I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 890 - 380: Xie Baomin: I’ve Discovered a New Fun! Piping Hot Braised Mutton, So Satisfying!

Chapter 890: Chapter 380: Xie Baomin: I’ve Discovered a New Fun! Piping Hot Braised Mutton, So Satisfying!

"Lin, you’re from the Central Plains, right? If I remember correctly, braised mutton originally came from your region?"

Dai Jianli, upon hearing about making braised mutton, his previously sluggish demeanor perked up.

He seems to go through life without worries, either pondering food or entertainment, or looking for ways to tease other head chefs.

He’s like a child with ADHD and can’t sit still.

For instance, now, as soon as he entered the restaurant in Building 2, he first praised Gu Junli’s bubbles and then pinched a small pot of green plants at the front desk, simultaneously flicking a leaf on the nearby bamboo.

Lin Xu laughed and said:

"It’s a dish that spread from our small city called Xinxiang. It became popular nationwide in the 1990s, and many people flocked to try braised mutton."

Yinzhou is next to Xinxiang, so Lin Xu knows a bit about it.

Although he was born after the hype over braised mutton, he took a few trips to taste it.

The mutton, stewed until tender, simmers in the pot over a low flame. You can choose different flavors—mildly spicy, spiced, numbing spiciness, or five-spice—all of which are quite good.

After eating the mutton, you can use the original soup in the pot to cook vegetables.

It’s considered an economical and endlessly delicious dish.

Upon gaining the red-braise technique, he was keen to try making braised mutton. Now that Dai Jianli wants something that induces a sweat, there’s no question about it—let’s get to work.

As they reached the kitchen door, Dai Jianli patted his head:

"Damn, I forgot to get some lamb ribs from Old Yin. Shouldn’t braising be done with lamb ribs?"

Lin Xu shook his head:

"Using lamb ribs for braising would be wasteful, and it doesn’t have that hearty meat-eating vibe. Normally, it’s done with lamb leg meat and lamb belly."

Braised mutton is a typical dish where meat is stewed with meat.

The fat from lamb leg meat helps soften the lamb belly, and the richness of the lamb fat makes the belly very delicious. The aroma of the belly meat also enhances the taste of the leg meat.

Entering the kitchen, Cheng JianShe appears with some fresh lamb meat from the cold storage, and Dai immediately says:

"Old Cheng, this lamb meat is seized; you’ll have to get more."

Cheng JianShe is quite familiar with Dai Jianli:

"Old Dai, are you visiting again? Is there nothing going on at Building 18?"

"Our building’s head chef is pretty reliable, so whether I’m there or not, the work goes smoothly. Unlike Old Xie, things fall apart if he’s not kept in check."

Cheng JianShe: ????

Do you believe I’ll bash your brains with a lamb bone?

Lin Xu said:

"Chef Cheng, I’m planning to make some braised mutton for lunch, let’s eat together then."

"Alright, what part do you need, and I’ll get it for you."

"I need lamb leg and lamb belly, about five pounds."

Less than that won’t be enough. Besides, with lamb, the less meat there is, the more bland the stew will taste; the more meat, the tastier it gets. Especially with the method of stewing lamb leg with belly, the more meat, the fuller the aroma.

Cheng JianShe handed the lamb to his assistant and said, "Wait a moment," before going in to get more.

Lin Xu looked at a head chef from the Soup Department in the kitchen and asked:

"Where’s my senior brother?"

"Chef Xie came in this morning and went upstairs. Do you want me to call him for you?"

Dai Jianli waved his hand:

"You just do your thing; I’ll go have a look. Maybe Old Xie’s taking a nap like me. He drank quite a bit yesterday too; who knows if he’s over the hangover yet."

Saying this, he ascended the stairs leading from the kitchen door.

Lin Xu originally wanted to follow and check on his senior brother’s condition but was afraid of missing the braised mutton for lunch.

Soon, Cheng JianShe walked out from the cold storage carrying a basin with two lamb legs and two large pieces of lamb belly.

The meat trembled, obviously fresh lamb delivered that morning.

In a place like the Fishing Platform, the biggest advantage is not having to worry about the quality of ingredients. Whether it’s meat or vegetables, even a small scallion, the quality is top-notch.

Taking the lamb from the basin, deftly removing the leg bones, keeping only the meat and not the bones.

Cutting all the lamb into mahjong-sized pieces, placing them in a basin, and holding them under a faucet to rinse off the blood.

Braise mutton shouldn’t be boiled; once boiled, the texture and taste of the lamb change for the worse.

To enhance the lamb’s flavor, it’s important to soak the lamb in running water beforehand to wash away as much of the blood as possible.

Today’s lamb is fresh enough, and Lin Xu estimates that soaking for half an hour should be enough to cook this braised mutton.

So-called braising normally involves cooking ingredients with sugar color, dark soy sauce, dry yellow sauce, and red fermented tofu juices.

The stewing method makes the ingredients turn a reddish hue and become tender.

But braised mutton is different from regular braised dishes. Braised mutton combines stewing with the Sichuan-Chongqing hotpot; hence, the ’red’ in braised mutton refers to red oil.

Traditional Shandong-style braised technique here is replaced with chopped Doubanjiang or chili sauce.

These ingredients are used to stir-fry and produce red oil, making the sauce reddish and spicy, enticing.

In contrast, the five-spice braising uses dry yellow sauce + sugar color + soy sauce, though this flavor is less popular; most people choose mildly spicy or spiced.

This way, the mutton is enjoyable to eat, and after the mutton, the vegetables cooked in the broth are even tastier.

After placing the lamb under the faucet, Lin Xu leisurely strolled upstairs to see if his senior brother was snoozing in the tea room.