Chapter 100 - Two-in-One Braised Pork Offal
After preparing the large and small intestines, there are still two pig lungs left.
Lin Chuntao actually loves to eat pig lungs, but it's troublesome to cook them properly. Like pig intestines, they have to be repeatedly rinsed with water to wash out all the blood and odor before they can be reduced.
We'll save the pork kidneys and heart to stir-fry, and the pork liver too. Lin Chuntao plans to save the pork stomach to make a pork stomach and chicken soup later so her sisters can try it. So this time, we'll just braise the intestines and lungs.
After cleaning everything thoroughly, cut it into small pieces and put it in a pot of cold water. Lin Chuntao poured in some wine, added a lot of dried ginger slices, and threw in a few sections of scallions. She boiled it once to remove the scum and also to remove some of the fishy smell.
After boiling for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the foam rose to the surface. Lin Chuntao skimmed off the foam, took the contents out, rinsed them again with warm water, and cleaned the pot. She then heated oil in the pot and stir-fried the spices, including scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns, until fragrant. She added a little sauce and a little maltose and continued to stir-fry until fragrant. After that, she added water, put the intestines and pork into the pot, and then added cinnamon, bay leaves, and other spices. She covered the pot, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then simmered it over low heat.
Lin Chuntao's movements were skillful, and her routine was as smooth as flowing water.
Lin Chunxing lit another fire and started boiling the washed eggs, knowing she still needed to make braised eggs for tomorrow.
The braising liquid for the boiled eggs was prepared in advance. After the eggs were boiled and peeled, they were put into the braising liquid and brought to a boil. Instantly, the courtyard was filled with a wonderful aroma.
While Lin Chunxing was busy with her own affairs, Lin Chuntao had a moment of free time. She went to the house site, where Lao Sang and the others had already started laying blue bricks.
Sun Hu and Yu Meixi were also busy in an orderly manner, and Lin Chuntao returned after taking a look around.
Today there was no need to steam beans, so Meng Yun picked chili stems with Grandma and the others. Lin Chunhe, who couldn't stay still, sat next to Meng Yun. The two of them carried the same winnowing basket, chatting and working at the same time.
Once the beans are almost dried, they can be ground, mixed with other ingredients, and packed into a jar. Lin Chuntao took some time to prepare the peppercorn powder and salt that would be mixed in, and set them aside for later use.
After finishing, I looked at the pork in the large wooden basin. It had cooled down. The room was cooler, but not particularly cold. Fresh meat would be fine for two or three days, but it might spoil if left for too long.
There are several ways to process it: you can smoke the meat, salt it, or fry it. You can also put the oil and meat together in a jar, and it will keep for a long time without spoiling.
However, the taste will be different if stored using these different methods.
Smoked and fried meats were a bit of a hassle to prepare, so Lin Chuntao pondered for a moment and called Pei Ying over. She scooped out some salt and decided to marinate the meat with salt first. Since it would only last for a little over a month, she didn't need to add too much salt; a light marinating would suffice.
Pei Ying had never seen or made the meat that Lin Chuntao described; he thought it was going to be fried and left to sit.
"Okay, then tell me how to do it."
Lin Chuntao said, "Bring the long table in, I'll go scoop out some salt."
Pei Ying brought in a long table, and Lin Chuntao took a large bowl and scooped out half a bowl of salt. She explained to Pei Ying how to rub the salt into the meat. Pei Ying said, "This seems to require quite a bit of salt."
Lin Chuntao nodded, "If you pickle these, you won't need to add salt when stir-frying or boiling them later."
Pei Ying couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.
Lin Chuntao said, "We probably won't be able to finish this soon, so we don't need to add too much salt. Just marinate it for a little while."
"Pay special attention to the areas around the bones; you need to add more salt there than to other areas."
Following Lin Chuntao's instructions, Pei Ying began to prepare the salt, while Lin Chuntao helped by sprinkling it on.
Lin Chuntao had already prepared the two pig forelegs, pig head meat, and pig tail for the next few days, so she didn't process them and just left them there. She mainly marinated the two pig hind legs and two ribs.
It took the two of them an hour and a half to finish. While cleaning up, Lin Chuntao put all the salt from the table onto the meat. She said to Pei Ying, "This meat will release brine in a few days. We can buy some tofu, soak it in this brine, dry it, and make salted bean curd sheets. They're quite delicious."
After finishing this, it was almost evening.
The intestines and pig lungs simmering on the stove smelled delicious. Lin Chuntao took her chopsticks and poked them, and the chopsticks easily pierced through. Lin Duo'er, standing beside her, peeked out and asked, "Sister, are they cooked yet?"
"It's cooked. Go get a clean earthenware pot."
Lin Duo'er went and returned quickly, and Lin Chuntao scooped everything into the earthenware pot and took the pot off the stove.
"Sister, are you going to start steaming the rice?" Lin Chunxing asked from the side.
"Okay, it's time to steam it."
As soon as Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Lin Chunxing quickly brought over the steamer and pot and placed them on the stove.
She placed the earthenware pot on the table, intending to let it cool before cutting it.
As soon as it was served, Madam Hu said, "Chuntao, what did you put in this braised pig intestine? It smells unnaturally good. Is this even pig intestine anymore?"
Deng chimed in, "That's right. Everyone says pig intestines smell bad. After slaughtering pigs all year, hardly anyone cooks and eats them. They just cut them up and render a pot of oil. The rendered intestines are a bit crispy, and you can still eat a few pieces."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I'm embarrassed by such praise from you two aunties."
They weren't just praising it; it really smelled amazing. Just smelling it made my stomach rumble.
Grandma laughed and said, "We're slaughtering a pig this year too. Chun Tao, please come and help with the cooking."
"Oh dear, my great-grandmother is calling me for a pig-slaughtering feast, I'll definitely go there early."
Everyone laughed when she finished speaking. Aunt Guizhi said from the side, "Chuntao is too busy. If she weren't so busy, she could prepare a feast for everyone. Those who eat at the feast would be in for a treat."
A few months ago, everyone ate at Qiao'er's banquet. Duo'er said at the time that the pig liver was not good. Lin Chuntao thought that perhaps it was not a good thing that the rural banquet was too delicious.
The main problem is that everyone's gifts are quite inexpensive. If these noodles were too delicious, the cost of buying vegetables and meat would be much higher, and not every family is that well-off.
After the food cooled down, Lin Chuntao took a knife and a cutting board and quickly sliced it.
Lin Chuntao tried a piece herself. The intestines were cooked until soft and tender, and the braising sauce was very flavorful and fragrant, with a slightly numbing and spicy taste. She then tried a piece of pig lung, which was fragrant and chewy. She exclaimed and said to Lin Chunxing, "Get some bamboo skewers."
She sliced the food, skewered two slices on a bamboo stick, and each person tasted a little. Using bamboo sticks was convenient and saved the trouble of washing dishes and chopsticks.
It was so tempting that Lin Chunxing and the others accepted it without hesitation. Each bamboo skewer had two pieces of pig lung and two pieces of intestine. Judging from the taste and flavor, Sun said with a smile, "This is not pig intestine and pig lung that we know! It's like divine meat."
The old lady was exaggerating, but it really was delicious. Aunt Guizhi next to her couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Madam Hu said, "Mother, sister-in-law, we watched Chuntao wash and make this."
The aunts and uncles had already tasted Lin Chuntao's cooking, so they weren't surprised by any other delicious food, but they were still amazed the moment they tasted it.
Looking at the pot of pig intestines and lungs, Lin Chunxing wondered if she could sell them at that stall. She could braise a pot of pig offal every day, cut it up, and take it with her, selling it for a few coins per ounce. Those who liked to drink would buy it to go with their drinks, at least half a pound each. Her business would definitely be good.
However, Lin Chunxing was only thinking about it for now; she would talk to Lin Chuntao about it in a few days.
After each person ate two pieces, Lin Chuntao offered them more, but even though they still wanted to eat, they were too embarrassed to eat anymore and quickly waved their hands to refuse.
For dinner, there was a braised pork offal dish. Lin Chuntao soaked some wood ear mushrooms, sliced some cucumber, and sliced some meat to make a stir-fry. It had meat and vegetables, so it wasn't too greasy.
As the sun set, the foundation was already in place, and Lao Sang and his team had finished building the well. They had erected a mold and built up the wellhead. They usually made their own well covers, which they could now use directly.
Just as he was thinking of sending someone to call Lin Chuntao over, Lin Chuntao arrived.
Old Sang hurriedly called out, "Madam Lin, come and see if there's anything else that needs improvement. The well is already finished."
Lin Chuntao walked around the well, then looked inside, and was very satisfied with how it was made.
Old Sang said, "Lady, you can just put a wooden frame up there to fetch water." He then pointed to Sun Hu and laughed, "Old Sun knows how, just have him put one up for you."
Sun Hu readily agreed.
Lin Chuntao asked, "Will you come back to disassemble this mold in a few days?"
Old Sang: "This won't affect anything. Let it sit for a few more days. When it's ready, Old Sun can take it apart and bring it back for me. I won't come over."
Lin Chuntao nodded slightly and calculated the cost with Lao Sang. Because the well was larger and more blue bricks were used, the total came to almost nine hundred coins.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Dinner is ready. Go wash your hands and eat first."
Sun Hu and Yu Meixi packed their things to go eat. Old Sang wanted to say no, but he was also thinking about Lin Chuntao's cooking, so he didn't hesitate and came back with them to wash their hands and eat.
Today's dishes don't look as appetizing as the twice-cooked pork. The braised intestines and pig lungs aren't very bright in color and look rather ordinary. Plus, they don't smell particularly delicious since they're not piping hot.
A group of men who occasionally drink a little alcohol, and braised pig ears and offal are their favorite foods.
I thought it was just an ordinary braised dish, but one bite revealed a divine inspiration.
Old Sang took a deep breath, glad he had stayed for this meal.
Old Ma and the others wolfed down half a bowl of rice. Sun Hu said to Lin Chuntao, "Chuntao, you have this skill, why don't you go sell braised food? If you did, your business would definitely be very good."
Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "Brother, you're joking. I can't compare to those who specialize in braised food."
Sun Hu waved his hands three times in a row.
"Don't be modest, girl. This tastes much better than what you get at that braised food stall!"
After Sun Hu finished speaking, Yu Meixi said, "What you said makes me really want to try it."
Yu Meixi doesn't usually eat pig intestines and lungs, so she hadn't served any earlier. Hearing her say that, Sun Hu quickly put some on her plate, saying, "Try it, these intestines and lungs are very delicious."
Yu Meixi is somewhat averse to the smell of pig intestines, so she usually doesn't eat them. She also finds pig lungs a bit disgusting to chew, so she doesn't eat them either.
Looking at Sun Hu's intoxicated appearance, it was as if he had just drunk two kilograms of liquor.
She couldn't resist her curiosity and tried a piece.
The inner wall of the braised sausage is soft and chewy, while the outer skin has a slightly crisp texture. It's not the kind of sausage that's mushy or hard to chew, the kind that makes you feel nauseous while chewing.
This was the first time she had ever tasted such delicious braised intestines. After swallowing it, she tried a piece of pig lung.
The pig lungs also have a great texture, just like eating meat, not hard to chew at all, and the flavor of the braising sauce has permeated them, making them very fragrant.
Yu Meixi looked at everyone with a smile, as if she had discovered a new continent, and said, "No, I have to go and scoop some up, it's delicious."
As he spoke, he went over and scooped half a spoonful into a bowl.
Pei Ying had previously eaten braised pig's head made by Lin Chuntao, which was already quite delicious. As for pig intestines and lungs, he rarely cooked them because he was always slaughtering pigs and didn't particularly lack meat. Firstly, it was troublesome, and secondly, if not handled properly, they could smell very fishy and pungent, which he couldn't stand.
As for the braised food stalls outside, he rarely drinks, so he almost never buys anything. Only when his master was still alive, the old man liked to drink and would always ask him to buy some braised food. He would occasionally eat a bite or two, but the taste was so-so that he lost interest.
This was the first time in all these years that he had eaten something so delicious.
He thought to himself that if he hadn't gotten lost and wandered off, he probably wouldn't have come to Yizhou. If he hadn't come to Yizhou, he wouldn't have met Lin Chuntao. If that had happened, he would have definitely missed out on countless delicacies.
After dinner, Lin Chuntao went to get the money from Lao Sang. After enjoying two good meals, Lao Sang even rounded down the price for Lin Chuntao. Originally it was 864 coins, but he took 800 coins and left.
Before leaving, he reminded Lin Chuntao to leave him some sauce.
Sun Hu and his team needed to catch up on the work. The days had been long lately, and there was still a while before dark. After dinner, they went back to work.
Now that the well has a cover, Lin Chuntao said to Pei Ying, "Let's buy two locks tomorrow and lock the well cover tonight."
"good."
They were busy until dusk before they dispersed. Yesterday, Lin Chuntao asked her aunt and uncle to bring her cousins along, but today she didn't bring any of them.
No meat was cooked today, so Lin Chuntao took a piece of brisket meat to her aunt to take back.
The meat in this location has a little bone, but it has both lean and fatty parts, and it's delicious whether stir-fried or boiled.
A piece of meat would probably weigh five or six pounds. When the eldest aunt saw such a large piece of meat, she quickly stopped Lin Chuntao and said, "What are you going to do with this meat? You keep it for yourself, we won't take it."
Lin Chuntao said, "I asked you to bring your sister and the others, but you didn't bring any of them. You can take them back and cook them. They can heat them up and eat them at home tomorrow."
The eldest aunt said, "Why give them so much? It's too much. I'll cut off a little bit and take it with me. They'll just have to argue with me tomorrow."
Lin Chuntao didn't comply with her request, nor did she cut any for her; she simply told her to take everything with her.
Lin Chuntao rendered two batches of pork fat yesterday and today, and also rendered a lot of cracklings. She filled a bowl with them and told them to take it back.
When her aunt refused to take it, Lin Chuntao said, "Aunt, don't be so polite with me. Brother Sun and the others are waiting for you. This is just a snack for my cousin and the others."
The eldest aunt glanced back at Yu Meixi and the others, who were indeed waiting there, her face conflicted. The eldest uncle said from the side, "Let Chun Tao take what she asked us to bring for the child back."
The eldest aunt had no choice but to take it away.
As soon as they left, the whole house seemed to quiet down, and the village also quieted down.
In the following days, Pei Ying mainly went to check on the house construction, while Lin Chuntao was busy making soy sauce. After the soybeans were dried, they were ground into powder in a stone mill. The stemmed chilies were soaked in warm water until soft, drained, ground into chili powder, and mixed with the previously prepared ingredients into the soybeans. Then, the soy sauce jars were sealed.
Lin Chuntao filled six vats with the 700 jin of soybeans to make the sauce. Actually, she could have filled five, but if they were too heavy, it would be troublesome to move them in if it rained while the sauce was drying.
Depending on the timing of sealing the jars, the process of sun-drying the sauce also varies, with some sun-drying first and some later.
After this batch was prepared for fermentation and placed into vats, Lin Chuntao began making the next batch.
She divided the 700 jin (350 kg) into three days' worth of work. Next time, she thinks it's better to make more in one day, as it will be more convenient when drying the sauce.
Things went smoothly after that, and my eldest and second aunts spent a day busy planting chili peppers and vegetables.
After finishing his work, he came over to help Lin Chuntao prepare the next batch of beans.
While Lin Changzong and the others were digging yellow clay for Lin Chuntao, they were also cutting thatch for her.
The days passed quickly in a flurry of activity, and before they knew it, it was September 15th. That evening, Yu Meixi said to Lin Chuntao, "Chuntao, we have enough yellow clay. We don't need to dig any more tomorrow. The thatch is almost done too."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuntao smiled and said to Lin Changzong and the others, "Thank you so much to my uncles and great-uncle for helping me with all this these days. After dinner, let's all sit down and have a cup of tea."
After they finished eating and drinking tea, she and Meng Yun calculated the money and put it in red envelopes. It was twenty coins a day, for a total of eighteen days, three hundred and sixty coins per person.
Unlike Sun Hu and the others, who give money directly and straightforwardly, and since her neighbors are all relatives, and she is still a junior, it wouldn't look good for her to just hand over a string of money after they helped her. So she had discussed it with Meng Yun beforehand, and after calculating, she wrote her name on a red envelope, and then gave her a red envelope directly. It's a happy occasion in itself, and it looks festive.
After it was packed, it was placed in a bamboo tray. Meng Yun carried it, and Lin Chuntao went to give it to her.
She thanked them as she gave them the money, but her uncle and the others refused to accept it. Lin Chuntao had to persuade them before they finally accepted it.
When Lin Changzong and his family invited them, they agreed to pay them, so there's nothing wrong with them taking the money now. Even if they are relatives, they are still distant cousins.
The uncle felt uncomfortable holding the red envelope. Lin Chuntao was his own niece. If his sister were still alive, and she asked him to come when she was building a house, would he really take her money?
He felt that he shouldn't accept anything Xu Xiu offered, let alone Lin Chuntao.
But with so many people, it would be embarrassing for the person who accepted the gift to keep declining, so Lin Chuntao persuaded him to accept it first.
I plan to return it to her when I get back.
As it got late, everyone went home.
Lin Changzong and his men returned with the red envelopes. Although they didn't see any money, the envelopes felt heavy and substantial in their hands. They had worked from dawn till dusk for the past eighteen days, like an autumn harvest, and were exhausted.
But Lin Chuntao was willing to spend the money, and they had been eating exceptionally well these days. Although they were tired, they all looked radiant, and seemed to be in much better health than Chen Dongniang at home.
The daily payments from the Hu family and Lin Jiahui didn't have much of an impact.
Lin Cunzheng and Lin Changzong, on the other hand, went home, closed the courtyard gate, and opened the red envelope. There was a long string of copper coins inside. After frying them, they found that there were 360 coins in each string. Four strings of coins came into their house at once!
The old lady simply took a hemp rope and strung the money together into a string, leaving her with 440 coins.
She looked at her sons and said, "Do you each want the remaining 110, or should I collect it all first?"
Lin Changzong looked at Chen Dongniang and said, "Let's take it ourselves. I want to make a dress for Dongniang."
The old lady said, "Alright, take it yourselves." As she spoke, she counted out 110 coins and handed them to Lin Cunzheng. "Here, this is yours. You can keep it yourself or I can keep it for you."
Lin Cunzheng frowned, while Lin Changzong laughed and said, "Mother, really, when has my father ever accepted money?"
The old lady smiled and accepted the money. She said to Lin Changzong, "Keep yours. The three sisters need it for clothes. I'll buy some fabric in a few days and make one for each of them."
When Chen Dongniang and Madam Hu heard that there were new clothes, they quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, Mother!"
The children nearby were also clamoring to have new clothes made, but the old lady said, "You made the clothes for your mother to wear when you were working. If you make them now, won't you have no new clothes to wear for the New Year?"
The older children are more sensible and know that their elders have been working hard lately, while the younger ones are easily fooled by Mrs. Sun.
I'm so happy because I'm sure I'll have new clothes for Chinese New Year this year.
Lin Changsen and his two younger brothers from the second branch of the Lin family next door returned home. They all had smiles on their faces and locked the gate as soon as they entered the courtyard.
Looking at them like this, Qiu thought, "They're all in their fifties or sixties, why are they still chuckling like this?"
"Did you find money? Are you laughing or not?"
Lin Changsen took the red envelope out of his pocket and said to his mother, "We've dug enough yellow clay for Chun Tao. We don't need to dig anymore tomorrow."
Qiu looked at the package and smiled, "How many are there?"
Lin Changsen said, "I haven't counted them yet, let's count them now."
As she spoke, she brought the table over, and the family gathered around it to count the money. All three packages contained 360 yuan. Qiu Shi took a deep breath: "Doesn't that mean you and your uncle only took two strings of peaches and a little over two yuan?"
Lin Changsen nodded.
The second son, Lin Changyuan, said to the old lady, "I've noticed that my second uncle's family has made a fortune recently. My eldest aunt and second sister-in-law, as well as the third son's family, are all helping Chun Tao with chores all day long. They must have been paid for it."
Qiu said, "They gave it to me, didn't you hear?"
Lin Changsen and the others shook their heads. Qiu Shi said, "The day Chun Tao slaughtered the pig, Luo Baozhen said something sarcastic to your sister-in-law, saying that so many people went to help Lin Chun Tao with her work, praising her so much, and that they would share the profits with her?"
"Your sister-in-law was probably so angry that she said it directly."
"After Luo Baozhen found out, she told everyone. She even went to Chun Tao to ask if there was any work available, but Chun Tao said no. When Luo came back, she felt that Chun Tao was targeting her. She often gossiped in the village, saying things like, 'Your uncle's family is the village head's family, yet they're being bossed around by a young woman. Aren't you ashamed?' She said some really nasty things."
Lin Changsen frowned as he listened, "Do your uncle and aunt know?"
Qiu said, "They should know, but it doesn't matter whether they know or not. There are still many people in the village who are clear-headed and can see that Chun Tao is making money. They might need to find someone to do work in the future. I only heard Luo grumbling, but very few people agreed with her."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man next to him said calmly, "The fifth son's family is unlucky. They produced such a promising person as Chun Tao, but they don't even know where the rest of them have gone."
Qiu turned around and glared at him.
“If they were still here, Chun Tao and the others would be in real trouble. Isn’t this better? Back when the sisters were poor and pitiful, the fifth brother and the others could cut ties with them. Now they have even less to do with each other.”
After Qiu finished speaking, the old man fell silent.
The old lady put the money away, turned to Lin Changsen and the others, and asked, "Won't Chun Tao's house take several more days to build?"
Lin Changsen: "It should be done in about sixteen or seventeen days. The people she hired are quite reliable, and there are no lazybones among them."
Qiu said, “The tree hasn’t been cut down yet. Ask Chun Tao when to cut it down, and then you can go and help her. I went to the field during the day and saw that the bean sprouts are turning yellow and some corn can be picked. Get ready to get busy in the field.”
Lin Changsen: "Give us a couple of days off."
Qiu smiled as she took the money: "Take a break. You can rest at home for a couple of days and get ready to harvest corn."
Lin Changsen smiled helplessly.
My uncle and his family rode in Sun Hu's mule cart for a while before parting ways at a fork in the road to go home. It was already dark when they got home.
He took out the red envelope and said to the second and third brothers, "We won't accept Chuntao's money. We'll take it back to her tomorrow."
The second and third uncles remained silent, while the eldest aunt sneered and said, "It's inappropriate to accept it, but Chun Tao probably won't accept it even if we return it."
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