Chapter 244 Soybean Stewed Pig's Trotters
I planted soybeans this year and harvested a large batch in the fall.
Just as I was about to go to bed, I remembered the soybeans I had just harvested and felt a little unwilling to give up.
I soaked several bowls of soybeans in water before I could finally go to sleep peacefully.
I went to bed early last night and got up early this morning.
He turned on the lights, fed the livestock first, and then drank some leftover porridge from yesterday. The house was warm and cozy again.
This house was built at a high price before the apocalypse. Although it didn't do much to defend against enemies, its insulation was truly outstanding.
With just a little fire lit, the room is very warm and the heat doesn't dissipate for a long time.
Go to the kitchen and check on the soybeans I soaked yesterday. They've swelled up quite a bit and are now plump and round.
Take out the small basket you wove yourself, line the bottom with a layer of gauze, scoop up a bowl of soaked soybeans, spread them on top, and then cover the top with a clean towel.
Pour a lot of water onto the towel, not only soaking it but also causing excess water to drain from the bottom of the basket.
After watering, place the basket on a plate, and place a porcelain bowl filled with water on top of the towel.
Soybeans that are pressed down will sprout thicker and stronger.
Finally, cover the basket with two pieces of cloth to block the light and prevent the bean sprouts from becoming bitter.
After sprouting the bean sprouts, I was all set. I took my small stool, my binoculars, and led the sheep and dogs back to the hillside platform where we had rested the day before.
Since I have nothing else to do, I plan to keep an eye on things as they come.
Looking back at the courtyard, I was hoping that no one would be there today, but in fact, there were still four people there.
The roof color has changed; it looks like a new roof has been built.
Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time. I'll put away the binoculars and go home to do my own thing.
There's a big basin of soybeans soaking in the kitchen!
Back in the yard, I herded the sheep into the sheepfold and took firewood back to the kitchen to start the fire.
Add water to the iron pot, place a steamer rack on top, and pour a large bowl of soybeans into the steamer rack to steam.
Steam the soybeans and put them into a large bowl. Then scoop a ladle of buckwheat flour on top and mix the soybeans and buckwheat flour evenly until the buckwheat flour completely coats the soybeans.
Take out the winnowing basket you wove yourself, line it with a layer of gauze, and spread the soybeans coated with flour evenly in the winnowing basket.
The winnowing baskets I made weren't very big; these soybeans filled two baskets in total.
Cover the winnowing basket with a damp cloth and place it on the open space on the west side of the kitchen to ferment.
Looking at the dried soy sauce blocks, the earthenware jars for brewing vinegar, and now two more baskets of fermenting soybeans, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.
I never imagined that I could do everything on my own now.
Of course, we don't know yet how it will taste.
I specially set aside a small bowl of the soaked soybeans, intending to use them directly for dinner.
Take the frozen pig's trotters out of the freezer, wait for the water in the pot to boil, put them in the pot to blanch, and add ginger slices to remove the fishy smell.
These pig trotters are a rare treat. If you slaughter a pig a year, you can only get four trotters to eat. This is the last pig trotter of the year, and I've been saving it up and reluctant to eat it.
Once the pig's trotters are blanched, remove them from the water and set aside.
After scooping out the water from the pot and drying the pot, add oil and a handful of rock sugar.
Once the rock sugar turns a deep reddish-brown color and starts to bubble, add the blanched pig's trotters to the pot and stir-fry until they are coated with the sugar.
Add seasonings such as light soy sauce, soybean paste, dark soy sauce, and a little white wine to the pot, and continue to stir-fry until the flavors are absorbed.
Once they're almost done frying, transfer them to a clay pot, add the last bowl of soybeans, pour in warm water, and place it on the stove in the east room to simmer.
Stewing pig's trotters is a very time-consuming task; the trotters need to be stewed for a long time before they become tender.
The pig's trotters were simmering in the pot, and I sat next to them knitting a sweater.
It's for Tuantuan and Mancang; I'm trying to finish two red sweaters before the Lunar New Year.
I can just put any show on my phone that I've been watching for a long time, and just by listening to the audio, I can picture the scenes from the show.
It's more like listening to the radio than watching a TV series.
But this is good too, because I don't have to look at the screen, so I can knit faster.
The pig's trotters simmered for an hour, and the aroma filled the air.
I took a spoon, lifted the lid of the casserole, stirred it, and it still looked a bit hard, so I had to keep stewing it.
After sitting on the sofa for an hour, I found it difficult to continue knitting.
I've been experiencing lower back pain quite often these past two years, and I'm starting to wonder if my health is already deteriorating at only 30-something years old.
I straightened up and rubbed my aching back, then went to the west room to pick up a book.
I found a book on strengthening the body and chose a set of exercises that are good for the waist.
When the dogs saw me wriggling back and forth on the ground in an odd posture, their expressions also became strange.
I was stunned for a few seconds until I saw Tiedan stretch out his paws and stick out his butt following my movements, and then the other dogs started moving too.
If there are outsiders present, a strange scene will unfold.
A person was doing strange exercises in a grotesque, zombie-like manner, while four dogs and a cat followed behind, also twisting their bodies in a chaotic mess.
It's okay, it's okay. You'll get used to it and your posture will become correct.
I comforted myself with this thought, forcing myself not to laugh out loud.
After completing a set of health exercises, I was sweating profusely and felt a slight warmth in my chest. Perhaps these exercises really are effective.
The aroma of the pig's trotters grew stronger and stronger, so I lifted the lid and continued stirring. The broth had turned into a thick soy sauce color, and the pig's trotters were also dyed a beautiful color.
I swallowed hard, chopped some scallions and poured them over the pot, then placed the casserole on the heat-resistant mat on the table. It was time to eat.
A pot of rice and cornbread buns were steaming in the iron pot.
Because I wanted to eat both steamed buns and rice, I made both.
A bowl full of rice is served, and the golden millet looks glossy.
Although I think braised pig's trotters with soybeans taste better with rice, the rice I've stored at home has been stored for too long and has lost its aroma, so I don't like to eat it anymore.
But none of that matters. What matters is that I'm really craving these pig's trotters right now.
The pig's trotters are now stewed until they are very tender; when you pick up a piece, the meat on them can even tremble and move.
Place it in a bowl and let it cool slightly. Take a bite and it's soft and chewy, full of collagen with a slightly stringy texture.
As you slowly chew, you experience a smooth and creamy texture, accompanied by a subtle aroma of soybeans and a rich soy sauce fragrance. The salty, sweet, and oily flavor is simply irresistible.
Once the pig's trotters have cooled down a bit and you can handle them with your hands, simply pinch the bone between your thumb and forefinger and start gnawing on it.
After eating the soft, chewy outer skin, the inner tendons are still white, and they are both smooth and chewy when you bite into them.
The point of eating pig's trotters is precisely for their chewy and slightly sticky texture.
After eating a small piece of pig's trotter, my hands and the area around my mouth were sticky.
Wiping with paper at this point is useless, as the paper towel will stick directly to your hands.
I got up and went to the bathroom to rinse my hands and mouth with water, and the sticky feeling came off immediately.
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