As Hua Kai recalled the recipe, she wrote down the proportions of the seasonings, wanting to try it herself first, since the taste of the seasonings might not be exactly the same in different eras.
As she mixed the marinade, she smelled the aroma and finally got it to her satisfaction. Then she marinated half of the beef and half of the lamb, and grilled the other half plain, so that both options would suit different tastes.
The marinated items need to be left to sit for at least half an hour, which is perfect for skewering the items that don't need marinating first.
Hua Kai cut the meat, while Ye Yifan and Li Hui skewered it. They weren't very skilled, so it took them a while to finish.
Then I skewered the marinated food as well. Since it's this season, I don't need a refrigerator. I put it on the north windowsill in the kitchen, and it's even cooler than a refrigerator.
Hua Kai and Ye Yifan didn't have lunch here at noon because Li Hui's shop was also busy at noon. So the two of them said they had something to do and went out for lunch. They also went to check on their two shops. Around 3 pm, they went to Li Hui's place again.
Li Hui just brought back the finished iron stove, iron skewers, and iron mesh, etc. There was charcoal at home, and it was already lit.
Hua Kai asked Ye Yifan to help her set everything up in the open space in front of the shop, then put the lit charcoal into the barbecue grill and started grilling meat skewers.
To be honest, Huakai didn't have much experience with this kind of grilling method, but luckily the skewers were made of iron, so they weren't easy to break, although they were a bit hot to the touch.
Ye Yifan took the skewer from Hua Kai's hand and said, "You put in the seasonings and give instructions, I'll grill it."
Hua Kai stood beside him, helping him control the heat: "These marinated ones don't need too much seasoning, otherwise the flavors will mix. For these unmarinated ones, add my secret seasoning when they're about 70% cooked. Add less spice, because we eat less spice in the north, so it should suit the general taste."
Ye Yifan listened to what Hua Kai said and started grilling.
Li Hui watched and took notes, while also helping Ye Yifan. Before long, the aroma of barbecue filled the air, attracting the attention of passersby.
Once the first batch was baked, the group immediately began to taste it. Since they were doing business together, not just eating for fun, everyone took it very seriously.
Hua Kai took a bite and found it to be similar to what she had expected, but some of the seasonings were missing, so it was slightly different from what she had imagined.
Ye Yifan looked at Hua Kai's expression and said, "It's delicious, but you haven't achieved the effect you wanted yet?"
After finishing his meal, Li Hui looked at the two of them in surprise: "It's so delicious, and you're still not satisfied? That's too much. I've had one skewer and I still want more. I've had barbecue once before, but it's nowhere near as good as this."
Hua Kai smiled and said, "It's alright. After all, it's my first time. I've only learned it from books and haven't practiced it, so we'll improve it slowly. This kind of marinating should make it more tender. Maybe I forgot to add some egg white. I'll add some more later and try."
Li Hui said, "Then I'll go get the eggs."
Hua Kai added, "This chicken frame smells especially good when roasted raw. Brother Li, why don't you try roasting it? Chicken frames take a long time to roast, and the heat is also important. You can't let the heat get too high, or it will burn."
Li Hui had been eager to try it for a while, and quickly said, "I know, then I'll give it a try."
Ye Yifan gave his seat to Li Hui, who then started grilling chicken frames, along with some meat skewers and chicken wings.
The chicken carcass smelled even better, with a hint of roasted chicken flavor, which immediately attracted the attention of all the diners, along with some onlookers, and quite a few people gathered around to watch.
Someone recognized Li Hui and came over to chat: "Da Hui, what are you grilling? It smells amazing! Is it for sale?"
Hearing that someone was interested, Li Hui felt even more confident about the business.
He said to the person who asked, "This is a roasted chicken frame, and I also have some kebabs. I'd like to try my hand at barbecuing in the future."
The person listening said with great interest, "If you can bake it this well, I guarantee your business will be booming."
Hua Kai watched these people asking questions with great interest, and most importantly, some of them started swallowing their saliva.
She quickly said to Li Hui, "Brother Li, let everyone try it after it's done, and let them tell us what it tastes like and give us their opinions. If we're going to open a barbecue restaurant, it has to be one that everyone likes, right?"
Li Hui didn't dare to say that at first, since Hua Kai and Ye Yifan had bought the items. Now that Hua Kai said so, Li Hui quickly said to everyone, "If you're not in a hurry, just wait a bit. I'll be done soon. Please taste it for me."
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped to leave, because the aroma was so delicious that it made their mouths water, and they all said they wanted to try it.
Ye Yifan smiled as he watched the flowers bloom. This little girl has never lacked a business mind.
He also went over to grill skewers with Li Hui. Anyway, the grill was long enough, so they could grill as long as they added charcoal.
Before long, Li Hui's skewers were cooked. He asked if anyone didn't eat beef or mutton, so he would give them pork belly with chili peppers. If they did eat beef or mutton, he would give them one marinated and one unmarinated skewer so they could try the skewers first.
Everyone raved about it after trying it, saying it was incredibly delicious.
Ye Yifan then shared the chicken wings with everyone, and they received unanimous praise.
Hua Kai brushed garlic water onto the tofu skin and started grilling it. This was a secret recipe, a recipe she overheard by chance from an old lady in front of the school. However, Hua Kai modified it herself because she hadn't heard the whole recipe from the old lady.
However, the bean curd skin still tasted right, almost the same as what she ate in her previous life.
The bean curd sheets were ready quickly. Hua Kai tried a skewer first and was quite satisfied, so she let Ye Yifan try some as well.
Ye Yifan really liked this; it was lighter than meat, but had a strong barbecue flavor.
Suddenly, Hua Kai had an idea: her family could actually produce spicy strips, which would definitely be a popular food. She would discuss it with Ye Yifan later. Anyway, there was no rush. Her family was going to build a house and a factory next year anyway, so she should investigate first.
At this point, Li Hui had also tried it and said it was delicious, so he let the onlookers try it as well.
After some people tried it and heard that it was just tofu skin and wouldn't be very expensive, the onlookers all said that if the business opened, they would definitely come and eat it.
Li Hui also told everyone that since the Lunar New Year is approaching, they will not be doing barbecue business before the New Year and will wait until the eighth day of the Lunar New Year to open for business and start barbecuing in the evening.
Hua Kai thinks this is a good idea. Lunch will still be stir-fried dishes, and dinner will be barbecue. This way, there will be a transition, and everyone can gradually accept the change.
However, many of the onlookers were quite hungry, saying they hadn't had enough to eat today and wished the restaurant would open soon.
Hua Kai said, "Anyway, we still have some meat left today, so we'll grill it all and let everyone have some more. Don't forget to help spread the word in the future, and come and support us often."
Everyone was naturally delighted and gathered around to talk, all saying they would definitely help spread the word.
People love to join in the fun, and soon there were more and more people. Although each person only ate a few skewers, the reputation was established in no time.
They were busy until the lamps were lit, and then the man slowly dispersed.
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