Chapter 55 Braised Pork Ribs
The rainbow didn't stay in the sky for long; it soon quietly dissipated into the damp air and disappeared naturally.
These pear preserves need to be repeatedly soaked in sugar and then dried in the sun to become amber-colored, slightly salty and fresh on the outside and warm and sweet on the inside. Just one bite will make you feel the juice inside slowly pouring out in your mouth.
As Jiang Zhi pondered, she found herself savoring the aroma of the food and lost in thought.
*
She didn't stay in a daze for long before she came to her senses, thought for a moment, and realized that it was time to make lunch.
The slender, white rice grains slid from Jiang Zhi's fingertips into the pot, and she poured in two handfuls. This is a local specialty, indica rice, which not only has a distinct texture but also a strong feeling of fullness. Paired with a bowl of meat or vegetables, just two bowls are enough to fill even farmers who have worked all day.
Jiang Zhi paid extra before buying the rice to have the rice pounded for her. She had never done this kind of work before; in modern times, it's all done by specialized machines.
Then add half a handful of japonica rice, which is slightly more expensive than indica rice. Although it doesn't look as pretty and slender as indica rice, its texture is better. It's softer and more glutinous. Moreover, Jiang Zhi has experimented many times, and mixing the two types of rice in this ratio results in just the right texture—neither too hard nor too soft. After cooking, it even develops a slightly golden crust at the bottom of the pot. Soaking it briefly in some of the cooking broth makes it exceptionally authentic!
After rinsing the rice a few more times, it was put into the pot to cook. With a little control of the heat, you can get a whole pot of rice with a slightly golden-brown, crispy crust on the outside, and a perfectly soft and fragrant interior.
*
As for what dishes to make?
Jiang Zhi had already made plans.
I've cooked all sorts of dishes over the past few days, except for braised dishes.
There are only two most famous braised dishes: one is braised pork with a soft and chewy outer skin, a slightly fatty and oily filling, and a meat core that melts in your mouth.
The other one is what Jiang Zhi plans to make: braised pork ribs!
The method for making braised pork ribs is not particularly complicated, otherwise it would have been difficult for it to become one of the common dishes in later generations.
Jiang Zhi first took out a few straight pork ribs that she had bought from the butcher shop on her way there. She filled two basins with water and rinsed them carefully. Then, she sharpened the large knife with a whetstone and chopped the pork ribs into pieces about one and a half finger joints.
Then rinse it in water to wash away the small, broken pieces of bone that were just chopped off and stuck to the ribs. This also washes away the blood on the bones, which has the biggest benefit: removing the fishy smell!
After completing these steps, Jiang Zhi wiped the sweat from her forehead and quickly put the ribs into another iron pot with boiling water to cook for a while. During this time, Jiang Zhi also poured in some Shaoxing wine. The aroma of Shaoxing wine instantly wafted out in the hot water, and Jiang Zhi seemed to be attracted by the aroma of the wine, so she couldn't help but take a deep breath.
This step is Jiang Zhi's usual routine: blanching the meat to remove blood and foam!
*
Once these steps are completed, it's time to stir-fry.
Jiang Zhi picked up the small wooden kettle next to her, poured some soybean oil she had bought a few days ago into the pot, and then put in the already sliced ginger, scallion segments, and peppercorns that had been crushed, and lightly sautéed them over the fire with the oil.
The entire kitchen was instantly filled with the familiar aroma of firewood, rice, oil, and salt. The spiciness was instantly brought out by the boiling hot oil, and the oil also took on the unique and complex flavor of the spices.
When the scallion segments were slightly browned and the soybean oil began to bubble slightly, Jiang Zhi threw a handful of blanched and drained spare ribs into the pot. Even though there was no water left, the oil in the pot still started to sizzle and dance around.
Jiang Zhi was already used to the sizzling and frying of the oil in the pot; her face even revealed a calm and unhurried demeanor. If an observer were watching, they would have noticed that her expression didn't change at all from beginning to end.
She first put the lid on the pot, then picked up the handles of the iron pot with both hands, pulled it back a little, then pushed it forward sharply, and flipped it over. Instantly, the scallions, garlic, and ginger that were originally at the bottom were flipped to the top of the ribs by the violent shaking of the pot. The hot oil at the bottom of the pot began to actually come into contact with the ribs, making a sizzling sound.
Now you can lift the lid and gently push the ribs to ensure that both sides of each piece are evenly coated with a golden, glossy coat of hot oil. That's the initial step.
By this time, the ribs had been fried until golden brown, and it was time to add the various sauces to the pot.
Yellow wine, two rounds.
Yellow soybean paste, one large spoonful.
Soy sauce, two swirls.
There aren't many seasonings, just these few.
After pouring the seasoning, Jiang Zhi began to vigorously stir the pot, wielding the spatula to coat each piece of rib evenly with the seasoning. Then, she fetched a basin of water from the side, just enough to cover the ribs, covered the pot with the lid, and turned down the heat to start simmering the ribs in the large pot.
*
While she was at it, Jiang Zhi went to prepare another vegetable dish that she planned to serve today—radish greens.
Radish greens are Jiang Zhi's favorite vegetable in the modern world. When Jiang Zhi was on a business trip in Sichuan, she thought that this way of eating radish greens did not exist there. Who knew that this way of eating radish greens was the most popular in Sichuan.
After all, for the people of Sichuan who love rich, oily soups, radish greens, a delicious, tender, and juicy green vegetable that can completely cut through the richness of food, are quite tasty.
Therefore, as soon as she transmigrated, Jiang Zhi had been searching for radishes and vegetables, for which she was somewhat disappointed.
But yesterday, while browsing the shops, Jiang Zhi suddenly saw an old lady selling radish vegetables. The radish stalks were emerald green, and small, white radishes hung from them from time to time.
Jiang Zhi bought it immediately, of course.
Only then did I learn that radishes are usually harvested around this time of year, and the batch Jiang Zhi bought was the first harvest. Radishes that have been touched by frost are especially tender and juicy.
While explaining this to Jiang Zhi, the old lady kept praising Jiang Zhi, which made Jiang Zhi a little embarrassed. She then secretly slipped the old lady a few more copper coins.
In short, no matter what, Jiang Zhi finally bought the radish she wanted, and planned to pair it with the braised pork ribs today, which would be incredibly delicious!
Radishes are relatively easy to care for.
Jiang Zhi glanced down at the broth in the braised pork ribs, making sure it wouldn't dry out anytime soon. Then, carrying the bunch of radishes, she sat on a small stool outside, facing the warm, gentle clouds. She carefully removed the tough stems from the radishes and washed them several times with clean water to make sure there was no unexpected protein inside.
After that, Jiang Zhi picked off the small, white radishes hanging under the radish greens one by one, sliced them, and put them in cold water to remove some of the radish's spiciness.
After these steps are completed, the radish greens need to be blanched.
Jiang Zhi found an unused earthenware pot, piled it on the fire, and filled it with water. When it boiled, she first put the radish greens in and blanched them until they were just cooked through, then scooped them out in one go. Then she squeezed them dry little by little with her hands, placed them on a cutting board, and together with the small radishes, she would chop them into small pieces later.
After these steps are completed, the common practice is to add some sesame oil, sprinkle some salt, and serve with fragrant vinegar. It usually tastes exceptionally delicious.
But Jiang Zhi always had other ideas.
She picked out some garlic, chopped it into minced garlic, and fried it in a pan with lard until fragrant. Then she added the radish greens and stir-fried them briefly. Before taking it off the heat, she sprinkled a small circle of soy sauce on top, along with a pinch of salt. Jiang Zhi picked up a little, tasted it, and thought it was twice as delicious as the cold-dressed version!
*
By the time this dish was finished, the braised pork ribs over there were almost done.
Jiang Zhi checked twice during the process and saw that the water that had been poured in at the beginning to cover the ribs had slowly boiled down, and the soup had gone from being only slightly brownish at the beginning to being so thick that it could be pulled into a long thread when you lifted the spatula.
The aroma wafted out as soon as the lid was lifted, wafting from the pot to Jiang Zhi's nostrils, making his stomach rumble in protest.
She drifted into Zuo Tianyuan's study where he was reviewing his lessons, and pestered him. He suddenly had no idea what they had been talking about, but he knew that Jiang Zhi had made another delicious dish!
Yan Mo naturally smelled the scent as well, but she was always quite reserved. She just smiled faintly, then got up and went into the house. She skillfully tapped the dazed Zuo Tianyuan with the book in her hand, instantly waking the child up!
Even the neighbors were captivated by the aroma, and Pei Ye, who was sitting outside, naturally smelled it too.
But he's not doing anything else right now; he's watering the radish seedlings that Jiang Zhi planted.
That's right. Because Jiang Zhi was so craving these, she even went to the outskirts of the city to find that old lady and buy some radish sprouts from her. Since she was generous and didn't buy too many, the old lady naturally agreed.
Pei Ye was an observer of Jiang Zhi's journey, watching her interact with everyone with a smile. So when he got back, he had nothing to do, so he simply planted the radishes he had bought and watered them.
At this moment, he was too lazy to straighten his back and walk into the kitchen to see what Jiang Zhi was making.
Anyway, no matter what delicious food Jiang Zhi makes, he will always have the pleasure of eating it, right?
As he thought this, he raised an eyebrow with a nonchalant air.
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Author's Note: I'm a little late [please forgive me]
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