I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 750 - 333: The Pinker the Color, the Harder the Beat! What About Pink Lotus Root Stewed Pork Ribs? [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3
Today, they had to view several houses. Dou Wenjing had even arranged them in order according to the agreed-upon times; they would be busy from 8:30 in the morning until noon.
So, early in the morning, the group went directly to the restaurant for breakfast.
"I’m not usually a fan of scallions and cilantro," Zeng Xiaoqi muttered while eating, "but when I’m having lamb soup, it just doesn’t taste right without them. And the cilantro in this lamb soup even has a hint of sweetness..."
While speaking, she didn’t forget to add another spoonful of lamb fat chili to her bowl.
When it came to drinking lamb soup, lamb fat chili was its soul.
She had just put down the spoon from the chili bowl when Feng grabbed it and scooped up half a spoonful.
"This lamb fat chili Boss Lin makes is really fragrant, and it isn’t overpowering at all. It’s delicious!"
Seeing Lin Xu and Shen Baobao arrive, everyone hurried to greet them.
"Xu Bao, I’d like a large bowl of lamb soup—extra cilantro, fewer scallions. And remember to add salt for me; I can never get the seasoning right..."
"Alright."
Lin Xu agreed and headed to the kitchen.
After Shen Baobao sat down, Zeng Xiaoqi leaned in mischievously and whispered, "Boss Lady, your Moments feed is so full of lovey-dovey posts! But if you already had your shoes on, why did it take you more than half an hour to get to the shop after posting?"
Shen Baobao’s ears turned red. She retorted, "Why is a young, unmarried woman like you asking about this? Have you sorted out your single status? Aren’t your parents pestering you to get married anymore? Have your relatives back home stopped trying to set you up on random dates?"
Hmph! I’m certainly not going to tell you I gave Xu Bao a good thrashing and made him say ’I love you’ a hundred times.
Soon, the lamb soup was served, and Shen Baobao began to eat it with a baked flatbread.
Beating up Xu Bao was tiring. Food tastes so much better when you’re exhausted!
Lin Xu returned to the kitchen. Chezai had already brought the Lotus Root they needed.
These Lotus Roots were slender and long, different from both the usual short, thick variety and the type used for cold dishes.
"Uncle Shen specifically picked them out for me," Chezai explained, "and even trimmed the ends. He said the ends wouldn’t get tender and mealy when stewed."
"Wow, I didn’t expect Uncle Shen to know all this," Lin Xu remarked.
"He said his wife is from Hubei, and ever since winter started, they’ve had Lotus Root stewed with Pork Ribs once or twice a week, so he’s quite familiar with it."
For people from Hubei living away from home, no dish soothes homesickness better than a bowl of Lotus Root stewed with Pork Ribs.
Especially in winter, eating the tender, mealy stewed Lotus Root and the Pork Ribs that fall off the bone instantly soothes their longing for home.
In this dish, the aroma of the Pork Ribs and the fresh taste of the Lotus Root combine to create a unique savory flavor.
This flavor is very distinctive and can easily be overwhelmed by spices. That’s why, when making Lotus Root stewed with Pork Ribs, no spices should be added. Even aromatics are kept to a minimum—only ginger is used, not even scallions.
The seasonings are also simple: just a bit of salt and pepper before serving.
Lin Xu took the Pork Ribs he’d bought fresh that morning and chopped them into large pieces with a cleaver. To ensure there was enough, he chopped two entire racks.
After chopping, he washed the Pork Ribs twice in a basin, then placed them under a running tap to rinse out any remaining blood.
Rinsing the Pork Ribs like this for over half an hour before cooking can significantly reduce any gamey taste.
"Boss, when should we peel the Lotus Root?" Chezai asked.
"We’ll peel it right before stewing," Lin Xu replied. "If we peel it too early, it will oxidize and turn black."
After dealing with the Pork Ribs, Lin Xu went to the cold storage to check on the Drunken Crab that had been marinating for several days.
Sure enough, it was ready.
He took a photo with his phone and sent it to Cui Qingyuan, writing, "Professor Cui, the flavor has developed perfectly. Remember to come and try it when you have time. Just let me know beforehand, and I’ll warm up the Rice Wine."
Cui Qingyuan, who was in a meeting, saw the picture and couldn’t help but swallow.
He quickly typed his reply: "I have teaching meetings all day today. I’ll head over when they finish this evening. Oh, and let’s invite Boss Huang and Chef Xie Baomin too. We can have a small get-together before the holiday ends."
Lin Xu was too busy, and besides, he couldn’t really handle Rice Wine.
Comparatively, it was Xie Baomin and Old Huang, both from an older generation, who truly appreciated the subtleties of Rice Wine.
After replying, Cui Qingyuan saved the photo of the Drunken Crab and posted it to his Moments with the caption: "The flavor is perfect. Time for a couple of drinks tonight."
The crabs you gave me have been made into Drunken Crab, and they turned out wonderfully. Tonight, I’ll enjoy them with a drink. Perhaps the glass will hold memories of the past, or maybe regrets. I don’t know. I only know that when I pair this wine with the crabs you gave, I feel intoxicated from the first sip.
He sighed with a touch of melancholy, then pocketed his phone and continued with the meeting.
In Shanghai, Yan Lin saw the Moments post and immediately asked her secretary, Xiao Qing, "What time are we going to Beijing?"
"There are two flights available," Xiao Qing replied. "One departs at 2:30 p.m. The other is earlier, but you’d have to have lunch on the plane, and Ms. Yan, you always dislike..."
"Book the earlier one!" Yan Lin interjected.
"Understood, Ms. Yan. I’ll arrange it immediately."
Back at the shop, after finishing their lamb soup, the group headed outside.
Dou Wenjing drove, with Feng in the passenger seat. Shen Baobao and Zeng Xiaoqi sat in the back. The group set off on their house-hunting expedition.
Lin Xu took out the Pork Ribs that had been soaking and began to prepare the Lotus Root and Pork Ribs soup.
The method for this dish was quite simple: blanch the Pork Ribs to remove any scum, then transfer them to a large clay pot, add water and a few slices of ginger, and begin to stew.
While the ribs simmered, he peeled the Lotus Roots, cut them into rolling chunks, and then added them to the pot once the water was boiling.
Then, he just needed to let it simmer over low heat.
The whole process was very straightforward.
Zhuang Yizhou watched Lin Xu and asked curiously, "Why do some people stir-fry the Pork Ribs in oil when making this dish?"
Zhu Yong chuckled. "If you blanch them, there’s no need to stir-fry. If you stir-fry, don’t blanch. Just do one or the other. Otherwise, the Pork Ribs will be tough and won’t taste good."
As someone from Hubei, Chef Zhu spoke with authority on this dish.
He looked at Lin Xu and asked, "Boss, do you know the secret ingredient Hubei restaurants use for this dish?"
"Yes," Lin Xu said. "Sprinkle in some Milk Powder just before serving. It enhances the texture of the Lotus Root and gives the soup a subtle milky fragrance."
Zhu Yong had intended to show off a little.
But he hadn’t expected the boss to know this, revealing the ’trade secret’ so easily.
Zhuang Yizhou and Wei Qian listened with some surprise.
They had never imagined there was such a trick to making Lotus Root and Pork Ribs soup.
"Impressive, Boss!" Zhu Yong exclaimed. "That secret cost me a bottle of Wuliangye, and you just revealed it in one sentence."
Speaking of Lotus Root and Pork Ribs soup, Zhu Yong became quite animated: "This soup is a classic example of a dish that defies typical chef fussiness. The method isn’t complex, and the seasoning is unbelievably simple, yet the flavor is outstanding. And that pinkish hue of the broth—I could drink it for a lifetime and never get tired of it..."
Pink? 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Hearing that word, Lin Xu couldn’t help but recall Shen Baobao’s comment from the morning: "The pinker it is, the harder it hits."
It seemed this Lotus Root and Pork Ribs soup was quite the formidable character itself!
