Chapter 83 Lamb Spine Soup with Cantonese Bok Choy
The man in the plaid shirt got closest, sniffed hard, and held the half-eaten duck wing in his hand. His tone was a little skeptical: "Old Lu, you're more discerning than anyone else. You used to be so picky about food. If someone says it's delicious, it must be something special."
“Exactly,” another taxi driver wearing a baseball cap squeezed in, the cap pulled low, covering most of his face except for his chin.
"You just said where you bought it? Don't hide it! We who drive at night just want to have something hot and delicious to eat, it's better than eating cold steamed buns."
Old Lu placed the stinky tofu box on the stone table, opened the lid—the shiny black tofu blocks were coated in reddish-brown braising liquid, sprinkled with minced garlic and millet peppers, steam rose up, and wisps of aroma wafted into people's noses, even the air was filled with an appetizing spicy fragrance.
He picked up a toothpick, forked a piece, and handed it to the man in the plaid shirt, his tone tinged with pride: "It's a food stall right next to the funeral home. The owner is a young woman, and the stall is spotless—much better than you think. Don't spout nonsense about a female ghost cooking; she's a legitimate business, and her skills are excellent!"
The man in the plaid shirt took it, popped it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up instantly. His previously furrowed brows relaxed: "Holy crap! This smells amazing! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sauce is flavorful enough. It's even better than that old-fashioned restaurant at the end of my alley back home that's been around for twenty years!"
Xiao Sun also hurriedly forked a piece, which burned his mouth so much that he grimaced, but he couldn't bear to spit it out, so he held it in his mouth and mumbled something.
"The spiciness is just right, it doesn't burn my stomach but it's still quite spicy, and it leaves a pleasant aftertaste. It's a hundred times better than instant noodles! Tomorrow after I finish this trip, I'll make a detour to buy one and try the boxed meal. If they give away such delicious stinky tofu, the boxed meal must be amazing too!"
The driver, wearing a baseball cap, also forked a piece, chewed slowly, and nodded without saying a word. He smacked his lips, his eyes showing a hint of satisfaction—probably because he hadn't eaten anything so delicious in a long time.
The group of people didn't stand on ceremony and started dividing the stinky tofu into pieces. There were only eight pieces to begin with, and they were all gone in no time. Some people even used steamed buns to dip in the remaining brine in the box.
Seeing everyone enjoying their meal, Lao Lu smiled even more smugly, threw the empty box into the nearby trash can, and clapped his hands: "Great! Let's go together tomorrow! That girl said if I bring my friends, she'll give each of them a two-yuan discount and a free serving of pickled radishes."
"I'll let you try that lunchbox then: braised duck with lotus root, minced pork with eggplant, and tomato and egg soup. The portions are generous, and the taste is authentic. It's worth the thirty yuan!"
"Really? Then we have to go together tomorrow! I've had enough of instant noodles!" Xiao Sun said, slapping his thigh, his eyes full of anticipation.
The man in the plaid shirt nodded in agreement: "Yes, let's go together! I also need to buy some stinky tofu for a late-night snack, something to eat while running at night to keep me alert."
A night breeze blew in from the intersection, carrying a slight chill, but it didn't dispel the lingering aroma of braised food in the air.
The gas station lights were still on, casting a bright white light on a group of drivers. They surrounded Lao Lu, chatting about the bowl of stinky tofu, and no one even touched the instant noodles and steamed buns they hadn't finished eating—probably because they had tasted the deliciousness and could no longer appreciate the bland things.
Everyone's face was filled with anticipation, their minds filled with thoughts of going to Su Yingxue's stall tomorrow, to taste that crispy on the outside and tender on the inside stinky tofu, and to eat a hot and fragrant boxed lunch.
Old Lu leaned against the truck, watching his brothers' excited faces, and his heart warmed as well. He remembered Su Yingxue's smile when she handed him the boxed lunches, the bowl of hot braised duck and lotus root, and the aroma of stinky tofu from earlier. He couldn't help but take out his phone and send a message to the drivers' group: "Meet at the gas station at 1 a.m. tomorrow. I'll take you guys to eat delicious stinky tofu and boxed lunches. I guarantee you won't regret it!"
As soon as the message was sent, the group chat exploded with comments like "Count me in." He smiled, put his phone back in his pocket, and looked up at the night sky—although it was dark, it didn't seem so cold anymore, and even the stars seemed brighter.
As dawn broke through the window of the food cart, Su Yingxue returned from the market with half a lamb spine. The fresh lamb spine still had some blood on it, and tender meat was embedded in the crevices of the bones. She first put the lamb spine into a large basin and soaked it in clean water for two hours, changing the water three times in between, until the water in the basin became clear—this way, the blood could be removed, and the soup would not be fishy.
She put the soaked lamb spine into a pot of cold water, added a few slices of ginger, two sections of scallion, and half a bowl of cooking wine, then brought it to a boil over high heat. The scum quickly rose to the surface, like a layer of grayish-white foam, which she gently skimmed off with a spoon, not missing even the smallest specks. Once the water boiled again, she took the lamb spine out, rinsed it with warm water to remove any remaining scum, and drained it—if she rinsed it with cold water, the meat would become tough; she remembered her grandmother always reminding her to do this when stewing meat back home.
She set up a large cast-iron wok, poured in a little rapeseed oil, and once the oil was hot, added ginger slices, scallion segments, two star anise, and a small piece of cinnamon, sautéing them slowly over low heat until fragrant. When the ginger slices turned light brown, she added the lamb spine and stir-fried it quickly over high heat. The surface of the lamb spine gradually browned slightly, the fat seeping out, filling the entire kitchen with a meaty aroma. While stir-frying, she added two tablespoons of light soy sauce and one tablespoon of dark soy sauce to the wok, stirring evenly to coat each piece of lamb spine with the reddish-brown sauce, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Next, she added enough boiling water to cover the lamb spine, as it would need to simmer for an hour and a half. She covered it with a heavy wooden lid and turned the heat to a simmer. Steam escaped from the lid, carrying a faint aroma of meat. Every twenty minutes, she would lift the lid and gently stir with a spoon to prevent the bottom from burning. After an hour of simmering, she added a piece of rock sugar and a pinch of salt to taste—the rock sugar enhanced the flavor and gave the broth a brighter color.
While the lamb spine stew was cooking, Su Yingxue began preparing the bok choy. She chose tender shoots for the Cantonese bok choy, trimming off a bit of the root, picking and washing the leaves, and draining them. She boiled a pot of water, added a little salt and a few drops of cooking oil, and blanched the bok choy in it. After the water boiled again, she cooked it for thirty seconds, then removed it and rinsed it in cold water—this helps the bok choy retain its bright green color and makes it crisper. Finally, she arranged the bok choy in a circle on a plate, making it look refreshing and appealing.
Next is the shredded pork with garlic sauce, the key to making it perfect with rice. She cuts pork tenderloin into thin strips, adds a spoonful of cooking wine, half a spoonful of light soy sauce, and a little cornstarch, mixes it well by hand, and marinates it for ten minutes. Then she cuts carrots and green peppers into thin strips, and also cuts soaked wood ear mushrooms into strips. She minces scallions, ginger, and garlic and sets them aside. Preparing the garlic sauce is crucial. She adds two spoonfuls of light soy sauce, one spoonful of vinegar, one spoonful of sugar, half a spoonful of cornstarch, and half a bowl of water to a bowl, stirs it well, and sets it aside.
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