Daddy's Gourmet Shop-Chapter 320 - 310: Using "Mother and Child" Soy Sauce?

Chapter 320: Chapter 310: Using "Mother and Child" Soy Sauce?

After finishing his shopping, Huang Tao drove to the store.

Five minutes later.

He arrived at the parking area in front of the store.

By this time, the vendors had already delivered all the ingredients needed for lunch to the store.

The employees inside the store all came out in force to start unloading the ingredients.

Jiang Guowei also joined this "group activity" as usual, lending a hand to help carry the items.

"Boss Huang, back already?"

When Huang Tao got out of the car, carrying a large and a small plastic bag, he greeted with a smile while hurrying forward to help. Upon seeing the pickled vegetables and spices in the bags, his eyes lit up: "Are you making a new dish?"

"Yes!"

Huang Tao nodded and revealed the answer: "For lunch, I’m planning to make stewed meat with preserved vegetables."

"Please save me a portion later, Boss Huang, so I can try it." Jiang Guowei rubbed his hands together, full of anticipation.

Huang Tao smiled: "Sure, I’ll save a serving for you and your wife to taste for me."

Chatting with Jiang Guowei.

Huang Tao carried the items into the store.

After all the goods were unloaded, Huang Tao smiled and said to the vendor owners: "Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"

"Boss Huang, you’re too kind!"

Everyone smiled back, then mounted their electric tricycles in unison, saying in chorus: "I’ll head out now! I’ll come back to try your new dish when I have time at noon."

"Welcome, thank you all."

"No problem, we’re leaving now."

The vendor owners left first.

"Boss Huang, I’m off to work too, let’s chat when we have time."

With that said.

Jiang Guowei left.

Huang Tao led Xu Hao and the others in organizing the raw materials.

In no time.

The kitchen became busy.

Ding Suqin, Li Chengzhan, and Lin Qiuyu joined in the great task of washing.

Xu Hao placed the cleaned braised pig trotters, chicken wings, and chicken legs into the stainless steel braising pot to stew.

Jiang Chao and Lin Zifeng, on the other hand, wielded their knives and started chopping various ingredients.

Huang Tao took out the Honeyed Ham from the steamer, poured out the sauce, and, after placing it back, began preparing the stewed meat with pickled vegetables.

He asked Ding Suqin to wash the pickled vegetables soaked in warm water and squeeze out the excess water.

Then soak them in clean water again.

The reason for washing first and then soaking is because the soaking water for pickled vegetables will be used later.

If not washed, dust or debris might remain.

If put directly into the pot.

Regardless of the taste, the appetite would definitely be affected.

Although the store isn’t big, Huang Tao places great emphasis on food hygiene.

After soaking the pickled vegetables again, he soaked red rice in a bowl.

This red rice is mainly used to color the meat.

When cooking later, there’s no need to put it in the pot, just pour the soaked water into the pot.

Once all other ingredients are ready.

Huang Tao took the cleaned, neatly cut rib meat.

And began to trim the meat.

Using the Divine Level Chef’s Knife, he removed the excess lean meat.

Ensuring that the entire piece of meat presents a standard three-layer structure while keeping the thickness consistent.

Next.

He placed the meat skin side up on the cutting board.

Cutting downward on the meat skin with the Divine Level Chef’s Knife, stopping when reaching two-thirds of the meat, he slashed open the skin.

But the lean meat underneath remained connected.

Then he made cuts every two centimeters.

First cutting vertically, then horizontally.

Forming a cross-hatched pattern on the meat skin while keeping the lean meat intact.

With his skilful knife work,

The overall appearance of the meat was elevated by several levels.

Then Huang Tao soaked the trimmed meat in water to draw out the blood.

It needs to soak for half an hour.

In the meantime, he and Xu Hao began preparing other dishes.

In no time, Huang Tao was busy at the stove.

When frying crabs in the pot, he asked Lin Zifeng to help boil a pot of water.

When the water boiled.

The meat was about done soaking.

After frying a batch of crabs, he handed them over to the capable Xu Hao, while he put the five-spice pork belly that had soaked for half an hour into the pot with the skin side down.

Blanching!

This step is to remove impurities from the skin and lean meat.

Of course.

The blanching time should not be too long.

Just two to three minutes is enough.

If too long, the meat’s freshness and nutrients will be lost.

When he felt it was sufficient, he immediately turned off the heat.

Using a slotted spoon, he scooped all the blanched meat from the pot.

And rinsed it in the prepared hot water.

After cleaning the pot,

He poured a small amount of clean water into it.

He placed the previously prepared star anise and cinnamon into the pot, boiling it over high heat.

This method allows the aroma of star anise and cinnamon to infuse into the water.

Four minutes later, he put the cleaned pork from the hot water into the pot.

Adding knots of scallions to the pot.

Poured in a suitable amount of yellow wine to remove fishy odors and enhance the aroma.

He covered the pot with a lid.

Start braising.

Jiang Chao actually knows how to make this dry vegetable braised meat.

And he’s quite good at it.

Earlier, when he saw his boss making it, he paid special attention and observed carefully.

There’s no denying!

Every step that his boss takes in making this dry vegetable braised meat is extremely perfect and professional.

Not a single flaw could be found.

Compared to this, one could only say his boss has surpassed expectations...

At this moment, Huang Tao lifted the lid and used a spoon to skim the few impurities from the pot.

Seeing Xu Hao fry a pot of crabs, Huang Tao smiled and asked, "Xu Hao, do you know the trick to making this dry vegetable braised meat?"

The trick?

Xu Hao thought for a moment: "Add the water from soaking the pickled mustard greens and use mother-child soy sauce?"

Lin Zifeng smiled and offered his opinion: "When steaming the meat, first line the bowl with some pickled mustard greens, then place the meat skin side down on top?"

Jiang Chao contemplated briefly: "Boss, is it braising?"

Huang Tao turned down the heat and said, "Actually, although this dish is called dry vegetable braised meat, to make it delicious, it’s not about braising, but about steaming, and it requires a long enough steaming time."

The three pondered over Huang Tao’s words "not about braising, but about steaming."

In retrospect, it made sense.

Many people, when making this dish, focus on the word braise.

They think that the final steaming doesn’t play a significant role.

And Jiang Chao was one of those people.

Due to insufficient steaming time afterward, the whole dish ended up with a less than ideal texture.

Huang Tao smiled slightly, "When making this dish, it’s best to steam for more than two hours; the longer it’s steamed, the better the flavor and texture."

These words were an eye-opener for the three.

After skimming the impurities, Huang Tao added a large spoonful of mother-child soy sauce into the pot.

When making this dish, no salt is added at all.

The saltiness of the meat comes entirely from the pickled mustard greens and soy sauce.

Therefore, you need to add more soy sauce.

If too little is added, the saltiness won’t be enough, and the flavor of the dish will be much reduced.

After the seasoning was added.

He picked up the lid and covered the pot.

Simmer on low heat.

He didn’t stay idle either.

He asked Ding Suqin and the others to take out the soaked pickled mustard greens from the basin.

Squeeze out the excess water.

He then asked Jiang Chao to cut these pickled mustard greens into small pieces.

As for himself!

He started another pot.

Poured the pickled mustard greens’ soaking water into the pot.

Brought it to a boil.

When the water in the pot settled a bit.

He scooped the water on top into the braised meat pot.

As for the sediment, it’s discarded in the trash, not used.

This operation is to dissipate the musty smell in the pickled mustard greens’ water.

Boiling it also allows the extracted fragrance and salt to fully integrate into the water.

After fifteen minutes, he lifted the pot’s lid again.

By this time, the meat in the pot had already colored.

The broth had also reduced significantly.

In the drifting steam, a faint aroma of pickled mustard greens wafted out.

He poured the pre-soaked red yeast rice water into the pot.

Added a suitable amount of sugar.

Continued to braise.

This dish requires the meat skin to be red and shiny, and merely adding soy sauce is not enough to achieve this.

So red yeast rice water needs to be added.

And adding sugar is to enhance flavor and increase the dish’s taste.

To make this dish’s flavor not so monotonous.

Providing a taste where salty and sweet intertwine.

Leaving a lingering aftertaste!

Of course, this is also a fundamental operation in Zhejiang Cuisine.

After another ten minutes or so.

When the broth in the pot had reduced to just a thin layer, Huang Tao added half of the chopped pickled mustard greens from Jiang Chao.

Continued to braise.

The reason for not putting all the pickled mustard greens in is that they will absorb moisture.

If all are put in at once, there will be a lot of broth during steaming later.

Leaving half is to absorb the broth that will be produced during steaming later.

Huang Tao waited until all the broth in the pot had been absorbed before turning off the heat.

He spread the remaining pickled mustard greens in each bowl.

Then carefully removed the meat from the pot,

placing the meat pieces skin-side down in each bowl.

He then removed the spring onion knots, star anise, and cinnamon from the pot, mixed the pickled mustard greens from the pot with the ones not yet used, and placed them in the bowls.

Pressed them all slightly.

Covered each one with plastic wrap.

Doing this ensures that during steaming, the steam in the steamer won’t enter the bowls, causing more broth to form.

It also allows the meat’s aroma to penetrate the pickled mustard greens.

While the aroma of the mustard greens will also be absorbed by the meat.

He used a toothpick to poke several small holes in the plastic wrap.

Placed them in the steamer to steam for two hours.

During this time, he and Xu Hao got busy preparing other ingredients.