Chapter 711 - 546: What Goes Around Comes Around!

Chapter 711: Chapter 546: What Goes Around Comes Around!

Upon careful consideration, he suddenly realized that this was a phrase he often said to Huang Jun in the past, and he didn’t expect Huang Jun to return it to him verbatim today.

Indeed.

What goes around, comes around!

Qian Guoxiang displayed an awkward yet polite smile and said, "Chef Huang, that move of ’using one’s own methods against them’ is truly brilliant!"

Huang Jun smiled silently and picked up the thoroughly cleaned pork intestine beside him.

Qian Guoxiang continued, "But honestly, Chef Huang, I truly admire your skills. Every time I taste your dishes, I feel my own skills still have room for improvement."

Upon hearing Qian Guoxiang’s words, Huang Jun also smiled and responded, "Assistant Chef Qian, don’t be too modest. Your skills are among the best in the garden, let’s learn from each other and progress together!"

"I can’t claim to be number one, but perhaps number two, since there are only two chefs in the garden!"

As Qian Guoxiang chatted, he continued to prepare other signature dishes.

Huang Jun also started on his dish—Nine Turn Intestines.

This delicacy, despite being named "intestines," actually centers on using the portion called the head of the intestine.

The head of the intestine is rich in texture without being greasy, and when cooked, it maintains a full shape without collapsing, making it an excellent choice for the traditional dish Nine Turn Intestines.

However, the head of the intestine is as rare as a phoenix feather, extending barely over a foot from a pig, not enough to satisfy the craving for Nine Turn Intestines.

Thus, the clever chefs devised the unique technique of "layered intestines."

Layered intestines, as the name implies, involves skillfully layering normal pork intestines, often up to four layers, to simulate the thickness and richness of the head of the intestine, making it indistinguishable by appearance.

This method, due to its practicality and cost-effectiveness, has been adopted by many chefs as the mainstream approach to making Nine Turn Intestines.

After all, compared to the rare and expensive head of the intestine, regular pork intestines are undoubtedly more widespread and affordable.

More amazingly, the layered intestines offer a distinct textural experience, with each layer providing varying levels of tenderness and flavor, leaving a satisfying taste that is soft and delectable with a unique charm.

Huang Jun grabbed a kitchen knife and first cut the pork intestine into sections about a meter long.

This step is crucial because intestines that are too long are prone to bursting due to internal gas buildup during cooking.

By cutting the intestine into shorter sections, the length during layering is reduced, thus decreasing the internal air and effectively lowering the risk of bursting.

Once all the intestines were shortened, Huang Jun picked up one and began the process of layering.

The genius of the layering technique lies in utilizing the smooth inner surface of pork intestines and the power of running water to cleverly turn and stack what was originally a single layer into a double layer, then further layering until it is four layers thick.

The specific operation involves tightly gripping one end of the intestine, gently turning it inside out like rolling up a sleeve, pausing halfway, with the intestine forming a double-layer structure.

Then, squeezing out the internal water and air, the same technique is applied again to fold it further until the intestine becomes a tight, four-layer structure.

After this layering, the originally over a meter long intestine miraculously shrinks to a compact form of just over twenty centimeters.

This is precisely why this dish consumes a lot of intestine material.

Once everything was prepared...

Huang Jun skillfully inserted toothpicks crosswise at both ends of the layered intestine for secured fixation.

This crisscross fixation method not only prevents the pork intestine from shrinking and deforming during cooking, but also allows the small holes made by toothpicks to smoothly release excess air.

After completing all the toothpick fixations, Huang Jun began preparing the scalding and braising of the pork intestines and the head of the intestine.

He added an appropriate amount of water to the pot, then added plenty of scallion pieces, ginger slices, a handful of dried Sichuan peppercorns, and a few bay leaves, finally pouring in some white wine for aroma and to remove unpleasant odors.

Once everything was ready...

He placed all the intestine heads and pork intestines into the pot and lit the stove to start cooking.

"Actually, the most traditional method is steaming. Placing the intestines and intestine heads in the scallion, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn water, then into a steamer for steaming. This results in a more tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture for the pork intestines."

He looked at the camera, explaining with a smile, "But due to time constraints, we won’t steam today because it takes longer, is less efficient, and it’s inconvenient to remove the scum during steaming. By contrast, boiling is more convenient..."

A moment later.

The water in the pot quickly boiled, and Huang Jun used a spoon to skim off the scum floating on the surface, then lowered the heat and picked up a slightly longer bamboo skewer, quietly standing by the pot.

He attentively observed the pork intestines in the pot, and as soon as he found any signs of swelling, he quickly pierced it with the bamboo skewer to release the air inside, preventing them from bursting during cooking.

"When boiling intestines, you must stay by the pot, and not think that once the air is released, everything is fine. In reality, even after piercing, due to thermal expansion and contraction, those holes might close up again. Therefore, throughout the cooking process, we must remain vigilant and not relax for even a moment."

He skillfully operated while explaining to the camera.

The entire cooking process took around forty minutes, as the multiple layers of pork intestines and the thick intestine head need to be thoroughly cooked to avoid a rubbery texture when chewed,