Chapter 101 Beef Offal Stew, Spicy Blood Tofu [Second Update]...

On Saturday night, the customers in the store suddenly noticed that something was different.

Where the counter used to be, now sits two small stoves, each with a deep, large pot on it. Next to the pots, on the table, are many empty earthenware pots. Although the pots are tightly covered, many people can clearly smell the unusual aroma emanating from the shop.

This aroma is different from the noodles and rice dishes the shop used to make; it's more like a rich, stewed meat. The intense meaty fragrance not only permeates the room but also escapes outside through the ever-opening and closing curtains.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

"The restaurant has new dishes? The owner is still willing to listen to everyone's opinions."

"Boss lady, what new dishes do you have today?"

Wen's mother pointed to the wall next to her.

The guests looked around and finally found the price list.

[Beef Offal Hot Pot - 128 RMB/serving]

[Adding side dishes costs 10 yuan per serving, and main dishes cost 3 yuan per serving]

[Vegetarian dishes: potatoes, baby bok choy, tofu, glass noodles, tofu sheets]

[Staple foods: Instant noodles, hot dry noodles, rice]

[Note: Order food in moderation for better health]

Many guests were all smiles when they saw the first part, but started muttering to themselves when they saw the last sentence.

"You're not saying I'm definitely going to eat until I'm stuffed. Just how big is the portion size?!"

"Hahaha, I absolutely love beef offal hot pot! I'm going to eat my fill today!"

"One hundred and twenty-eight? That's not expensive, it probably isn't much."

"Boss lady, I'll have two servings!"

Wen's mother: "Okay, spicy or not spicy?"

Wen's father, who was waiting nearby, lifted the lids of the two pots upon hearing the order.

Amidst the cloud-like steam, the two pots revealed their true form.

A small stove at the bottom of the pot kept the two large pots warm, with a gentle bubbling at the edge, releasing the aroma of the beef offal inside. Beef tripe, intestines, heart, lungs... a dazzling array of ingredients floated to the surface.

One pot is filled with red oil and broth, its spicy aroma alone enough to tantalize the taste buds. The other pot, however, is much lighter in color. Upon closer inspection, the offal in the two pots is even slightly different.

Mother Wen explained, "This one is spicy and braised, while the other is closer to the Cantonese style."

The Cantonese version includes tripe and brisket, while the braised version includes tendons and beef bones.

When Wen Fan was making it, she tried many different kinds, and finally chose these two very representative beef offal hot pots. The Cantonese style is inseparable from soybean paste, fermented bean curd sauce, and hoisin sauce, while the spicy version uses several kinds of chili peppers as accompaniments, and the spiciness is so strong that it makes your nose tingle after it is cooked.

"...one spicy and one non-spicy!"

Since we're already here, who wouldn't want to try everything?

Father Wen deftly picked up the casserole, bent down to open the large bucket next to it, and people then discovered that there was a stainless steel soup pot next to the two stoves.

The soup pot contained white radishes, which Wen Fan had pre-cooked with a spice packet. Wen's father ladled a spoonful of radish at the bottom, and two plates of chopped tofu puffs were placed on the counter. He placed the tofu puffs next to the casserole, and then began ladling out the beef offal. He made sure to include every single ingredient…

Customer: "...More tendon, please!"

"Okay." Father Wen put a large spoonful of tendon into the casserole, and after it was about the right amount, he poured in two spoonfuls of broth and sprinkled garlic sprouts on top.

That wasn't all. Wen's father then found a small electric stove under the table and put the clay pot on it to heat it up.

The beef offal, which was originally just kept warm in the large pot, was heated in the clay pot and soon started to bubble and churn. With the small pot of beef offal steaming, the restaurant was soon bustling with excitement.

"I want a spicy one!"

I want two!

"Don't push! I was here first!"

Mother Wen quickly restored order: "Everything is available, we have prepared plenty today!"

After finally arranging the guests, Mr. Wen packed each item, and Yao Qingqin placed them on the table.

Some couldn't wait and started eating as soon as they saw steam coming out of the pot.

The beef tripe, stewed for a long time, is chewy yet firm, while the beef intestines are rich in fat, making each bite fragrant and delicious. The beef lungs have a spongy texture, filled with piping hot and flavorful broth.

The most wonderful part is the tendon. The trembling tendon is stewed until it becomes translucent, sticky and chewy.

The meat on the beef bones is cooked until it's incredibly flavorful, and the broth is rich and creamy. If you take a bite of white radish at this point, you'll be surprised to find that the white radish is just as good as the beef offal!

The white radish, which was originally meant to be a side dish, was stewed until it was completely tender and melted in the mouth with the slightest pressure. Its natural sweetness and the spicy and savory flavor of the beef offal soup formed a perfect combination.

"Wow! This is so delicious!"

"This soup is so rich and flavorful, I'm going to mix it with rice!"

"It's so hot... I felt hot while I was eating it."

"Take off your clothes, take off your clothes. I must say, this is actually quite spicy."

One by one, people took off their thick clothes. In the end, everyone in the room was only wearing light clothing. Some were red-faced from the spiciness, while others were sweating from the heat and saying how great it was, asking the owner for another cold drink.

Spicy braised beef offal hot pot is popular with everyone, and the Cantonese version has also received unanimous praise.

Although it wasn't very spicy, the broth was rich and flavorful, with a savory and delicious taste. The beef offal was stewed until very tender and translucent, and the beef brisket was also firm. The tofu puffs inside had absorbed all the broth and become soft and mushy.

Grandpa Duan arrived just in time and especially loved the beef brisket in the Cantonese-style beef offal hot pot, eating piece after piece.

He ordered two beef offal hot pots tonight. Across the table sat Qu Qingqing's family. Apart from Qu Xiaoyu, who was still at school, Qu's father and mother, as well as Qu Qingqing, were all there tonight.

Two beef offal hot pots were shared by four people, and everyone was sweating profusely.

Qu Qingqing took photos while eating, and her mother secretly winked at her husband.

But Mr. Qu was engrossed in eating, completely ignoring his daughter who was absorbed in her love affair and his wife who was trying to share her views with him.

If we're talking about who's been the unluckiest lately, Naqu Fu would definitely be number one.

When his master arrived, he reduced his weight by several notches, a weight he hadn't touched in years.

In just over half a month, Mr. Qu had already lost about ten pounds.

After losing about ten pounds, Mr. Qu became anxious even looking at leafy greens. Tonight, he begged and pleaded with his father to come eat meat with him, determined to get his money's worth...

Wen Fan stayed at home for half a day, and when he saw that it was almost time, he decided to come to the store to work. But as soon as he entered the door, he saw a group of people in red.

The steam in the room raised the temperature, which made people feel the enthusiasm for cold drinks, which had been scarce since autumn.

The turnover rate of beef offal hot pot is destined to be lower than that of noodle dishes, so after Wen Fan came in, there was no place to sit.

Mrs. Wen apologized, "We served beef offal hot pot today, and there were quite a few people... Why don't you come another day?"

The people in the store have just started eating, and who knows how long it will take? Even if we wait, it will take at least half an hour.

After Mrs. Wen finished speaking, the new guest took a deep breath and said that it was only half an hour, and she would wait!

"It's alright, boss lady, just give me your number."

Having no other choice, Wen's mother wrote down a number for her behind the counter.

The girl got a number and started calling people to find others.

"Come quick! Wenji has a new dish today! Beef offal hot pot!"

"I've already got my queue number, hurry up!"

"What? Your electric scooter is out of power? Then take a taxi! Don't blame me for not warning you, it'll be my turn in half an hour, if you miss it..."

"You want to call the VIP version? Okay, I'll call Qiqi and the others too."

...

The people in line were making phone calls while staring at the beef offal hot pot on the table inside, swallowing their saliva, and regretting that they hadn't come sooner!

If it had been ten minutes earlier, she would have been eating by now!

But after only a few minutes, she began to feel fortunate.

After the guests had eaten and drunk their fill, they started posting on social media, and the announcement "Wenji has new items" prompted many people to head there now.

Numbers two, three, and four quickly appeared behind them, and half an hour later, the number reached thirty.

Wen's mother came out again to dissuade people, saying that although she had prepared a lot of food, the store simply couldn't handle so many people.

"At this rate, people who arrive later won't be able to eat until 10:30."

Waiting for half an hour is acceptable, but making people wait for three hours is excessive, even for Wen's mother.

Unfortunately, the big foodies said three hours was nothing?

"I queued for more than four hours at that beef rice place in the east of the city!"

Three hours is no problem at all. Besides, which trendy restaurant doesn't have a queue? What kind of trendy restaurant wouldn't have a queue?

Mother Wen:......

Is it possible that we have to leave work on time?

Since she couldn't persuade people to leave, Wen's mother could only advise those who could afford it to pack food and take it home to eat.

Indeed, more than a dozen people who couldn't wait chose to pack their leftovers. After counting the people behind her, Mrs. Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

There were many stools placed at the entrance of the small shop. Wen's mother and Yao Qingqin moved the sweet potato soup outside so that everyone could use disposable cups to get their own.

After settling these people in, Wen's mother handed over the stall to Yao Qingqin and went to help her daughter.

Wen Fan's three tables of people had also arrived early, and Wen's mother first served each table a beef offal stew.

The beef offal hot pot wasn't big, only half the normal amount. The three tables of people ate while waiting for Wen Fan's dishes. No one felt that Wen Fan was being sloppy; on the contrary, they were all glad that they had come today and caught the new dishes.

Wen's mother served tea to the three tables of people, paying particular attention to one table of guests.

The guests at this table were a young couple. They paid 300 yuan, and the wife was heavily pregnant.

Out of safety concerns, Wen's mother asked a question a few months ago.

"It's been more than five months."

The man carefully served food to his wife, but the pregnant woman herself had a great appetite and hardly stopped eating.

Wen's mother asked the other party if they had any dietary restrictions.

The pregnant woman cheerfully replied that she didn't.

"I just have a really good appetite, and I've been craving spicy food lately, so I'll put more chili peppers in the dishes later."

Wen's mother smiled: "That's quite a coincidence."

What's so clever about it?

Of course, the key was in Wen Fan's menu this time.

Having finished making the beef offal stew, Wen Fan felt that the current weather was perfect for eating something spicy, so the theme of tonight's dishes was spicy.

The spicy beef offal hot pot is just the beginning.

As soon as Mother Wen finished speaking, a fragrant aroma of chili peppers wafted from the kitchen.

Wen Fan was stirring the wok in the back kitchen, adding fermented bean paste, various chili peppers, butter, Sichuan peppercorns, and Sichuan peppercorns to the wok to make red oil, then pouring in hot water and waiting for it to boil.

Add bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms and other side dishes to the boiling pot in order, then add ham and duck blood and cook until done. Tripe and honeycomb tripe should be cooked for a short time and then removed from the pot.

The side dishes are placed at the bottom of the casserole, topped with ham, duck blood, tripe, and honeycomb tripe, then a layer of minced garlic, chili powder, and dried chilies. Hot oil is poured over it, making a sizzling sound.

Mother Wen brought out the spicy blood curd, and without anyone urging her, she served a bowl of rice to each of the three tables.

The pregnant woman was very excited the moment she saw the spicy blood curd, while her husband watched in horror.

"Slow down! Slow down!"

The aroma of spicy and numbing flavors was irresistible, and red oil stains quickly appeared on the rice.

The pregnant woman happily shed her thick vest.

"I definitely need spicy food!"