Chapter 30: Preparing Leafy Greens and Braised Pork Knuckle
With the outdoor work mostly done, I can finally devote all my energy to processing the vegetables.
Several days have passed since I bought the vegetables, but since the kitchen doesn't have a heated kang bed like the bedroom, the temperature isn't high, so the vegetables are still quite fresh.
Different leafy greens require different processing methods, and I've already figured out how to process each type.
Cook leafy greens and freeze them; cut potatoes, green beans, eggplants, radishes, etc. into pieces and dry them in the sun.
These are things I need to deal with one by one, and I might not finish by the time the blizzard arrives, but that's okay, I have plenty of time.
Although I have plenty of time, I need to process the vegetables that don't have time for me first, such as the leafy greens that spoil most easily.
I got up early this morning to prepare the leafy greens, which means cleaning them, cooking them, and then freezing them.
First, fill the iron pot on the stove with water, then increase the intensity of the firewood burning, while simultaneously turning on the electric cooker to boil a pot of water.
Once the water is hot, scoop some warm water into the sink, and then add more water from the electric cooker and the iron pot.
Take out a large bag of chrysanthemum greens, pick and wash them, and put them in a large basin. When the water boils, put them in the boiling water in batches and cook for 1-2 minutes.
After cooking, remove the chrysanthemum greens from the water and let them cool. Then squeeze out the excess water and put them into a plastic bag.
To avoid having to add firewood so often, three more honeycomb briquettes were added to the stove.
That way you don't need to worry about the heat; the water will keep boiling.
My job is simply to select, wash, cook, and scoop out the vegetables.
The large iron pot, combined with the assistance of a small electric cooker, makes the blanching process very fast.
Each time you cook vegetables, the water takes a while to boil. The time spent waiting for the water to boil is perfect for picking and washing the vegetables; the timing is cleverly combined, making it very efficient.
Aside from eating, the above process was carried out throughout the entire day.
My back started to ache in the afternoon, so I had to move a chair to sit down and wash the vegetables.
While washing the vegetables, I thought to myself, "There are so many leafy greens, but they will shrink after blanching and squeezing out the water. It seems that freezing them will not only allow them to be eaten for a long time, but also reduce their storage space."
Thinking about the advantages makes me even more motivated to work.
I worked on this for three days straight, leaving behind only a few fresh vegetables: garland chrysanthemum, romaine lettuce, bok choy, lettuce, celery, and rapeseed. I blanched and froze them all.
Cilantro is special; it doesn't need to be blanched, just washed and frozen.
These past three days have left me exhausted and dizzy, I'm so tired I feel like throwing up. The remaining vegetables can last for a while, so I'm going to take a break before continuing.
When he lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) with his nearly crippled body, he discovered something surprising.
These two puppies actually opened their eyes! I was too busy the past few days to observe them closely.
The two puppies had four big, dark eyes that stared unblinkingly at my face.
It wasn't afraid of me at all; instead, it wriggled and climbed all over me. Could it really be mistaking me for its mother?
The two little ones are still a bit sleepy and don't quite understand things, but their little bellies and faces have already gotten round from eating milk, and I'm very satisfied.
After three days of grueling work, I'm going to take a complete break for a day and treat myself to something delicious.
I woke up naturally at 9 a.m. The kang (heated brick bed) was still warm, and the room temperature was 20 degrees Celsius.
If it weren't for the puppy whining for milk, I wouldn't want to get out of bed.
After feeding the chicks and puppies, I changed into warm clothes and went to the yard to drag back a bag of firewood to start heating the kang (a traditional heated bed).
I was quite frugal when burning firewood, fearing it wouldn't burn long, so I burned it all before the extreme cold ended.
I don't want anything too greasy for breakfast, so I'll make myself a big meal for lunch.
He threw two eggs into the iron pot, and then went to do a quick cleaning of each room.
By the time the room is cleaned, the eggs will be cooked.
I made a cup of milk powder, ate it with two eggs, and that filled my stomach a little.
I took out my three spare phones and, while lying on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed), downloaded novels and videos onto them.
As the kang (heated brick bed) gradually heated up, I didn't lay anything on it and just lay down on the kang mat. My back and waist felt warm and cozy from the heat of the kang, which was incredibly comfortable and felt like all the blood in my body was circulating.
I brought the two puppies onto the kang mat, and they crawled around on the kang in a silly and cute way.
Completely enveloped in the warmth of the heated kang bed, I began to doze off again.
I slept for about 40 minutes, and when I woke up I saw that a new batch of TV series had been downloaded to my phone. I also bought a super long playlist from Pinduoduo for a little over ten yuan and downloaded it to my phone as well.
I stretched and, seeing that it was almost time, sat up from the kang (a heated brick bed).
I started preparing a big meal for myself.
First, take out the braised pork knuckle that was frozen in the back room. It was packed from a stir-fry restaurant a few days ago.
Then rinse the rice, and put the cooked rice and pork hock together in a pot to steam.
When you eat a lot of meat, you should make yourself a refreshing cold dish to cut through the richness.
Wash and shred the scallions and chili peppers, and chop the cilantro into sections. Put them all into a large bowl, add appropriate amounts of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and chili oil, and mix well.
Let it sit for 20 minutes, and it will become a refreshing and palatable cold dish.
About half an hour later, I placed the newly bought floor table on the open space in the east room and put two heat-insulating mats that I had made myself on it.
Lifting the lid, the rich aroma of braised pork knuckle, mingled with the fragrance of rice, filled my nostrils.
I've been eating too much vegetarian food lately, and my mouth waters involuntarily whenever I smell something delicious.
I couldn’t wait to bring out the braised pork knuckle and rice, placing them directly on the heat-resistant mat, and then I brought out the freshly mixed scallion and chili pickles.
First, use chopsticks to pick up a piece of glossy, amber-colored pork knuckle skin, then put it directly into your mouth. The smooth, tender, and slightly hot texture melts in your mouth with just a gentle bite.
After eating three bites of pork knuckle skin, he added a chopstickful of scallion shreds to his mouth.
Just when your mouth feels a little greasy, the scallion shreds hit your tongue with their unique spiciness and refreshing taste, combined with the salty and savory flavors of the seasonings and a hint of sweet and sour, bringing an ultimate enjoyment to your taste buds.
Then, I picked up the lean meat under the skin of the pork knuckle and put it in my mouth. The lean meat was attached to some tendons and was not dry at all. It was slightly chewy when I bit into it. The meat flavor was different from that of the pork knuckle skin, but it was just as delicious.
I added some shredded scallions to the rice, and ate the rice and scallions together in big bites. It was spicy and satisfying.
It was so delicious that I couldn't help but nod repeatedly. Yes, this is the taste! It's absolutely amazing.
He rushed to the small west room to grab a can of Coke, and with the aroma of meat and rice, he took a big gulp, which was even more satisfying.
After finishing the meal, there was still half a pork knuckle left. I carefully wrapped it in a plastic bag and took it to the back room to freeze it, so I could take it out and eat it next time I craved it.
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