Chapter 138 Grilled Lamb Skewers
Aunt Zhang grabbed the keys and pulled Su Yingxue deeper into the alley: "Come on, let me show you the way."
Old Li watched their departing figures, picked up the "Three of Bamboo" card again, and slowly tossed it out: "I won!"
Su Yingxue followed Aunt Zhang through several turns and across a narrow alley piled with cardboard boxes and old bicycles. Suddenly, the view opened up before her—a two-story building was hidden at the end of the alley, its red-painted door tightly shut, its windows gleaming clean, and the surroundings were much quieter than the noisy center of the alley.
Just a dozen meters ahead is a three-way intersection, where an old man selling roasted sweet potatoes calls out "Fresh out of the oven!" and a cart selling sugar-roasted chestnuts clatters as chestnuts are dumped out, bringing a lively, bustling atmosphere to the scene.
“This building was built with the help of my nephew a few years ago, and Old Li rents it out to young people who set up stalls.” Aunt Zhang took out her key and opened the red door.
The hallway smelled of roasted chestnuts. "The first floor is empty. There's only one bedroom on the second floor, with a small kitchen and a bathroom. You'll have enough room by yourself." She pushed open the door to the second-floor room. Sunlight streamed in through the window cracks, illuminating the light blue sheets. "The water and electricity are connected. See if you need anything. The convenience store downstairs sells everything."
Su Yingxue looked around: the bed was simple, but the blankets were neatly folded; the gas stove on the stove was polished to a shine, and the range hood didn't have much grease buildup; the window was small, but it faced the streetlight at the alley entrance, so it shouldn't be too dark at night. She touched the wooden table by the bed; its grain was fine, unlike something secondhand.
"It's alright." She turned to Aunt Zhang and smiled. "Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
"Hey, don't be so polite with me!" Aunt Zhang waved her hand. "I live right next door—look up, that's the building with the red flag flying on the roof!" She pointed to a three-story building with blue tiles not far away. "Come find me if you need anything, and I'll introduce you to some of my regular customers!"
After paying the key deposit and signing a simple rental agreement, Su Yingxue turned and went upstairs to the second floor. Pushing open the bedroom window, the "mysterious little villa" directly opposite came into view—the closed white iron gate was tightly shut, the windows were drawn with thick blackout curtains, and the branches of an old locust tree in the yard stretched out, but strangely, most of the leaves were missing, as if they had been deliberately pruned.
The winter sun shone on the iron gate, reflecting a cold light, like a silent warning.
Su Yingxue only paused for a moment before shaking her head to clear her mind. She began cleaning.
Outside the window, the hawking noises at the three-way intersection grew louder and louder, while the sounds of children playing came from the building next door. The shop owner was shouting loudly, "Bananas are on special today!"
She tied on her apron and lit the gas stove. The sizzling sound of the gas heating up, mixed with the aromas of everyday life, filled the air.
—Survive first, and take care of the rest later.
Since we're doing barbecue, lamb skewers are a must.
After cleaning, Su Yingxue went to the nearby market to buy lamb. She wanted to try making lamb skewers. The vendor said it had just been delivered. When she returned home and took out a piece of lamb leg from the bag, it was just getting dark outside.
The streetlights at the alley entrance came on, their dim light filtering through the sheer curtains and casting dappled shadows in her small kitchen. From the three-way intersection downstairs came the cries of a vendor—"Hot roasted sweet potatoes!" She tightened her apron and eagerly placed the knife blade onto the lamb.
The lamb leg is cut into even, thin slices, each with just the right amount of texture—three parts fat and seven parts lean, the fat as translucent as white jade, and the lean meat as vibrant as a rosy sunset.
She specifically chose the cut near the lamb's foreleg, where the meat fibers are fine, offering a chewy yet tender texture. With a gentle lift of the knife tip, she removed the excess tendons and membranes, leaving only the most tender part.
The fresh rosemary she bought in the afternoon still carried the scent of morning dew. She chopped it finely and spread it on the meat along with shredded onions and ginger slices, as if covering the lamb with a spice blanket.
First, marinate the mutton.
Two spoonfuls of secret-recipe soy sauce, one and a half spoonfuls of honey, half a spoonful of cumin powder, a pinch of Sichuan peppercorn powder, plus a clove of minced garlic and half a cup of water. Wearing gloves, Su Yingxue mixed these seasonings with the lamb, feeling the soft and moist texture on her fingertips. She put the meat into a sealed container, gently pressing it to coat each piece of lamb with the sauce, and then refrigerated it.
"At least two hours." She glanced at her watch and decided to wait until 11 p.m. to set up her stall before taking it out to grill. But only forty minutes after marinating, the aroma had already seeped out of the box and entered her nose, tempting her to open the lid and take a look—the lamb had absorbed the sauce, its color had deepened, and the fat was slightly translucent, as if wrapped in an amber halo.
Then Su Yingxue started skewering the meat.
Su Yingxue took out the marinated mutton, arranging it in alternating layers of lean and fatty pieces, like a meticulously choreographed dance.
She gently skewered the meat with a bamboo stick, the slices of fat and lean meat tightly packed together, with a small piece of mutton fat occasionally sandwiched in between—this was the secret weapon, which would melt into oil while grilling, moistening the entire skewer of mutton and making every bite juicy and satisfying.
Finally, she sprinkled a pinch of freshly ground sesame seeds on top, pressed them gently to embed the sesame seeds into the meat, adding a nutty aroma.
They started grilling and setting up their stall. There was already a small food cart inside the ground floor storefront. They simply opened up the ground floor storefront and began selling lamb skewers.
At 11 a.m., the number of pedestrians in the alley gradually dwindled, with only the roasted sweet potato stall at the three-way intersection still lit up. Su Yingxue set up a portable barbecue grill and brushed on a thin layer of mutton fat—made from scraps of lamb leg, its aroma so rich it could make anyone's mouth water instantly.
As the teppanyaki grill began to smoke slightly, she placed the lamb skewers on it. Instantly, there was a loud sizzle, oil splattered everywhere, and the aroma of the lamb exploded like fireworks.
She flipped the bamboo skewers quickly, her wrists moving with the agility of a dancer. When the first side was grilled to a golden brown, she sprinkled on a small spoonful of cumin seeds—the coarse grains added to the aroma. Then she flipped it over and sprinkled on chili powder, specifically choosing Yunnan chili powder, which was spicy but not overpowering, with a fruity flavor.
The fatty parts began to shrink, turning into transparent oil droplets that dripped onto the iron plate with a hissing sound, attracting sparrows from the side to flutter over and perch on the telephone pole to look around curiously.
When the lamb skewers were grilled until golden brown on both sides and the edges curled slightly, Su Yingxue turned down the heat, letting the residual heat slowly penetrate the meat. She squeezed a few drops of lemon juice to enhance the flavor and cut through the greasiness, then sprinkled on a small handful of fresh chopped cilantro, its vibrant green color carrying the fresh scent of the fields.
The last skewer of grilled lamb had its fatty parts glistening and translucent, shining like amber.
The lean meat is tender and juicy, and you can even see pink juice when you bite into it;
The aroma of mutton fat mingles with the sweetness of cumin, chili, and honey, creating a complex yet harmonious fragrance that wafts straight into your nose.
There weren't many people on the street, but the aroma filled the house. It drifted and drifted, reaching the outer street.
"This mutton smells so good!" Su Yingxue couldn't resist taking a bite.
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