Chapter 202 Potato and Pork Belly Rolls
Li Wei chuckled and withdrew his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the sizzling pork belly rolls on the grill, his fingertips still poised to reach for the skewers, like a little glutton whose soul had been bewitched.
The students watching couldn't contain themselves any longer, staring at the bubbling, richly colored braised pork ribs and potatoes in the iron pot.
Then, eyeing the glistening, fragrant pork belly rolls on the grill, they all tiptoed forward, chattering and asking questions.
"Boss, I'd like two skewers of pork belly rolls! And one serving of braised pork ribs with potatoes!"
"A pig raised on magic potatoes? Is it really that miraculous? Give me half a serving to test the waters!"
"Can I have a bite first? The aroma is so tempting, I've been smelling it all the way from the other side of the cafeteria!"
Su Yingxue moved nimbly, responding to everyone's requests while using long chopsticks to pick up a piece of stewed pork rib that had been cooked until tender. With a gentle lift, the bone separated from the meat, and the meat juice dripped down the chopsticks, drawing gasps from those around her.
She smiled as she put the ribs into a disposable lunchbox, then scooped out a few spoonfuls of potato chunks soaked in the meat juices, poured on the thick broth, and sprinkled on a handful of bright green scallions.
This instantly elevated the presentation of the braised pork ribs with potatoes to a whole new level.
"First one's ready! Be careful, it's hot!"
Su Yingxue handed the lunchbox to the boy at the front, who eagerly poked a piece of potato with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.
His eyes lit up instantly, and he mumbled, "Holy crap! This is amazing! The potatoes are so soft and tender, and they even smell like meat! The ribs are incredibly tender, not dry at all!"
His words excited the surrounding students even more, who pushed forward, afraid of missing out on the first wave of new products.
Mu Xiaoxiao was initially so nervous that her palms were sweating, but seeing everyone's enthusiasm, a smile gradually appeared on her face, and she processed the potatoes much faster.
She specially selected a few of the most tender potatoes, sliced them thinly, and handed them to Su Yingxue: "Boss, the thinner the slices, the more flavorful they will be when baked."
Su Yingxue nodded in agreement, took the potato slices and placed them on the freshly turned pork belly, then brushed on a layer of secret sauce. As soon as the sauce touched the hot pork belly, it made a "sizzle" sound, and the aroma instantly became even stronger.
She skillfully rolled up the pork belly with a bamboo skewer, grilled it until the edges were slightly crispy, and then handed it to the next customer.
The customer took a big bite, and the aroma of the crispy pork belly, the rich flavor of the oil, and the sweetness of the potato exploded in his mouth. He exclaimed with satisfaction, "This combination is just too perfect! The pork belly isn't greasy at all, and the potato has absorbed all the oily flavor. It's so delicious I could stomp my feet!"
Standing to the side, watching the endless stream of customers and the two senior female students working busily yet calmly, Li Wei quickly stepped forward to help pack the food.
He held the lunchbox in one hand and scooped ribs into it with the other, but his eyes kept glancing at the grill. His throat moved involuntarily, and he was almost drooling.
Seeing his greedy look, Su Yingxue couldn't help but laugh and tease him: "Look at you, so pathetic. Here, take the biggest one and shut your mouth."
As she spoke, she handed over a skewer of golden-brown, glistening pork belly rolls.
Li Wei's eyes lit up, and he quickly took it, carefully blew on it, and then couldn't wait to take a bite.
The scalding hot meat juices burst in his mouth, the crispy pork belly wrapped around the soft and tender potatoes, and the salty and slightly spicy secret sauce instantly made him feel incredibly happy.
He mumbled his praise, "Delicious! So delicious! Even better than I imagined! Senior sister, this new product is definitely going to be a huge hit!"
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from the crowd: "Xiaoxiao, you guys have come up with something new, huh? So many people are gathered around."
The two looked up and saw that it was their college counselor, Teacher Zhang, carrying food in her hand. She had obviously been attracted by the aroma while passing by the food street.
Mu Xiaoxiao quickly greeted him with a smile: "Teacher Zhang! We've just started making braised pork ribs with potatoes and potato and pork belly rolls. They're made with pigs that grew up eating our experimental potatoes. Would you like to try some?"
Li Wei nodded in agreement, then scooped up a small piece of pork rib and handed it to Teacher Zhang: "Teacher, please try it and give us your feedback."
Teacher Zhang took the ribs, took a bite, and her eyes immediately lit up: "Not bad, not bad! The meat is indeed tender, and the potatoes are stewed to perfection. You two are really skillful, turning even a troublesome pig into a treasure."
He smiled at the two of them, "I heard that the potatoes in your experimental field were eaten by pigs. I was just about to come and ask about the situation. I didn't expect that you would benefit from this misfortune and even develop a new product."
Su Yingxue chuckled and scratched her head: "It's quite a coincidence. I was worried that Xiaoxiao wouldn't have enough potatoes to deliver, but now with this pig, we've got an extra hot item."
Upon hearing that it was a teacher from the college praising the food, the students around him did not hesitate to take out their money and place orders. The already bustling stall became even more crowded, and some people even started to reserve their afternoon portions.
"Boss, do you still have any this afternoon? I didn't manage to get any at noon, please save me two for this afternoon!"
"I want to order this too! This braised pork ribs with potatoes is so delicious, I want to take it back for my roommates to try!"
"Could you make more? We've been in line for so long, will they be sold out if we wait any longer?"
While responding to everyone's reservations, Su Yingxue sped up her work. Beads of sweat slid down her cheeks, but it did not affect the smile on her face at all.
Looking at the bustling scene before her, Mu Xiaoxiao's last bit of worry vanished. She even started to plan how to pair the remaining experimental potatoes with pork to develop more new products.
Li Wei ate the pork belly roll in his hand, then looked at the braised pork ribs with potatoes that were gradually emptying out of the iron pot.
Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and leaned close to Su Yingxue: "Stall Master Shi, we only have this one pig. What if we sell it all? If everyone gets addicted to it and we run out of stock, that'll be a real problem!"
Su Yingxue paused in her actions, then turned her eyes to him with a smile: "Isn't that simple? You're a key talent in animal husbandry, so you must have quite a few pigs at your breeding base, right?"
From now on, we'll have a long-term partnership. Your pigs will feed our amazing potatoes, and we'll be responsible for turning them into delicious food. It's a win-win-win situation for all three of us, isn't that wonderful?
Mu Xiaoxiao chimed in, "That's right. This way, we can ensure the quality of the pork, and my experimental potatoes will also have a new market. It's a win-win situation."
Li Wei's eyes lit up instantly, and he patted his chest to assure everyone: "No problem! Don't worry, I'll go back and tell my advisor to set aside a special area to raise 'potato pigs' to ensure a sufficient supply, and the quality will be just as good as this one!"
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