Sigh, it's not the 1990s yet, and houses haven't been allowed to be bought and sold yet; besides, Fatty doesn't have the financial means to buy the old man a yard so he can grow flowers, raise birds, and enjoy his old age in peace.
However, he kept this in mind and would wait until conditions allowed.
Grandpa Lu took out a few sheets of paper from his shirt pocket and handed them to Fatty, saying, "These are some home-style recipes I've summarized, including techniques for braising, cold dishes, and stewing. You must remember what I told you: we cook to enrich everyone's tastes. Some dishes that can be served at banquets may gain recognition, but it's more important that ordinary people can afford Shandong cuisine. You're clever, and I trust you."
Today, Grandpa Lu taught Fatty a stew. To be precise, it's a red stew, called Red Stew with Pork Belly.
Crispy pork, also known as crispy pork.
The braised pork in Shandong cuisine is different from the halal version in Beijing; it's a type of stew from Boshan, Shandong.
The main ingredient for braised pork belly is pork belly, cut into pieces four centimeters long, one and a half centimeters wide, and about half a centimeter thick.
The side dishes are mainly bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots.
After teaching for so long, Grandpa Lu had a thorough understanding of Fatty's comprehension and basic skills.
Therefore, when teaching skills now, we don't go into too much detail; we mainly tell him some key parts.
For example, the difficulty of this braised pork lies in the batter. Old Master Lu pointed out to Fatty, "Our method is a bit different from some common methods. For example, sweet and sour pork tenderloin requires salt and five-spice powder in the batter to give it a good base flavor. But you can't add these things to braised pork."
After the old man finished speaking, he personally began to demonstrate: "To make this glutinous rice paste, the main ingredient is cornstarch. You know what cornstarch is? It's usually sweet potato starch. If you really can't find that, you can use potato starch or sweet potato starch, but then the texture will be a bit off. To make this glutinous rice paste, you need to use whole eggs, and you must seal it with white wine at the end."
After finishing all that, the old man stepped aside and let the fat man proceed with the next step: "When frying this pork tenderloin, the oil temperature can't be too high, it should be controlled at around 50% of its maximum. What will happen if it's too high? You tell me."
Without hesitation, the fat man said, "If the oil temperature is too high, the surface will have already turned yellow, but the inside will still be raw."
"That's right. Remember, the color of this dish must be milky white or ivory. It cannot be yellow. If it is yellow, it is ruined."
The so-called red stew is made by using fermented soybean paste to make a sauce, then adding water and bringing it to a boil. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, the sauce is thickened with cornstarch.
Finally, sprinkle some minced raw garlic on top of the finished dish. If green garlic is in season, sprinkle it on top as well.
After the braised pork belly was cooked, Grandpa Lu handed Fatty a pair of chopsticks: "Try it."
The fat man picked up a piece of meat and chewed it gently. After a moment, he said, "It has a complex aroma of soy sauce and meat. It's smooth and crispy, and very refreshing."
Grandpa Lu continued, "Moreover, its cost is not high and can be kept below 2 yuan. This is a meat dish that ordinary people can enjoy."
Having studied under his master for so long, Fatty personally experienced the old man's excellent quality of always putting the people's ability to afford food first.
With his current status, the old man could easily specialize in cooking only high-end, sophisticated dishes that only the wealthy can afford, which would surely be sought after by dignitaries from all walks of life.
Just like the so-called wealthy people in Lou Xiao'e's area who only know about abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw, they are obsessed with extravagance.
However, the old man was not greedy for fame or fortune, and even less willing to scheme or plot, unlike some self-proclaimed masters who were always thinking about which high-ranking official they wanted to meet today and which wealthy businessman they wanted to meet tomorrow...
The old man truly dedicated his entire life to inheriting, promoting, and carrying forward Shandong cuisine.
Therefore, even in the coming decades, Shandong cuisine will continue to develop so well and be passed down so completely without interruption.
If there's one thing the old man truly taught Fatty, it's this culinary ethics.
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After teaching the techniques of stewing today, it's about time for Grandpa Lu to go home.
Before leaving, I need to visit Fatty's two senior brothers one more time.
The fat man called Lou Xiao'e and explained the whole situation, telling her not to panic and to wait patiently.
Chen Yan went home today.
As soon as Zhou Haiqin saw her, she asked, "Why did you come back all of a sudden?"
This disdainful tone hurt Chen Yan deeply.
Chen Yan was also determined to provoke the old lady: "Mom, I'm the richest person in our family right now!"
"so?"
"So you shouldn't side with me anymore? Say something nice..."
"..."
Chen Yan's personality has indeed changed somewhat over the years.
With a capable husband, an accomplished daughter, and their "Where to Move" construction team gaining increasing recognition, Chen Yan officially established her own company this year.
The company name is already set; it's simply called: Move Where Moving Company.
Actually, when Fatty was naming the company, he wanted to call it "58.com" or "Lalamove"; but maybe people in this era don't have that much of an "It" spirit yet, so both names were rejected by the construction team.
On the contrary, Chen Yan's casual remark, "Where to move to?" was straightforward enough, making it immediately clear what she did, which earned her everyone's approval.
Chen Yan just told Zhou Haiqin that she is now the richest person in her family, and that's true. Her construction team is now earning more than Qilige!
Chen Yan is no longer as timid and insecure as she used to be.
On the contrary, they seem to be getting younger and younger, just as rebellious as their parents born in the 90s.
Zhou Haiqin raised her hand to slap him: "You've gone too far! I told you, you've become more and more lawless since you got married. I'll teach you a lesson today!"
Chen Yan screamed in fright, "If you yell at me again, I won't tell you about your grandson!"
Zhou Haiqin's hand stopped on Chen Yan's head, then she grabbed her by the collar: "What grandson? Explain yourself!"
Helpless, Chen Yan was dragged into the house by Zhou Haiqin, and then she heard Zhou Haiqin shout, "Old man, old man, come out quickly!"
When Chen Gangqiang came out wearing his reading glasses, Zhou Haiqin looked down at Chen Yan and commanded her in the tone of a bandit leader: "Speak!"
Chen Yan timidly took a photo out of her pocket and handed it over.
Zhou Haiqin grabbed it, took a closer look, and then her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Chen Gangqiang quickly helped her up and shouted anxiously, "Old woman, old woman!" Then he asked Chen Yan in a hurry, "What's wrong with your mother?"
Chen Yan hesitated and said, "Well, I had some romantic entanglements before, and now the woman has come knocking on my door with her son."
Son? That's his eldest grandson.
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