Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 81: Barbecue with Milk Tea, Double the Happiness

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Barbecue with Milk Tea, Double the Happiness

The customers who had tasted the milk tea eagerly pulled out their bank cards, shouting to pay the bill.

Seeing everyone’s enthusiasm, those who hadn’t tried it yet also couldn’t resist. With the ingredients right in front of them, it couldn’t possibly taste bad, so they too joined the line to order.

Lin Chen first helped with a few large watermelons to allow Lucas to quickly prepare the fruit dishes, lest the customers wait too long, as the large skewers wouldn’t be ready quickly.

With the milk tea ingredients prepared, ice jelly was certainly a must. Lucas’s small table was so full it was almost running out of space.

Lin Chen sighed in relief and began adding charcoal to the grill to start the fire.

He then took out a few plates of skewered meat and placed them on the counter, making it convenient for customers to order.

"Come on, come on, customers who want barbecue, come and place your orders. We can grill around twenty skewers at a time, so report your numbers to me in advance."

"Today, we’re offering barbecue that’s a specialty from the northeastern region of Great Xia. This batch is braised beef with onions, this raw one is Angus with upper loin, and this is New Zealand lamb rib skewers. We’ve also got some vegetables over here..."

The neatly arranged skewers were visually striking, each piece of meat cubed like tofu, noticeably larger than the skewers they usually saw.

"The braised beef is five euros per skewer, upper loin and lamb are four euros, and vegetables are one euro."

The braised beef was more expensive because it had to be pre-cooked, and the meat would shrink, making it seem like the same amount of meat but actually more than the other skewers.

Even foreigners were seeing skewers this large for the first time, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Oh my god, I’ve only seen such large skewers in videos from the Middle East, but they’re usually eaten with flatbreads. How satisfying would it be to gnaw on something this big directly?"

"A bite of barbecue, a sip of chilled watermelon juice milk tea—I can’t even imagine how wonderful that would taste."

"Boss, which skewer do you recommend? Can you grill the vegetables too, won’t they burn?"

Lin Chen nodded, casually picking up five skewers of sirloin and placing them on the grill.

The tender, fatty beef brisket sizzled instantly upon touching the hot grill.

"I recommend this beef brisket and onion skewer; it’s the most representative and highly-rated skewer here. You should’ve had brisket before, right? It’s like ribeye steak—this kind of fatty meat is incredibly fragrant!"

Just mentioning brisket might not resonate much with foreigners, as international methods of cooking brisket differ from the domestic ones. Many remove the fat for stews, making it indistinguishable as brisket if not told.

But mention a ribeye steak, and foreigners instantly nod in agreement, feeling the connection.

"Ah, yes, the fatty part of the ribeye is indeed fragrant. Medium-rare is just right, and it bursts with juices!"

"Especially with the first bite; it feels like you’re floating! The only downside is you can’t eat too much of it, as it gets a bit greasy."

"Exactly."

Lin Chen promptly agreed, "That’s why we’ve added onions as an element to cut the grease. The pre-cooked brisket has also been portioned to ensure the right amount of fat, so it’s not too greasy to eat."

"Sounds good, but I’ve never had Great Xia’s barbecue before. I want to try every type; how about one of each for starters? Also, some vegetables."

"Barbecue, barbecue! Why call it barbecue if you’re not eating meat? I’ll take two brisket, one upper loin, and one lamb!"

"I can’t eat fatty meat. I’ll skip the brisket. Lamb ribs are leaner and more suitable for me; I’ll take two of those."

He received orders for about twenty skewers at once, filling the entire grill in an instant. The sound of oil dripping from the sizzling skewers was like the most beautiful music in the world, teasing the few customers outside the window into swallowing hard.

They kept sniffing in hopes of catching a whiff of the meat, but the food truck’s exhaust system was excellent, perfectly drawing away all the rising smoke, creating a smoke curtain visible to the naked eye.

The pre-cooked brisket didn’t need much grilling; achieving a golden hue on the surface was enough, taking roughly three minutes.

The skewers now being grilled weren’t the ones just brought out from the fridge but rather taken out in advance to warm up during the journey from home.

Whether grilling, frying steaks, or other dishes requiring heat, the meat should not be cooked straight from a refrigerated or frozen state, except for some fried foods.

Only skewers grilled at room temperature can achieve a crispy exterior with a juicy, tender interior. A chilled skewer would be raw inside while the outside’s nearly burnt.

The plate just taken from the fridge only served as a prop menu and was placed nearby to warm naturally.

"Can you handle spice, ma’am?"

"Yes, just a little bit."

"How about the gentleman in the back?"

"Just make it a normal Great Xia flavor. I’d like to try the original version!"

"Alright~"

Picking up the seasoning jar, he gently shook it a few centimeters above, allowing the cumin grains of varying sizes to fall.

He used a blender to crush whole cumin seeds in advance, fully releasing their aroma without being too fine to absorb the skewer’s juices, leaving a mushy texture.

The chili powder was also slightly coarse, considering most foreigners couldn’t handle too much spice, so just a little was added for effect.

"Here, your two skewers, your one skewer, and yours..."

Even though he was grilling for three customers at once, he still remembered precisely how many of each skewer everyone ordered.

If there were twice as many people, he might not be able to keep track, as he hadn’t been specifically trained for this kind of work.

Once the sirloin was grilled, the surface continuously sizzled with oil, releasing waves of heat when picked up.

The heat activated the fragrances of the chili flakes and cumin pieces on the surface, combined with the noticeable aroma of beef fat, making one’s mouth water.

"Be careful, it’s hot. I suggest cooling down with a sip of milk tea first."

As Lucas shook the shaker cup, he kindly reminded the three, and several freshly made milk teas were already on the table.

He was smart, knowing jasmine milk green tea was the most convenient and made ten cups at once, so whoever wanted one could just pick it up and drink.

Made in front of everyone, no one minded them sitting out for a few minutes, and the foreigners had already shifted their attention completely from the milk tea to the grill inside the window, unconcerned about drinking.

"Makes sense."

The man who ordered medium-spicy, or rather Great Xia flavor, still felt a bit anxious inside. Fortunately, he also ordered one of each milk tea, casually grabbing a cup of jasmine milk green tea and taking a few big gulps.

The rich tea aroma and milk flavor intertwined and merged in his mouth, leaving a lasting aftertaste, a world apart from its plain appearance.

It was his first time trying milk tea, and his eyes widened immediately.

"Oh my god, with such a pale color, I thought it was just some milk with a hint of tea flavor, but it’s incredibly delicious! The tea aroma isn’t overshadowed by the milk at all; it’s not bitter or astringent, sweet and smooth—amazing!"