Chapter 488 - 231: A Pretty Good Twice-Cooked Pork with Pickled Mustard

Chapter 488: Chapter 231: A Pretty Good Twice-Cooked Pork with Pickled Mustard

"Salted Burnt White! Perfect! We’re just missing a few steamed dishes, and customers are always asking for them." Mrs. Zhao’s eyes lit up, and she asked happily, "Have you learned the technique from your master?"

Zhou Yan nodded. "I’m fairly confident with Salted Burnt White, but I still need to learn and practice the other steamed dishes more."

"Pickled mustard twice-cooked pork is fantastic. I went to Yibin to buy cattle once and had it there. It’s so good with rice, just wonderful." Comrade Zhou looked at the pickled mustard, reminiscing. "Yibin Rice Noodles are delicious too. You chop this pickled mustard up real fine, stir-fry it until it’s fragrant, and mix it in with crushed peanuts. Full of flavor."

"Then let’s try making Pickled Mustard Twice-Cooked Pork tonight." Zhou Yan pulled out a small handful of the pickled mustard and gave it to Comrade Zhou. "Old Man, rinse this three times, then soak it in some hot water. I need to go out again to buy a couple of steamers."

"Alright." Comrade Zhou took the pickled mustard and went into the kitchen.

After unloading his things, Zhou Yan sized up his family’s wok, then got on his bike and rode to the main street. He found the bamboo weaver, Hu Tianlei, and bought three large steamers.

He bought them sized for a wood-fired stove. They were huge; you could fit about ten of his family’s earthenware bowls in one layer.

Three layers meant thirty bowls, which was enough for now.

Of course, that was the conventional way of stacking them.

Some Evil Cultivators would stack bowls on top of bowls, fitting dozens into a single layer. He had seen it once, and it was a magnificent sight.

The advantage of steamed dishes was that you could keep stacking them higher and higher, similar to braised dishes. You just had to keep an eye on the time.

There was a reason they became the star dishes of outdoor banquets, famous as the "three steams and nine buckles," all thanks to their incredible serving efficiency.

"A wok needs seasoning, and it’s the same idea for these bamboo steamers. Has your master taught you how to maintain them?" Hu Tianlei, a wiry, middle-aged man, helped Zhou Yan tie the steamers to the back of his bicycle and asked with a smile.

"Actually, he hasn’t." Zhou Yan paused for a moment, then looked at Hu Tianlei with a smile. "Why don’t you give me some pointers, Boss Hu?"

"Pointers? Just take these three steamers to your master and swap them for three of his that are already broken in. Wouldn’t that be easier?" Hu Tianlei grinned. "That’s what masters are for, right?"

"That makes sense." Zhou Yan nodded, got on his bike, and headed toward his master’s house.

He knocked on the gate to his master’s courtyard.

"What is it?" Xiao Lei asked, looking at Zhou Yan holding three steamers.

"Master, a trade-in! I’ll give you three new steamers if you give me the three you’re most comfortable with," Zhou Yan said, carrying the steamers into the courtyard.

"Zhou Yan, you’re here." In the courtyard, Ma Dongmei was sorting pickled mustard. She stood up with a smile when she saw him come in.

"Ma’am," Zhou Yan greeted her. He smiled and said, "I’ve come to swap some steamers. I’ve never used new ones before."

Xiao Lei was firm. "No deal! My steamers are working just fine, I’m not trading with you. Don’t you get any funny ideas. Was it Hu Tianlei who put you up to this?"

"See? He’s getting worked up again." Zhou Yan placed the steamers on a nearby long bench and looked at Ma Dongmei. "Ma’am, look, Master is being mean to me again."

"You’re tattling to your master’s wife now?!" Xiao Lei raised his eyebrows and glared.

"Hey! Shitou, are you wearing your Magic Cloak or something?! What’s the big deal about swapping some steamers? Zhou Yan is giving you new ones and you’re still not happy? It’s not like he’s taking advantage of you." Ma Dongmei took a step forward, chin up, and declared, "We’re swapping! You hear me?!"

"Fine, fine, swap them," Xiao Lei waved his hand, a little resigned. "Those last three over there. Take them and go."

Ma Dongmei waved her hand magnanimously. "Ignore him. Go pick them yourself. Take whichever ones you like. I’d like to see him say a word."

"Master, I’m going to pick them out now," Zhou Yan said with a grin at Xiao Lei, walking toward the three stacks of bamboo steamers piled under the long corridor.

These steamers were actually all quite new. The oldest one was no more than two months old, and some had probably only been used once or twice. They were recent additions and still looked pristine.

Zhou Yan picked up three that looked relatively new and clean. He smiled at Xiao Lei. "Thanks, Master."

"Forgetting how to break in a steamer is one thing, but you still have to maintain them when you get them home. Otherwise, they’ll get moldy and stink after a couple of uses, and I won’t let you come back for another swap," Xiao Lei said with his hands behind his back.

"After you use them, wash them clean and put them in a cool, ventilated place. You need to periodically coat them with oil and steam them. That way they’ll slowly build up a patina. It’s the same principle as seasoning a wok. The more you use it, the better it gets.

"If you’re not going to use them for a long time, just let them air out in a ventilated spot. Don’t leave them in the sun, and prevent them from getting damp and moldy..."

Zhou Yan took out a small notebook and diligently wrote it all down.

’It’s true, you can always learn something real from Master.’

"Got it. I’ve written it down." Zhou Yan carried the steamers out, tied them to the back of his bike, and grinned at Xiao Lei. "Master, I’ll come find you for another swap next time I buy new steamers."

"Get lost!" Xiao Lei snatched up a nearby feather duster.

Zhou Yan pedaled away on his bike, not forgetting to shout back, "Ma’am, I’m heading out! Come by the shop later!"

"Alright—" Ma Dongmei called back with a laugh. "That kid is still so well-behaved. Such a good personality."

"He’s just gotten a little mischievous now." Xiao Lei put down the feather duster and smiled too, picking up the three new steamers and heading to the kitchen.

Ma Dongmei followed him into the kitchen, her expression serious. "You know, Zhou Yan is twenty now. Should I, as his master’s wife, help find him a wife? My third sister’s daughter, Juanjuan, just turned eighteen this year. She’s a cashier at the Jiazhou Department Store. She has fair skin, a pretty face, a good personality, and a proper job. She’d be a good match for Zhou Yan."

"Juanjuan is a nice girl, and her personality is good too, but I’m afraid she might not catch Zhou Yan’s eye anymore," Xiao Lei said leisurely as he added water to the wok.

"Why not? Has Zhou Yan earned some money and now he looks down on the working class?"

"No, that’s not it. When he was paying today, he pulled out a Shanghai-brand leather wallet and said a beautiful lady gave it to him." Xiao Lei placed a steamer in the wok and looked at Ma Dongmei with a knowing smile. "Tell me, what kind of beautiful lady would be willing to give him such an expensive wallet?"

Ma Dongmei’s eyes lit up. "So you’re saying... something is probably going on!"

"Zhou Yan’s getting more and more smooth-tongued these days. He’s quick-witted, a steady and capable worker, and he’s earning money. We don’t need to worry about him finding a wife at all," Xiao Lei chuckled.

"Of course. He’s tall and handsome, who knows how many young girls have a crush on him." Ma Dongmei nodded in deep agreement, then added with a smile, "Actually, about Juanjuan, it was my third sister who came to me. She said Juanjuan has met Zhou Yan, knows he’s your apprentice, and has a pretty good impression of him."

"You should stay out of matchmaking. If it works out, you get a pig’s trotter as a gift. If it doesn’t, you might get blamed for a lifetime. It’s not worth it, not worth it." Xiao Lei lit the fire. "Zhou Yan bought a big house across from Jiazhou Pier. Juanjuan might not really be a good fit for him anymore."

"He even bought a house in Jiazhou! Zhou Yan really is capable..."

...

The capable Zhou Yan carried the steamers home, first trying one on his wok to check the size. It was a perfect fit.

"Why did you buy three old ones?" Mrs. Zhao asked, confused.

"I traded new ones with my master for them. These kinds of steamers are the best. You can use them right away without having to break them in or oil them," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He placed four blocks of Chestnut Wood on the floor and set the steamers on top in a corner.

He wouldn’t need them today. He had ordered a few pounds of pork from Zhang the Third and planned to make Salted Burnt White tomorrow morning, starting with a small batch to test the waters with a new dish.

"And your master was willing to part with them?"

"My master wasn’t, but his wife is good to me. She let me pick whichever I wanted, and my master didn’t dare say a word against it," Zhou Yan laughed.

"Your master really met his match with you," Zhao Tieying said, laughing as well.

Zhou Yan glanced at the time. He’d been busy all afternoon, and it was already 4:30. He scooped the pickled mustard that had been soaking in hot water out of the enamel basin and squeezed it dry.

The quality of this pickled mustard was truly excellent. It was moist and glossy, with uniform stalks. When chopped into fine bits, it released a sweet, fragrant aroma.

He picked up a small piece and popped it into his mouth. The saltiness was just right, with a faintly sweet aftertaste. The texture was crisp and tender, making a CRUNCHING sound as he chewed. It was exceptionally fragrant.

This was the difference between this specific pickled mustard and ordinary salted vegetables. This one used the tender stems of a type of green vegetable, with the leaves removed, leaving only the stems cut into chopstick-thick strips.

Only the most crisp and tender parts were used, in pursuit of the ultimate crunchy texture.

During the pickling process, besides salt, brown sugar water, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices were added. It was pickled three times and cellared twice.

This "three pickles, two cellars" technique was what created the unique flavor of Yibin pickled mustard.

He tasted it to get a sense of the saltiness. It was a little less salty than he expected, which was better for the chef, as he wouldn’t have to worry as much about the salt from the mustard making the whole dish too salty.

He took a piece of pre-cooked "second-knife" pork and sliced it to the thickness of a copper coin. The pork was cooked just right, still slightly pink on the inside.

He finely minced fresh broad bean paste. He washed the garlic sprouts, gently crushed their thick white bases with his knife, and then sliced them diagonally, creating pointed ends. He kept the white parts and the green leaves separate.

He fired up the stove and heated the wok. Once it was hot, he first added the finely chopped pickled mustard and stir-fried it to remove its surface moisture.

On his way back, Zhou Yan had asked Grandmaster Xiao and Grandmaster Zheng for advice. They had told him not to stir-fry the pickled mustard until it was too dry, or it would lose its crisp, tender texture and become old and tough, rendering it inedible.

Once it was done, he removed it from the wok. He added rapeseed oil to the wok, then tossed in the pork slices and flash-fried them over low heat. The "second-knife" pork shrank, curling into perfect "lamp-cup" shapes.

The rendered fat from the pork mixed with the rapeseed oil. He pushed the meat to one side, added the minced broad bean paste, and stir-fried it over low heat until it was cooked through, fragrant, and had released its red oil. Then he mixed the meat back in.

The white pork slices, coated in the red oil, immediately turned a glistening crimson.

At this point, he added the previously stir-fried pickled mustard. The hot oil hit it, and the mustard’s aroma exploded outwards. The dry mustard was coated in the glistening red oil, instantly becoming bright and luscious.

He added a spoonful of sweet bean sauce and continued to stir-fry, then added the white parts of the garlic sprouts, and finally the green leaves for a few last tosses before taking it off the heat and plating it!

The crimson pork slices were curled into "lamp-cups," each little hollow filled with finely chopped pickled mustard, all shimmering with a luscious sheen.

The white garlic sprout stems and green leaves were dotted throughout.

The aroma of the Pickled Mustard Twice-Cooked Pork wafted up with the steam.

[A Pretty Decent Dish of Pickled Mustard Twice-Cooked Pork]

"Whoa! ’Pretty decent’ on the first try!" Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up.