“It doesn’t look much like the photos...”
“Neat” was the last word I would use to describe how I’d plated it... I was used to using pens and other writing implements, but these “tongs” were quite a bit trickier to handle. The meat ended up folded over in some places and overlapping in others. The spice mill was stiff and difficult to turn, so I wasn’t able to season it evenly either. And as for the cheese...well, I think I did all right at scattering it all over everything. I was still rather disappointed, however, and my shoulders drooped.
“That looks real good for your first time. Don’tcha agree, Lord Alkerag?” Salamander asked. There was a hint of desperation in his voice.
“Yes, indeed. Of course, it is the taste that is truly important,” Alk replied hurriedly from my other side.
I still had to cut up and portion out the roast beef, and I was no longer confident that it would go well. I placed the meat onto the cutting board and brought the kitchen knife down onto it.
“Don’t saw back and forth. Instead, get the knife into the meat and then pull it back smoothly!” Teiren said, gesticulating the movements to me.
The phrase “easier said than done” came to mind. In the end, the meat ended up being cut into pieces, regardless of how it’d happened.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and put the knife down to one side. “Finished. I think...”
Both Alk and Salamander released sighs of relief and smiled at me.
“You seem to have gotten used to this, Fran,” Alk said. “The cut sections of those last pieces look quite gorgeous.”
“I gotta agree with Lord Alkerag! They’re not even rough around the edges or nothin’!”
I must have had them on tenterhooks!
Not that I could blame them. It had been my first time cutting so much meat, and now that I was done, I felt a sense of accomplishment. The first pieces I’d cut were a little structurally dubious, but the last ones showed that I had vastly improved. Aren’t you proud of me?
The altar was our dining table, and it was packed with dishes piled high with vibrant slices of meat. I lined the seasonings up next to them and pointed. “Here are the accompaniments that came with this set, so you can season your meat to taste.”
The smile on Alk’s face widened.
“I think I shall start with the carpaccio,” I continued, “seeing as I’ve never had raw meat before!”
“As you wish. I have never had cooked meat before.”
“Then this will be a brand-new experience for both of us! Doesn’t facing the unknown get your heart pumping?”
I watched his fine lips curve into an attractive smile as he snatched up several slices of roast beef from a nearby plate. Meanwhile, I wasted no time in reaching for the carpaccio. The meat seemed to have turned an even deeper shade of red—perhaps because it’d been in contact with the air. After wrapping some cheese around a slice of meat, I ate it all in a single bite.
I was worried it would taste like blood, but there wasn’t even a hint of that flavor. Instead, my mouth was filled with the airy taste of olive oil.
“Wow... Raw meat is divine!” I exclaimed.
“As is cooked meat. It is very aromatic.”
I looked up and met Alk’s golden gaze—we both must’ve wanted to see the other’s reaction.
But the carpaccio really was delicious! It had a velvety texture and was so soft that it seemed to stick to my tongue. Despite how thinly it was sliced, the meat’s flavor was so intense that it had a real bite to it. Each time I brought another piece to my mouth, the lightly salted meat and the richness of the cheese came together harmoniously, and I found myself swallowing it all down before I even realized it.
Speaking of the cheese, it was heavenly as well! A touch of salt left it perfectly seasoned, and although it was rich, the flavor wasn’t at all overwhelming. That wasn’t to say that it lacked creaminess either!
Alk seemed to sense my bliss. Having made quick work of his roast beef, he reached for the carpaccio with his fork. I mirrored him by serving myself some of the cooked meat.
The type I had selected promised to offer us the best balance between flesh and fat. The fat spread through the meat in a weblike pattern, and the nicely browned outside of the slice was a shade of peachy pink. As you looked to the center of each slice, the color of the meat deepened into a vibrant rose red as it must’ve been cooked only by residual heat. The whole process had created a gorgeous gradient. Because this meat had rested at room temperature for a bit, its fat had softened and now formed a glossy layer over the surface. The seated rim of the cut was a deep caramel color that contrasted wonderfully with the pink inside.
I had cut this slice just a little too thick, but it didn’t matter. As unsightly as I thought doing so was, I decided to fold the slice over and put the whole thing in my mouth. I couldn’t help it! It just looked so appetizing!
“This meat also has a wonderful flavor! It simply melts in your mouth!” I cried.
And it had done so before I had even begun to chew. It was so tender that each bite simply fell apart. The heat of my mouth melted the fat, and it tasted so deliciously mild in a way one wouldn’t expect from the overwhelming way it had looked. If anything, the fat complemented the aromatic browning on the meat’s surface. My mouth was filled with a nutty flavor so deep that its umami remained on my tongue even after I’d swallowed. At first, I had no idea what dry aging was all about, but I certainly did now that I’d had a taste! This was worlds apart from any meat I’d ever eaten before.
“I see that even raw meat can undergo an incredible transformation just by having humans involved in its making! Human ingenuity is truly a force to be reckoned with!” Alk’s eyes were glistening, and I would wager that none of the raw meat he had ever eaten in his life had been prepared or seasoned to any extent.
“If only they would limit its application to food, perhaps then we could have peace,” I mused out loud.
As a dragon, he had probably swallowed chunks of meat whole. I could well imagine that there was an ocean of difference between that and eating it sliced like this. In my mind’s eye, I pictured a dragon eating an entire bull in one bite. I dropped my gaze down to my plate of roast beef.
“I’ve only sampled one of the brands, yet I already feel so content,” I said. “It is a force to be reckoned with indeed!” The sliced meat on my plate had truly packed a punch, and I poked its remains with my fork.
Alk watched me. “Am I to take it that you are finished, Fran? In that case...”
“I am not quite finished! Please stop taking all of those beef slices for yourself!” I used my fork to lay claim to some more meat, determined to defend my share.
“I sure do envy the bond between ya!” Salamander chuckled.
I had never needed to fight with someone over food before, and I was surprised to find this to be just a little bit of fun.
I still remember clearly how the salamander had watched us then, laughing along and swishing his tail.