He added two drops of aged vinegar while stir-frying, which would both neutralize any gaminess and enhance the fragrance!
"Phew! Pour in the sauce to thicken, and it’ll be done!"
During the final stir-fry, Su Chen had a bit of an epiphany.
The pork slices in this dish were flash-fried until they were about sixty percent cooked. The final stir-frying would cook them through. The thickening sauce was a simple, savory one.
’Then what makes it so delicious...’
Looking at the aged vinegar to the side, Su Chen thought for a moment. ’I’ll do it one more time!’
The first time was during the initial stir-fry, to neutralize gaminess and enhance the aroma.
The second time, he drizzled the vinegar directly onto the side of the hot wok!
Under the intense heat, the vinegar evaporated the instant it hit the wok, barely any of it touching the food. Yet, it infused the dish with a rich, aromatic trace of vinegar!
After a final drizzle of finishing oil, it was time to plate!
The contents of both woks were poured onto separate plates.
The perfectly-made sauce, enhanced by the finishing oil, made the entire dish glisten. Specks of black wood ear mushroom were scattered amongst the savory, sauce-coated pork slices. There were no other superfluous vegetables; it was a meat dish in its purest, most essential form!
’Time for a taste!’
Su Chen tasted both versions. The texture was nearly identical. The pork loin slices were incredibly tender and smooth. Even though it was lean meat, the texture was far more tender than it had any right to be!
That was the magic of marinating and flash-frying.
It had a simple, savory flavor profile that remained perfectly balanced from the moment it entered his mouth until he swallowed. Even the aftertaste was a delicate, savory aroma.
What surprised Su Chen the most was the two-step addition of vinegar.
The aroma of vinegar without any of the acidity—that was the dish’s greatest highlight!
Every time he lifted a piece to his mouth, he could smell the rich fragrance of vinegar, yet he couldn’t taste it in a single bite. It was an absolute stroke of genius!
[Old-Fashioned Flash-Fried Pork: Rating A Level]
Seeing the rating from the system, Su Chen wasn’t the least bit surprised.
Some dishes were like that—simple and straightforward. Even if your skills were a bit lacking, the result wouldn’t taste too bad.
But making it *truly* delicious was beyond just improving one’s technique. That required a multifaceted approach, considering everything from ingredient selection to side dishes and cooking methods.
With the first dish done, Su Chen prepared to start the second.
He decided to first tackle the formidable challenge of the Squirrel Fish.
He had temporarily given up on the Black Pork Stew. He’d spent the better part of a damn day on it and it was still only B Level. A purple-tier recipe had somehow turned out more pathetic than a white-tier one!
The status of Squirrel Fish in Huaiyang Cuisine was comparable to that of Steamed Wuchang Fish in Hubei Cuisine.
’Dammit, more knife work...’
Su Chen would never forget the agony of the day he’d had to kill nearly ten thousand fish.
...
You had to hand it to him, Fang Chang, the young boss, really knew how to get things done.
One phone call was all it took. Before long, his employees arrived at Delicious, carrying all sorts of items.
Ling Shuyu stood in the cafeteria, directing everyone where to put things.
"Let’s set up in the southeast corner."
That spot was far from the entrance and a good distance from the serving counter. Plus, it had a window. It was clearly the best location.
They used the classical screen Brother Fang Chang had bought online to partition off the area, creating a space of about fifteen square meters.
In the center, they placed the round table and wooden chairs that Brother Fang Chang had purchased. Two potted plants were set in the corners by the screen. After such simple decorations, sitting down surprisingly imparted a feeling of elegance and serenity.
The contrast between the area inside the screen and the area outside was striking!
As for the set of Jingdezhen ceramics, the place settings were washed and set on the table, while the serving plates and other dishes were sent to the kitchen to be kept on standby.
"Now this looks much better!" Brother Fang Chang stood in the private room, looking it over for a moment. The only drawback was that the light overhead was still spilling in from the main cafeteria lights.
But installing a dedicated light would be too much trouble, so they had to let it go.
"This is the best our company can do for now. Once we make some money, we’ll give this place a proper renovation!" Bai Xiaobo said, patting the dust off his clothes, his eyes full of hope for the future.
Ling Shuyu huffed. "’It may be a humble room, but my virtue lends it fragrance.’ As long as the food is delicious enough, it makes no difference whether you’re eating in a private room or at your desk. Master Lu and President Shang can accept it, and I think most people who love food can too."
If Ling Shuyu were in charge of the company’s development, renovating their office space would not be her first priority.
Zhang Li, meanwhile, sat down wearily in a chair. "Is it time to eat yet..."
Liu Shengnan asked, "Didn’t you eat enough this morning?"
Zhang Li: (._.)
The depths of her suffering were hers to bear alone...
Just as everyone was taking a short break, Zhan Yang returned!
He was back, and he’d brought a ton of ingredients!
"I bought two mandarin fish, got the rest of the meat from your family’s store, and bought the vegetables from that place you told me about. It’s all according to Boss Su’s list. I put it on your tab!"
As he spoke, Zhan Yang carried the items into the kitchen. "Here are your clothes. Go on, get changed!"
Normally, Brother Fang Chang had a pretty relaxed schedule. He’d just stroll through his various shops each day, glance at the accounts, and call it a day.
He dressed casually most of the time.
But this time, Zhan Yang had brought him a full suit!
"Nice one, my man!" Brother Fang Chang said, grabbing the suit and ducking into the private room to change.
A moment later, Brother Fang Chang emerged from the private room.
Zhan Yang stared, stunned for a second. "Holy crap, look at you! A change of clothes and you look like a whole new person."
"Clothes make the man, and your boy here is pretty damn handsome to begin with! Besides," Brother Fang Chang said with a completely straight face, "I’ve got a good build. I’m one of those guys who can really pull off a suit."