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

Li Zhibai was so excited that he wanted to grin again, but the moment his face was pulled, it hurt so much that he twitched.

"Ouch... I forgot my face isn't healed yet."

He rubbed his cheek and began to verify his conjecture.

The seventh attempt.

Li Zhibai took another piece of pork belly, scraped off the hair, blanched it, and cut it into large chunks.

After cutting the meat, start caramelizing the sugar.

This time, he still cooked it a bit too lightly; he turned off the heat as soon as the rock sugar melted and turned a light amber color.

Add the meat chunks to the pan and stir-fry until they are browned.

Then add ginger slices, scallion segments, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves, and continue to stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in cooking wine, add a little light soy sauce for flavor, and this time he used a very small amount of dark soy sauce. Next comes the most crucial step.

Rose-flavored fermented bean curd.

Li Zhibai opened the jar of top-grade rose-flavored fermented bean curd that Su Su had sent.

This is not the ordinary red fermented bean curd that costs a dozen yuan a bottle on supermarket shelves. It is the real top-quality product, three-year aged rose red bean curd, made by hand by a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor. It is currently recognized as the pinnacle of red fermented bean curd in the industry.

Among gourmets, it's known as the "Daughter's Red" of fermented bean curd, but ordinary consumers have never even heard of it.

The annual production is about two thousand bottles, and they are generally supplied directly to top-tier restaurants and are not sold on the market.

The price is also very high, 598 yuan per bottle, 186g, and the quantity is about six yuan.

Unscrew the lid, and a faint but long-lasting aroma of fermented soybeans and roses wafts out.

Li Zhibai picked up half a piece of fermented bean curd and put it into a small bowl. He then scooped out two spoonfuls of fermented bean curd juice, crushed and stirred the fermented bean curd with the spoon, and then poured it into the pot to stir-fry with the meat.

As soon as the fermented bean curd sauce hits the pot, the floral aroma is carried up by the steam, mixing with the aroma of meat, soy sauce, and caramel, creating a wonderfully complex fragrance.

"Success or failure hinges on this."

Add hot water to cover the meat pieces, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer.

Next, we just have to wait.

An hour later, he lifted the lid of the pot, scooped up a little soup with a spoon, and tasted it.

The saltiness is just right, the sweetness is just right, and the aroma of fermented bean curd and meat blends together very well.

However, the floral fragrance wasn't strong enough; it was a little lacking.

"There wasn't enough fermented bean curd sauce."

Li Zhibai added another spoonful of fermented bean curd sauce and continued to stew.

Twenty minutes later, I tasted the soup again.

This time, the floral fragrance emerged, a subtle rose scent mixed with the aroma of meat, not overpowering, but you could clearly feel a hint of floral fragrance lingering on the tip of your tongue.

"It has that vibe."

Get ready to reduce the sauce.

Here he changed his approach again, first picking out the meat, then pouring the remaining sauce into a bowl, and then quickly cooling it down with ice.

After cooling down, the oil will separate from the solidified broth. He skimmed off the top layer of oil and used the remaining sauce at the bottom to thicken the braised pork. The advantage of doing this is that the braised pork will not be greasy, and you won't feel greasy even if you eat more.

Reduce the sauce over high heat, continuously scooping up the sauce and pouring it over the meat pieces, allowing the sauce to slowly thicken and coat the meat, forming a beautiful reddish-brown outer layer.

When the broth has reduced to a consistency that can coat a spoon, turn off the heat and remove from the pot.

Li Zhibai placed the meat pieces one by one into a white porcelain plate.

The dark reddish-brown pork skin is facing up, coated with a glistening, thick sauce, swaying gently, looking incredibly tempting.

Then he thought for a moment, then ladled out a small bowl of white rice and placed it under the plate. This design was inspired by Grandpa Huo's story.

The old man said that his wife's braised pork broth was especially delicious when mixed with rice. He would put the rice under the pork, and the broth would naturally flow down and seep into the rice little by little. When eating, he would take a bite of pork and a bite of rice, which was incredibly satisfying.

Li Zhibai picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of meat. As soon as the chopsticks touched the skin, the dark reddish-brown skin caved in, revealing its soft texture.

Put it in your mouth and gently press your teeth together.

Soft, smooth, and melts in your mouth, it's not greasy at all, and there's even a hint of rose fragrance in the aftertaste. It's absolutely delicious!

"Mission accomplished!"

Li Zhibai was so excited he almost grinned again, so he quickly pressed his hand to his cheek.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh, or you'll regret it."

He picked up the plate and ate all the remaining meat and rice, bite by bite.

After finishing his meal, he couldn't resist licking the plate.

"This broth is absolutely amazing with rice; it's no exaggeration to say I could eat three big bowls of it."

Ding!

[Congratulations, host, on successfully comprehending the key dish for the second Culinary Heart—Secret Recipe Braised Pork Belly.]

[Food rating: Divine.]

[The system recipes have been updated, adding a new dish: Braised Pork Belly with Secret Recipe. This version does not have a standard or deluxe version.]

[This foodie's note: Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death. I try not to think of you, yet I cannot forget. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, where can I speak of my sorrow?]

A bowl of braised pork can carry the weight of a person's life-and-death longing, and also hold the yearning of countless families.

Looking at the description of the Heart of Gourmet Food, Li Zhibai felt a faint sadness and longing.

Food is a living memory, and that's really true. Braised pork is not just a taste that Grandpa Huo misses, but also a taste that countless Chinese people miss.

"Uncle Huo, I, Li Zhibai, will make sure you understand exactly how to make this braised pork."

He spent all night perfecting this braised pork recipe, so the price has to be right!

[System Reward: Shard of Edge]

[Fragment of Brilliance: The key to unlocking the third Gourmet Heart. The third Gourmet Heart is not hidden in the past, nor is it tied to any one person. The host needs to participate in a local culinary competition with a certain influence or conquer a gourmet to obtain it.]

[Currently holding 1 fragment, you need to collect 3 more fragments to unlock the 3rd Gourmet Heart.]

In addition to system rewards, unlocking the third Culinary Heart increases the number of guests you can accommodate daily by 10.

When Li Zhibai saw this pathetic reward, he was completely devastated.

No, what is this thing?

He stayed up all night, his eyes practically bulging like a rabbit's, before finally managing to coax out the divine braised pork.

Is this all the reward is?

This feels even more perfunctory than the last +1 to physique.

"System, where's my legendary knife? Where's my legendary culinary knife that can cut a hair in two and slice through iron like mud? You're just giving me a fragment to appease a beggar?"

"And you need three more of these 'Sharp Edge Fragments,' so you're collecting Water Margin cards like this? You can get a free pack if you collect three, right?"

[Host, please calm down. Although the Fragment of Sharpness is not a physical object, its spiritual value far surpasses that of ordinary items. It represents the opportunity for you to make a name for yourself in the culinary world and is an essential step on the path to a higher realm.]

"Stop giving me that fluff. Just tell me, besides unlocking the next Food Heart, can this thing be used as money?"

【cannot. 】

"Can you directly enhance my cooking skills? Let me make food that glows."

【cannot. 】

"Damn it! What am I supposed to do with it? It's useless for anything, it's so trash."

[Even beggars complain the food is spoiled.]

Li Zhibai: "..."

Even the password-protected system is getting aggressive now.

Although he was unhappy with the reward, the good news was that unlocking the next Gourmet Heart would allow him to add 10 people per day.

"Hmm... going from 50 to 60 people means at least 10 more gullible spots, which means we can earn several hundred thousand more every day."

"Fragments are better than nothing."

Li Zhibai opened the system's recipe book, wanting to see how much this divine braised pork was priced.

According to his estimate, if Bodhi Jade Studio dares to price it at 1288, then braised pork should at least sell for 1888, right?

After all, this braised pork is made with very particular ingredients and involves a complex process. It also carries Mr. Huo's eleven years of longing. With such a strong emotional appeal, it would be a shame not to charge a higher price for Mr. Huo's wallet.

However, when he saw the price displayed above, he frantically rubbed his eyes.

[Secret Recipe Braised Pork Belly: 99 RMB...]

"How much? 99?"

"System, have you been hacked? Or did you take the wrong medicine today?"

"Are you sure you didn't forget to add two numbers? 1299 is fine, 1999 is acceptable, but you priced it at 99? Are you crazy?!"

"I can't take it anymore. The price is so low that I suddenly feel uneasy. I feel so uncomfortable that I need oxygen."

"Quick! Call 120 for me!"

system:"......"

[Host, I suggest you take a closer look, don't just look at the numbers.]

Only after the system reminded him did Li Zhibai notice the words he had almost overlooked.

[Braised Pork Belly with Secret Recipe: 99 RMB/piece]

Li Zhibai: "..."

Good heavens! He exclaimed, "Good heavens!"

99 is not a portion, it's a dollar.

The price of a piece of braised pork.

He knew it! How could the dog system suddenly become so compassionate? It was just waiting for him here.

So, who sells braised pork by the piece? That's right, this place sells it by the piece.

It's the only one of its kind in the entire city of Jiangcheng.

This piece of braised pork is only about four centimeters long and less than two or three centimeters thick. An adult can easily eat it in one bite.

But to charge 99 for just one bite is absolutely outrageous.

Li Zhibai finally understood why this dish didn't have a regular version and a deluxe version.

If an ordinary working person, like Wen Ran or the sanitation worker, came, they might want to try something new but think a plate is too expensive.

It's okay, it's only 99 yuan a piece, you can buy one to try.

With a free bowl of rice mixed with rice, you can enjoy a delicious meal.

But what if you run into someone like Yu Shen, Lu Qianshan, or a rich and vengeful guy like Uncle Huo?

Well, I'm sorry, but our braised pork belly is sold by the pot. It's much more satisfying to eat meat from a big pot!

The number of braised pork pieces in a pot depends entirely on his mood; it could be a few pieces, or it could be dozens.

The more Li Zhibai thought about it, the more he admired Tongzi's pricing. At first glance, it seemed cheap, but in reality, it was a trap. It could be used to both attack and defend, and it was simply a magic weapon for ripping off customers!

"Master, I misunderstood you. When it comes to being treacherous and despicable, I can't compare to you at all."

[Host, you flatter me. I've only provided a basic pricing framework. How you use this pricing to rip off customers is entirely up to you and has nothing to do with this system.]

[Of course, I believe that given the host's ruthlessness, they will definitely maximize their profits, after all, the host is pushing the limits of this system's understanding every single day.]

Li Zhibai: "..."

Stop talking, we're evenly matched!