...
...
The duck wings, duck necks, and chicken feet that were just brought from the market were still fresh. Xu Milu simply put them in a pot of cold water to boil and remove the blood, then took them out. She cut the pork ribs into pieces, blanched them, and set them aside for later use.
Take a handful of dried Sichuan peppercorns, two bicolor mandolin peppers, a handful of dried chilies, four bay leaves, some sliced ginger, and a piece of cinnamon. Put all these spices into a bowl, cover them with water, and soak for five minutes to remove the bitterness.
After soaking to remove the astringent taste, Xu Milu picked up the bowl of water, smelled it, and then nodded.
She then took three large spoonfuls of brown sugar granules and stir-fried them in a pot until they turned a beautiful caramel color. This step is very important; the color of the spicy braised dish depends on this step.
Add two cans of beer, three tablespoons of light soy sauce, and two tablespoons of dark soy sauce for color. Finally, add water to the pot until it's about two-thirds full.
Since she was setting up a fire in her own field, Xu Milu simply added more firewood to the stove. The bright orange flames danced and licked the bottom of the pot, causing the pot to heat up rapidly. The aroma of the sauce in the pot gradually spread out.
The longer the old braising liquid is cooked, the more fragrant it becomes. Right now, the spices have just been added to the pot, and others may not be able to smell them, but Xu Milu can still smell a slight astringent taste.
"Glug glug glug—"
The reddish-brown sauce was boiling in the pot. Xu Milu used a chopstick to stir it and saw that it was about right. Then she poured the blanched duck parts, chicken parts, and pork ribs into the pot, stirred it slightly, and then covered it to simmer slowly.
A good braising liquid takes a lot of time to make. The longer it simmers over low heat, the more the flavor will penetrate into the meat, making it more fragrant when eaten. Some long-established restaurants keep their braising liquid like this, without changing it for more than ten years, only adding new braising ingredients. The longer it is used, the more fragrant it becomes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
