Chapter 491 - 232: An Exceptionally Good Salted Burnt White

Chapter 491: Chapter 232: An Exceptionally Good Salted Burnt White

"I’ve lit the fire," Meng Anhe nodded. "You’re just in time."

...

"That’s right. The part of the ribs that’s closer to the belly. I’ll take this piece of pork belly. Don’t cut it; I’ll handle it myself when I get back." In front of Zhang the Third’s meat stall, Zhou Yan directed him to set aside a piece of pork belly.

[A Piece of Extremely High-Quality Pork Belly]

Zhou Yan’s eyebrow twitched in satisfaction. This piece was about nine pounds, just right for making ten portions of Salted Burnt White.

Having sold another nine pounds of meat, Zhang the Third beamed and asked, "Zhou Yan, what new dish are you adding today? You’re starting to use pork belly. Salted Burnt White? Braised pork?"

"I’m making Salted Burnt White today. Just buying some meat to try it out first," Zhou Yan said as he packed up the meat.

"Oh, Salted Burnt White is the best! It’s my favorite steamed dish. I bet yours will be delicious," Zhang the Third said. He had eaten at Zhou Yan’s restaurant two days ago, and the braised pork intestines had been so incredible that it gave him a whole new appreciation for Zhou Yan’s culinary skills.

"Well, you should bring your wife back to try it sometime," Zhou Yan said with a smile. Then he and Comrade Zhou pulled the cart of meat back to the restaurant.

Salted Burnt White is a classic, non-spicy Sichuan dish. It’s neither fiery nor expensive, unlike high-end banquet fare like Snowflake Chicken Porridge and Boiled Cabbage.

Salted Burnt White is more down-to-earth and a beloved favorite among the common people.

After the morning rush, with the braised meats simmering away in their pot, Zhou Yan began to work on the pork belly.

He heated a wok, then placed the pork belly skin-down to sear it. The skin made a SIZZLING sound as it hit the scorching iron, its surface darkening as the fine hairs were burned away completely.

This step not only removed the hair but also helped to eliminate some of the pork’s gamy odor.

He scraped off the blackened surface with a knife, revealing the golden-yellow skin underneath, then washed it clean once more.

He brought a pot of water to a boil with scallions and ginger, then added the large piece of pork belly and cooked it for ten minutes. He immediately removed it and brushed the skin side with a salted red soy sauce. The skin instantly turned a brilliant, deep, and translucent red.

This salted red soy sauce is a unique seasoning soy sauce used in Sichuan Cuisine Cooking, with the best variety hailing from Tangchang Town in Pixian County.

It’s similar to dark soy sauce and is primarily used for adding color.

When Zhou Yan was a food blogger, he had made a video about this very subject.

Salted red soy sauce is made from a base of light soy sauce that is repeatedly sun-dried to concentrate its flavor, darken its color, and thicken its consistency. Brown sugar and spices are then added and simmered with it, creating a concentrated soy sauce with a unique sweet-and-salty profile.

The color from the salted red soy sauce wasn’t just brilliant; it also provided the meat with plenty of saltiness.

He heated rapeseed oil in a wok. When the oil was medium-hot, he placed the pork skin-side down and fried it until it turned a deep red and started to wrinkle. He then removed it and plunged it into a nearby pot of hot water.

This created the so-called "tiger skin" effect, which looked incredibly satisfying.

With the pork pre-treatment complete, he moved on to stir-frying the pickled mustard.

Comrade Zhou had already squeezed the excess water from the soaked pickled mustard and chopped it finely. Zhou Yan heated a wok without any oil and dry-fried the pickled mustard to remove all moisture, taking it out once the wok began to smoke faintly.

He then added a mixture of lard and rapeseed oil to the wok. He tossed in Sichuan peppercorns, ginger slices, and fermented black beans, stir-frying them until fragrant before adding the pickled mustard back in to fry everything together.

Frying the pickled mustard in oil helped to better release its aroma.

Once the pickled mustard was ready, he began to slice the pork.

The slicing of the meat was also a matter of precision. Each piece had to be cut into a large, standard slice: two traditional inches long, just over an inch wide, and a single tenth of an inch thick.

Zhou Yan had planned for this, having asked Zhang the Third to leave him a cut with the perfect width so that nothing would be wasted during slicing.

The irregular offcuts were placed in a separate bowl. They were still prime pork belly, just not perfectly shaped enough to be sold to customers. But for a staff meal? They were absolutely perfect.

The well-cut slices were arranged neatly in an earthenware bowl, a step known as "setting the bowl."

Eight slices in the center with one on each side made for a total of ten slices. The arrangement resembled an open book, which is why it was also called "a bound volume."

At this point, he mixed salt into the salted red soy sauce and drizzled it evenly over the meat, ensuring every slice was uniformly colored. He added two segments of pickled chili, then covered everything with a generous layer of the cooked pickled mustard, packing it down firmly.

With that, a bowl of Salted Burnt White was halfway complete. He placed it in a steamer basket and positioned it carefully.

The nine pounds of pork had yielded exactly ten bowls. One of them, made from the offcuts, was marked by Zhou Yan with a piece of red pickled chili on top of the mustard greens. This would be the one they’d eat for lunch.

Ten bowls of Salted Burnt White filled a single steamer basket perfectly. After setting it on the stove to steam, Zhou Yan glanced at his watch. It would need a good hour and a half.

With the Salted Burnt White on the steamer, Zhou Yan immediately started preparing the braised vegetables.

The addition of Salted Burnt White made an already hectic morning even more so.

By the time all the braised dishes were plated, the Fire Control on the Salted Burnt White was also just about complete.

There’s a saying that the most delicious Salted Burnt White is one that’s been steamed a second time, on the following day.

In fact, this is the standard procedure for traditional outdoor banquets. The dish is steamed until it’s about seventy percent cooked on the first day, then steamed a second time right before the feast begins on the next.

’By modern standards, would this count as a kind of pre-packaged meal?’

But it was true that Burnt White steamed this way became more flavorful, tender, and sticky.

However, the Salted Burnt White Zhou Yan was steaming didn’t need to shy away from the comparison.

Zhou Yan stir-fried two more dishes, then lifted the bamboo steamer lid and took out the marked bowl of Salted Burnt White from the side. An incredible aroma instantly filled the air.

The debut of a new dish was always a moment of intense focus for the entire restaurant.

Everyone held their breath, watching as Zhou Yan placed a round plate over the earthenware bowl. Then, with a single, swift motion, he flipped it over, leaving the bowl inverted on the plate.

A trickle of savory oil ran down the side. Zhou Yan slowly lifted the earthenware bowl, revealing a vibrantly colored portion of Salted Burnt White.

The meat, a translucent, glistening brownish-red, lay over the pickled mustard like a layer of amber.

Even though it was made from offcuts, Zhou Yan had trimmed them so it still looked quite presentable.

[An Extremely Decent Salted Burnt White]

Zhou Yan saw the Identification result. ’If I’m not mistaken,’ he thought, ’the only thing keeping it from ’Perfect’ is the quality of the meat slices.’

’The other nine portions still in the pot should all reach [Perfect] status.’

"Oh, that looks wonderful! The color is so beautiful, so red and glossy," Mrs. Zhao exclaimed.

"Exactly. It looks no different from the one Master Zhou Yan made last time," Zhao Hong agreed with a nod.

"Dinner’s ready!" Zhou Yan carried the Salted Burnt White out of the kitchen and set it on the table.

"I’m so lucky! I get to eat meat every single day!" Zhou Momo clapped her little hands, trotting excitedly behind Zhou Yan. She deftly scrambled onto her stool and sat up straight, her eyes glued to the Salted Burnt White on the table.

Salted Burnt White and Sweet Burnt White were, without a doubt, the little girl’s absolute favorites at any banquet.

Zhou Yan placed a piece of pork in her bowl, then used a spoon to ladle some of the pickled mustard over her rice. The dark sauce seeped into the grains, making them glisten.

"I absolutely love Burnt White!" Zhou Momo leaned in to sniff it, blew on it gently, then took a bite. Her eyes lit up. She followed it with a big mouthful of rice and pickled mustard, her expression turning ecstatic.

"Everyone, try today’s Salted Burnt White," Zhou Yan said, picking up a piece with his chopsticks. The fatty portion trembled, and his chopsticks sank into it with the slightest pressure, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

He popped it into his mouth. The flavors of the pickled mustard and pork exploded on his tongue. The fried "tiger skin" had soaked up the juices; it was tender and springy, yet sticky against his lips. The fat melted instantly, while the lean meat was savory and flavorful—soft without being mushy, moist, and rich without being greasy!

’This flavor... it perfectly matched every expectation I had for Salted Burnt White!’

’It might even be a little more sublime than the version his master used to make.’

"The way the tiger skin soaks up the juice is incredible! It’s so rich with collagen it makes your lips sticky. It’s just heavenly!" Mrs. Zhao praised, her eyes shining.

"The pickled mustard is even more fragrant than the pork! I could probably eat three bowls of rice with this and still not want to stop!" Comrade Zhou shoveled a large mouthful of rice, then used a spoon to scoop up more pickled mustard, mixing the oily sauce into his bowl.

Rice mixed with the pickled mustard from Salted Burnt White!

It was absolutely divine!

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