all his ingredients are the standard ones for making braised pork, such as rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and a small bottle of his own secret sauce.

Just as he finished preparing the winter melon and was about to move on to the next step, he noticed that Li Zhibai had also chosen similar ingredients, and asked in surprise:

"You make vegetarian braised pork too?"

He originally thought Li Zhibai was going to make some other dish with the winter melon, but he didn't expect it to be the same as his.

While preparing his own ingredients, Li Zhibai nodded and said, "Yes, we're making vegetarian meat."

"When did you start researching vegetarian braised pork?" Fang Guoping asked again.

Could it be that this kid didn't just go to his restaurant to eat for free? Did he have an ulterior motive?

"Uh...it's been a while, probably not long after you gave me a free meal last time," Li Zhibai said truthfully.

Fang Guoping: "..."

It was definitely premeditated.

That time, he not only waived the bill for them, but also gave them an extra two thousand yuan in cash.

"Alright, let's have a competition today to see whose vegetarian braised pork is better." Chef Fang's competitive spirit was also aroused. He was not as good as the other person's braised pork, and he did not believe that the vegetarian version could not be better.

The three of them continued cooking.

Fang Guoping's vegetarian braised pork follows the traditional Shanghai-style braised pork recipe. Winter melon chunks are fried until slightly charred and set, then caramelized sugar is added, along with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon... Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens and it's plated.

Zhou Yun took a different approach. He sliced ​​firm tofu and winter melon into thin slices, stacked a slice of winter melon and a slice of tofu together, tied them tightly with string to create a three-layered, multi-layered shape, and then braised them in a pot.

This approach is indeed quite creative. Tofu provides a smooth, creamy texture similar to a layer of fat, while winter melon simulates the texture of lean meat. When the two are stacked together, they look almost indistinguishable from the real thing from the side.

Both of them performed steadily in their respective styles, but Li Zhibai's style suddenly changed.

This person's actions are incredibly outrageous in the eyes of outsiders.

He cut the winter melon into small pieces, then instead of frying or stewing it, he soaked it in a pot of boiled seaweed glue.

The audience was completely bewildered.

"What sticky stuff did he smear on the winter melon?"

"It looks like glue."

"It should be seaweed extract, the kind used in molecular gastronomy?"

After soaking for ten minutes, Li Zhibai took out the winter melon, drained it, and then fried it in a pan until the surface was golden brown and slightly charred.

Then he did something unbelievable: he actually put the fried winter melon pieces directly into the liquid nitrogen freezer.

"Holy crap! They used liquid nitrogen for flash freezing!"

Can you still eat frozen winter melon?

"What kind of weird method is this? If you freeze it into a block of ice and then let it thaw, won't it all rot?"

"Could it be that he wasn't making braised pork at all, but rather chilled winter melon?"

"I don't understand it, I really don't understand it. The thinking of young chefs these days is just wild."

"..."

Fifteen minutes later, Li Zhibai took the rock-hard winter melon pieces out of the freezer.

The next steps were similar to his usual process for making Su Hongchen in the shop: caramelizing sugar, adding winter melon, adding seasonings, pouring rose-flavored fermented bean curd sauce, simmering over low heat, reducing the sauce over high heat... Finally, he sprinkled a few rose petals on top as a garnish.

As time passed, the three plates of vegetarian braised pork were successively taken out of the pot and plated.

The staff brought the three dishes to the judges' table at the same time and placed them side by side.

Fang Guoping's dish was bright red, with a rich soy sauce aroma, and looked very authentic. It was clearly made by an experienced chef, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Zhou Yun's dish looked more like Dongpo pork; the layers of tofu and winter melon were almost indistinguishable from the real thing when viewed from the side.

Finally, it was Li Zhibai's dish.

The three judges glanced at it and were all stunned.

Pieces of braised pork, glistening with a deep reddish-brown hue, lay on a white porcelain plate. Their surfaces shimmered like honey, and the skin had a semi-transparent texture. The layers of fat and lean meat were distinct and lifelike, and the dish exuded a faint fragrance of roses. This aroma alone overshadowed the two plates next to it.

"This is vegetarian too? It looks even more authentic than Chef Fang's plate!"

"Impossible, can winter melon really have this kind of texture?"

"Is there something wrong with my eyes...?"

The judges resisted the urge to take action directly and, following the rules, first tasted Fang Guoping's plate of vegetarian braised pork.

"Mmm, delicious! Chef Fang's skills are impeccable. The winter melon is stewed to perfection, the sauce is reduced beautifully, and the texture is soft and tender without being mushy. The overall result is excellent."

Next up is Zhou Yun's game.

"The combination of tofu and winter melon is also quite good. The texture is richer than if you just use winter melon alone. In particular, the combination of the creamy tofu and the soft and glutinous winter melon is very creative."

Finally, it was Li Zhibai's turn.

The three judges picked up a piece of braised pork one after another, examined it carefully, and then smelled it.

Judging by its appearance and aroma, it definitely looks and smells good.

If those two chefs were imitating braised pork, then the braised pork in front of them was the "real braised pork," and it was perfect visually.

Then, almost simultaneously, the three of them stuffed the vegetarian meat into their mouths and began to taste it. Then, as if struck by lightning, they widened their eyes and repeated what they had said before.

"This taste...this texture...is this really made from winter melon?"

"I don't believe you. Let me have another piece."

"Wait, I want another one too."

"Holy crap! Don't you dare steal it!"

"..."

The three judges almost came to blows over the few remaining pieces of roast pork on the plate.

This vegetarian braised pork is almost indistinguishable from real braised pork in both taste and texture. It has a perfect balance of salty and sweet, tender and soft meat, and a subtle rose fragrance that lingers on the tongue, making you want to take a second piece after just one bite.

"Delicious! Really delicious! This is the best dish I've had all day!"

"This vegetarian braised pork has reached the level of being indistinguishable from real meat, but the most amazing thing is not that it is indistinguishable from real meat, but that it has transcended the framework of imitation meat. It does not even need to be compared with real meat. It is a complete, independent dish with its own soul."

"This is what it truly means to make ordinary ingredients feel like they're worth a fortune."

"......"

The three judges were very generous with their praise.

After finishing the last piece of vegetarian meat, Judge Cai glanced at the empty plate again, still wanting more, and asked Li Zhibai, "What's the name of this dish?"

Li Zhibai smiled and said, "Su Hongchen, I sell it at my Shaxian restaurant. All of you teachers are welcome to buy one!"

The three judges had little concept of the bowl he was talking about, or perhaps they instinctively ignored the last two words he uttered, but simply nodded earnestly: "Yes! Just for this dish, we'll definitely try it again!"