The golden glow of the setting sun has dyed the sky red, and through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, it casts long, warm slanting shadows on the smooth floor of the living room.
The air was filled with the slightly dry scent of the asphalt road and grass that had been scorched by the sun during the day, gently tempered by the cool breeze from the air conditioner.
Jin Annuo sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, his chin resting on the pillow, his fingertips unconsciously swiping the screen of the tablet.
What is displayed on the screen is not a TV series or a comic, but pictures of tempting steaks with beautiful presentation.
She was reading with extreme concentration, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was studying some complex academic topic.
Today is a special day - Jin Chanyun’s birthday.
In previous years, she always racked her brains to choose gifts, from the clumsy handmade greeting cards in her student days, to the ties and cufflinks she bought with her pocket money later, to the expensive pens she bought with her first salary from her part-time job.
Her brother would always accept it, treasure it, and take her to the best restaurant for a sumptuous birthday dinner. He always said, "Annuo's kindness is the best gift."
But this year, Anno wants to try a different approach.
She wanted to cook him a meal herself. A formal, decent dinner. Not just noodles, but steak.
The idea had been swirling around in her mind for weeks, and she'd secretly observed her brother's preferred doneness (medium rare with a hint of pink) and noted the side dishes he'd occasionally mentioned (roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus, mashed potatoes).
She even used the excuse of shopping to drag her best friend to "inspect" the restaurant that her brother often took her to, which was famous for its high-quality steaks, and secretly took pictures of the plating.
Her phone is filled with various steak tutorial apps, from choosing a frying pan (she dug out the cast iron pan that was kept in the bottom of the drawer at home), to thawing the steak (moving it from the freezer to the refrigerator 24 hours in advance), to the key "resting" step (the steak must rest after being fried to lock in the juices).
She took dense notes and even made a special trip to several imported supermarkets, lingering for a long time in front of the refrigerated counters before finally selecting two Australian grain-fed filet mignon steaks with beautiful textures and just the right thickness—the meat was tender and perfect for her brother's preferred medium-rare.
At this moment, looking at the mouth-watering pictures on the screen, An Nuo took a deep breath and encouraged himself: "Jin An Nuo, you can do it! For my brother's birthday!"
She glanced at the wall clock. It was four in the afternoon. It was almost time.
Her brother usually comes home around seven o'clock, and she needs three hours to prepare for this "battle".
She carefully took out two filets wrapped in kitchen paper from the refrigerator. The deep red meat shone with a marbled sheen under the light, and felt cool and pliable to the touch.
She gently unwrapped them, placed them on a plate lined with clean kitchen paper, and returned them to the refrigerator, allowing them to continue to slowly return to room temperature.
Prepare the side dishes and sauces. This is the part she believes can be done ahead of time to reduce the risk of failure.
She chose yellow-heart potatoes with a soft texture, peeled them, cut them into pieces, put them in a pot and boiled them with water.
While the potatoes were cooking, she took out a small milk pan, poured in fresh milk, added a small piece of butter, and slowly heated it over the lowest heat until the butter melted and the milk boiled slightly, emitting a rich milky aroma.
Boil the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with chopsticks, then remove them from the heat, drain them, and use a masher to mash them into a fine paste.
Next, she adds the warm milk-butter mixture to the mashed potatoes in portions, stirring with a spoon or whisk as she goes, until the mashed potatoes are smooth, fluffy, and an attractive pale yellow color.
Finally, season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. The creamy, creamy mashed potatoes are ready! She took a small bite, nodded with satisfaction, and covered it with plastic wrap to keep it warm.
Cut off the old roots of fresh, emerald green asparagus and wash and dry the bright red cherry tomatoes. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spread the asparagus and cherry tomatoes on top, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a little chopped rosemary (a technique she learned while "inspecting").
Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes. Soon, the kitchen begins to be filled with the aroma of olive oil and vegetables, and the tomatoes slowly become soft and wrinkled under the heat.
This was the part that made her most nervous. The traditional red wine sauce was too complicated, and she was afraid of messing it up. Ultimately, she opted for a safer, "lazy" mushroom and black pepper sauce.
Melt a small piece of butter in a frying pan, add finely chopped white button mushrooms (Oligy octopus), and patiently stir-fry until the mushrooms become soft, shrink in size, and are slightly charred on the edges, emitting a rich mushroom aroma.
Then she pours in about 200ml of good-quality beef stock (from the supermarket in cans), adds a tablespoon of crushed black pepper, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (to add complexity), and a touch of oyster sauce for flavor.
Bringing it to a boil, she lowered the heat and let the soup thicken. She stirred constantly to prevent the bottom from burning, watching the liquid in the pot thicken from thin to thick, and its color change from light brown to a deep sauce color.
Finally, she tasted it. It was salty and fresh with a hint of black pepper and a strong mushroom flavor. Not bad! She turned off the heat and poured the sauce into a small thermos for later use.
When the oven dinged and the aroma of roasted vegetables filled her, she checked the clock. It was already six o'clock. The most crucial step—frying the steak—was about to begin!
She took a deep breath, like a general about to go into battle.
She took out the heavy cast iron frying pan—one her brother had bought on a whim. It was said to conduct heat evenly and retain heat well, allowing for perfectly charred dishes, but it was rarely used. She placed it on the stovetop and preheated it over medium-high heat.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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