Chapter 195 Each dish has its own temperament
After finishing his order, he sat down, took out a pair of chopsticks and a spoon, and then stretched the spoon towards the plate of the man in the flowered sweater opposite him, and scooped a big spoonful without hesitation.
"What are you doing! Didn't you order?!" The man in the flowered sweater cursed incoherently with a mouthful of rice wrapped in it. Just as he was about to grab it back, Xifoiltang had already leaned forward quickly and put the spoon into his mouth.
"Have a bit of sharing spirit. Don't you want to try my stir-fried yellow beef?" Xifoiltang shook his head in satisfaction while eating, and fought back in the same unclear voice.
"Besides, we both agreed to come here together. What's the point of you leaving get off work first and coming here alone? It's getting dark earlier and earlier now. Aren't you worried that I'll get off work late and the roads will be slippery?"
"You, it's dark and the road is slippery and you're the one who's cheating others." The man in the flowered sweater rolled his eyes at the tin foil in disdain, but he felt guilty after being accused of that, so he didn't stop the man in the flowered sweater from continuing to put the spoon into his plate.
The sweater with the floral print on it no longer stopped him, he laughed twice and then shut up. The two of them ate their rice in silence, one spoonful at a time. The rice with spicy pork on the plate gradually disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"It's ready so soon?! Beauty, add another half plate of rice, just half a plate will do! Add some kimchi!" The stir-fried beef was cooked very quickly. When Ouyang Yidan placed the full bowl of rice in front of the tinfoil hot pot, the man in the flowered sweater quickly handed over the plate.
Ouyang Yidan agreed crisply, smiling as she picked up her plate and headed for the kitchen. Ever since the Clean Plate campaign began, customers had become more cautious about ordering more rice. Before, they'd just ask for more, but now they'd specify the exact amount.
Although the gifts looked like side dishes costing only one or two dollars, the waste of rice was indeed reduced a lot.
By the time Ouyang Yidan brought the rice again, half of the stir-fried beef in front of the two had been finished.
The man in the flowered sweater took the plate of rice without hesitation. He scooped a few spoonfuls of stir-fried beef and covered it on his second plate of rice. With shining eyes, he stirred it with a spoon and ate it with a slurp until his mouth was full of oil.
The tinfoil hotpot opposite was no less delicious. They mixed the rice and started to gobble it up. Each of them ate in silence, and only after they both finished did they have time to wipe their mouths and chat.
"Oh my god, I'm sweating. This stir-fried beef is so spicy! This dish should really be eaten in a city restaurant like this. The more crowded the place and the noisier the restaurant, the better it tastes. The strong and noisy atmosphere makes this dish so authentic and down-to-earth!" The man in the flowered sweater pulled at his sweater to fan himself with one hand and wiped his sweat with a tissue with the other.
"I think you are a wild boar who can't eat fine bran. It's okay for you to be picky about the environment when eating. Others choose elegant environments, but you only choose rustic ones. And you even want to describe them in a fancy way!" Tin Foil also tore off a piece of paper, glanced at the flowery sweater through his forehead wrinkles, and kept drinking water because of the spicy smell.
"You know what? Every dish has its own temperament. This dish is all about the original, rustic temperament.
Think about it, a wood stove in the countryside, pick a few peppers from the field, take a piece of beef butt that was slaughtered yesterday, wash it with well water, and stir-fry it in a sizzling pot, and finally sprinkle a handful of coriander on it, and squat by the stove to eat some rice with steamed rice over the firewood. Doesn’t it sound delicious?
Imagine a high-end restaurant with romantic music playing, a chef in exquisite attire selecting a chili pepper from a thousand varieties and slicing it finely. Then he takes a piece of beef shank flown in from Australia and slices it thinly for you. Then, he uses a small iron plate to slowly stir-fry it in front of you, sprinkling it with various seasonings. Finally, he arranges the dish with exquisite carvings. You find that the pristine white plate in front of you contains two slices of beef and three chili peppers, with the blank space artistically smeared with chili sauce. Doesn't that sound like a shady idea? Doesn't it feel like a lonely meal?
Flower Sweater was a smooth talker, and with just a few words, Tin Foil Burns Brain immediately had a picture. "Hey, don't say that! You really don't say that!"
"Hey guys, stop talking. There are so many people waiting for a table here. Can you please move aside after you finish eating?" A middle-aged man who had been waiting beside the small table for two people said impatiently after seeing them finish eating. The little girl holding his hand looked at them timidly with her schoolbag on her back.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice." The woman in the flowered sweater looked up at the man, then looked at the crowded hall, stood up with a smile on her face and offered him her seat. The man with a perm beside her also hurriedly stood up.
"Forgive me, buddy. My child is really hungry, so I was a little aggressive earlier." Seeing the two men's friendly attitude and their quick offer of their seats, the middle-aged man felt awkward for a moment and clasped his hands together, shaking them. "But is the stir-fried beef you just mentioned really that delicious?"
The girl in the flowered sweater waved her hand and was about to leave, but when she heard the man asking, she stopped halfway through her steps.
"Delicious! A must-order! A bite of chili pepper sandwiched with a bite of beef, and the soup made the rice shiny and oily. I ate half the plate without realizing it! But this dish has spicy peppers, and I can't eat anything without it, so the kids might not be used to it." The man in the flowered sweater praised in a rhythmic manner, then hesitantly glanced at the little girl and added.
The middle-aged man thanked her profusely, then turned his head to see his daughter's expectant eyes across from him. He instantly understood and shook his head with a pout. "Hello, could you please give me a small portion of stir-fried beef and a small bowl? We're also participating in the clean plate campaign, so we'll have potatoes."
"Okay!" Ouyang Yidan quickly wrote down the menu.
When the stir-fried beef was served, the middle-aged man pushed the plate away and the little girl immediately scooped a full bowl for herself.
"Dad, eat quickly!" After the girl scooped up the food, she pushed the remaining half of the rice bowl to the man again. Only then did the man slowly pick up his chopsticks.
This made him and his daughter raise their eyebrows at the same time.
"Daddy, do as Mommy did!"
The little girl shouted in a childish voice, and the middle-aged man sighed and nodded.
My ex-wife's hometown is in Hunan Province. Her family runs a big restaurant. She has been learning Hunan cuisine since she was a child. Her daughter also loves chili peppers. I haven't tasted that flavor for many years. I didn't expect to encounter it in this small restaurant today.
This stir-fried beef can be said to have captured the essence of Hunan cuisine. It is quite authentic and you can tell the beef has not been marinated with cornstarch or cooking wine. It is tender and the cooking time is very good, but it has just the right chewiness and has an original and rustic beef aroma.
The peppers are also used quite well. The spicy flavor of the chili peppers and the sour and spicy flavor of the pickled peppers are fully released under the stimulation of the full aroma of the wok. The beef is also dyed into an attractive red color under the complex aroma of peppers.
Not to mention the eye-catching coriander. The freshness of coriander combined with the fragrance of beef is a combination that is so delicious that it is unfair. With one bite, you can feel the freshness, spiciness, fragrance and crispness. Paired with a little oily soup and mixed with rice, it is simply a feast for the taste buds, so delicious that you can't stop eating!
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