"What’s wrong with pork belly? Isn’t it all just half-fat, half-lean meat?" Zhou Jie followed him into the kitchen, eager to learn.

In his mind, Zhou Yan was now a Grandmaster of Sichuan Cuisine.

Not to be outdone, Mrs. Zhao followed them into the kitchen as well. Twice-Cooked Pork was her signature dish, the very foundation of her authority in the Zhou Family kitchen.

If this kid Zhou Yan wanted to usurp her power, she... would have to taste the result before deciding whether to yield.

"With hind leg, you have a layer of fat between the skin and the lean meat. You only need to boil it for twenty minutes before setting it aside, and the texture is tender yet crisp. Pork belly, on the other hand, has that stringy, sinewy part between the skin and the lean meat. It takes a long time to boil until it’s soft. Otherwise, it’s tough and chewy, which makes it better for braised pork belly or steamed pork with preserved vegetables," Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

"There’s that much to it?"

Both Mrs. Zhao and Zhou Jie fell into a thoughtful silence. When they made Twice-Cooked Pork, they usually just bought whatever cut was available at the butcher’s stall. If there was no pork belly, they’d even buy meat from the pig’s head. After all, anything tasted good once it was stir-fried.

"Jie, start the fire," Zhou Yan said, calling for Zhou Jie to be his assistant.

"You got it!" Zhou Jie dutifully moved behind the stove, stuffed a bundle of straw into the opening, and pulled the bellows twice. The few remaining embers immediately set the straw ablaze.

Zhou Yan ladled two scoops of cold water into the wok and tossed in a smashed piece of ginger and a few segments of scallion. He then took the cleaned hind leg, cut it into pieces three fingers wide and about six centimeters long, and placed them in the wok.

"Cutting the meat about three fingers wide is enough. Any thicker and it won’t cook through easily," Zhou Yan explained as he worked. "Add scallion and ginger to the wok, put the meat in cold water, and bring it to a boil to draw out the blood and scum. Skim that off right away, and the meat won’t have any gamey taste."

While the meat simmered in the wok, Zhou Yan took the opportunity to prep the other ingredients.

The broad bean paste the shop had on hand was Pixian County Douban. It was categorized as new or aged based on its year. Aged douban was fermented longer and had a richer, more fragrant aroma, but its color was much darker. Using it for Twice-Cooked Pork would make the dish turn black and look unappetizing.

That’s why he was using the new douban. He scooped some out and minced it finely. The color of the Twice-Cooked Pork depended entirely on it.

"Did you go out and buy sweet bean sauce just for this? Can’t you just use white sugar?" Mrs. Zhao asked curiously, her eyes on the open jar of sauce by Zhou Yan’s hand.

"Sweet bean sauce helps cut through the grease, reduces any heavy feeling, and enhances the aroma. While sugar can also add a touch of sweetness, too much of it actually makes the dish feel greasy," Zhou Yan explained.

He washed the garlic sprouts, then gently smashed the fat white bulbs with the side of his knife before slicing them on a bias, creating sharp points at both ends. This technique would release the maximum amount of flavor. He kept the white stalks and the green leaves separate.

After about twenty minutes of simmering, the hind leg was ready. He could easily poke a chopstick through the lean meat, which meant it was about 60-70% cooked. He took it out to be sliced.

"Slicing the meat is a crucial step. Watch closely. You have to slice it two millimeters thick, about the thickness of a copper coin. Too thick, and it won’t absorb the flavor and will be too greasy. Too thin, and it will curl up the moment it hits the wok, the fat rendering into a tough crackling that you can’t even chew." Zhou Yan held up a slice. "The center of the meat is still a bit raw. This is the perfect state."

Mrs. Zhao and Zhou Jie stood with their hands clasped in front of them, listening and watching intently, looking just like two young apprentices.

They couldn’t quite put their finger on it. Usually, making Twice-Cooked Pork was a matter of a few quick stirs in the wok before it was ready—a simple, fragrant dish to eat with rice. But listening to Zhou Yan, the dish suddenly seemed incredibly sophisticated.

He had prepared a generous amount of meat, but Zhou Yan didn’t cook it all at once. He set aside about a third of it in a bowl to cook that evening, so it would be even fresher.

"A little more heat, but not a raging fire," he instructed. "First, add the rapeseed oil, then toss in the pork slices and stir-fry them over medium-low heat. See? They shrink up immediately, forming perfect little ’lamp cups’." Zhou Yan continued to stir-fry the curling slices of pork, then pushed them to the side of the wok. He used the oil at the bottom to fry the minced douban until it was cooked through and fragrant, then tossed it all together with the pork.

The once-pale slices of pork were instantly coated in a glossy, reddish sheen.

He added a spoonful of sweet bean sauce and stir-fried until fragrant, then tossed in the white stalks of the garlic sprouts. Finally, he added the green leaves, gave it all a few more tosses, and immediately transferred it from the wok to a plate.

The glossy, red slices of pork, curled into little "lamp cups," glistened with oil. The white garlic sprout stalks and green leaves combined to create a perfect plate of Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts.

The rich aroma of the Twice-Cooked Pork, mingled with the fragrance of garlic sprouts, wafted up with the steam, assailing their senses.

GULP.

Mrs. Zhao and Zhou Jie swallowed hard at the same time.

"Smells so yummy! I wanna see, I wanna see!"

Attracted by the aroma, Zhou Momo came running. She scurried to the stove and stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a look.

She was too small; even on her tiptoes, she couldn’t see over the top of the stove. Not being able to see what was in the plate was making her frantic.

"Look, your Brother made Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts. We’re having yummy meat for lunch today," Zhao Tieying said with a smile, scooping her up.

"Wow, it looks so yummy! Brother is so amazing!" Zhou Momo clapped her little hands, already drooling.

"Let’s go. Time to eat!" Zhou Yan picked up the hefty plate of Twice-Cooked Pork and left the kitchen.

Zhao Hong and Zhou Jie brought out the rice and bowls, giving everyone a pair of chopsticks.

Besides the Twice-Cooked Pork, there were also two bowls of Kneeling Beef and a boiled cabbage dish for vegetables.

But the star of today’s lunch was, without a doubt, the plate of Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts sitting in the center of the table.

It looked incredible and smelled divine—a far cry from the Twice-Cooked Pork they usually made.

"Don’t just stare. Dig in," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"I’ll be the first to try." Mrs. Zhao picked up her chopsticks and lifted a piece of Twice-Cooked Pork that had a garlic sprout tucked inside. It swayed back and forth, springy and shimmering with a glossy sheen of oil.

The moment she took a bite, she tasted the fragrant, tender skin. The fat melted in her mouth, and the lean meat wasn’t dry at all but had a pleasant, springy chew. It was rich but not oily, fragrant but not heavy.

Biting into the garlic sprout tucked inside released a special, fresh fragrance that mingled with the Twice-Cooked Pork. The flavor was simply out of this world!

Mrs. Zhao held her empty chopsticks for a moment, savoring the lingering taste. The fragrance remained on her lips and teeth, an endlessly pleasant aftertaste.

"Delicious. From now on, you’re in charge of making Twice-Cooked Pork for the family," Mrs. Zhao said to Zhou Yan, her voice a mix of relief and a hint of melancholy.

This had been her signature dish, the one she’d been cooking for twenty years, and today she had to hand over the reins.

But the one usurping her was Zhou Yan, and he had produced such an incredible plate of Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts. She had no choice but to admit defeat.

She even... felt a little urge to learn from him.

This was even better than what the village chefs made at the local banquets. Those chefs always used pork belly, and the texture truly couldn’t compare to the dish Zhou Yan had made with the hind leg cut.

"Aunt Zhao, giving up already? Let me try." Zhou Jie popped a piece of the Twice-Cooked Pork into his mouth. His expression shifted from shock, to bliss, and finally to utter amazement.

’This Twice-Cooked Pork is unbelievably good!’

He couldn’t find the words to describe it. The meat was tender and soft with a slight springy chew, and how did the garlic sprouts get so fragrant?

The savory flavor had a subtle, sweet finish—a complex taste that was intoxicating and made him crave a big mouthful of rice.

Zhou Jie lifted his bowl and shoveled in two huge mouthfuls of rice. The fragrant Zhenzi Rice paired with the Twice-Cooked Pork was pure bliss.

"Zhou Yan, from now on at family gatherings, you have to be the one to make Twice-Cooked Pork. Not even Grandma gets to make it!" Zhou Jie declared, looking at Zhou Yan with a completely serious expression.

He was ready to declare this the most delicious Twice-Cooked Pork of all time!

Bar none.

"You can be the one to tell Grandma that next time," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"The meat is so yummy! I’m gonna eat three bowls of rice!" Zhou Momo had started eating too. Her cheeks were puffed out with food, and her little head bobbed up and down as she chewed with gusto.

She was too young to know how to describe how good it was.

But she knew the meat was very fragrant, tastier than what her mom made, and not so spicy.

Zhou Miao and Zhao Hong also tried it and were full of praise, both agreeing it was the best Twice-Cooked Pork they had ever eaten.

Zhou Yan was the last to pick up his chopsticks. He took a piece of Twice-Cooked Pork and wrapped it around a garlic sprout—the proper way to eat it.

With one bite, his eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully savored the subtle changes of the meat’s texture between his lips and teeth. The sensation was fascinating, almost like he was reviewing his own work.

The exquisite texture of the hind leg, the precise Knife Skills, the perfect Fire Control, and the flawless seasoning had all come together to create this plate of Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts, a dish with an exceptional mouthfeel and a unique flavor.

He had done it!

The perfect Twice-Cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts was a success!