Chapter 48: Comrade Xiao Zhou's High Level of Skill (Second Update!)

Wang Hongliang was a gourmet and a chef, and his standards had always been high.

As for this serving of minced beef with dual peppers, its presentation was impeccable.

The beef was minced but not mushy, with distinct grains. The green and red peppers accounted for nearly half the dish; the collision of vibrant, bright colors and the glistening sheen of oil, combined with the interweaving aroma of meat and spice, made one unable to resist swallowing hard.

"It smells so good!"

Even the children playing nearby were captivated; following the scent, they scrambled back onto their stools.

"My big brother made this, it's super delicious!" Zhou Momo said with a face full of pride.

"Let me try it first." Wang Hongliang scooped half a portion of the minced beef into a bowl, then used his own spoon to feed a bit into his mouth, savoring it carefully.

The beef was seared on the outside and tender on the inside, with a slight springiness when bitten. The spiciness of the red pepper, the freshness of the green pepper, a hint of numbing sensation, and an ultimate fragrance collided and merged perfectly on the tip of his tongue.

As Wang Hongliang chewed, his eyes grew brighter, and he could not hide the look of amazement on his face.

Suji had Zhou Village, where beef was not a rare ingredient. Wang Hongliang knew various ways to prepare beef, and minced beef was one of his frequent dishes.

But he had to admit, he couldn't achieve such perfection.

Minced beef is all about heat control. If the beef bits are slightly larger and the heat is insufficient, the beef won't be fragrant; if the heat is slightly too high, the beef becomes tough and dry.

It looked simple, but it was actually extremely difficult.

The green and red peppers had been sautéed to remove their moisture, allowing their fresh and spicy flavors to cook into the beef. The entire dish looked clean and refreshing, yet tasted numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant.

"Truly excellent. It's even better than the minced beef at Rongle Garden."

Wang Hongliang put down his spoon and couldn't help but praise it.

Founded in 1911, Rongle Garden was industry-recognized as the "Whampoa Military Academy of Sichuan Cuisine," a place where top-tier and first-class chefs gathered to produce first-rate dishes.

Every time Wang Hongliang ate there, he did so with a learning mindset, and he had even become friends with several veteran masters.

This assessment represented his highest praise.

"It's rare to see you praise a dish so much," Li Meilin said, somewhat surprised. She knew her husband too well; whenever he encountered a chef whose skill was inferior to his, he loved to act like an expert and offer pointers.

"You try it. I certainly can't cook at this level," Wang Hongliang said with a smile, scooping a spoonful into her bowl. "Eat it with a spoon; you have to eat the peppers and the beef together to get the true flavor."

Li Meilin took a bite and nodded. "It is good. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It has spice, but it's not overwhelming; the fragrance is the standout. It'll definitely go well with rice. However, your cooking has its own style too; I don't think it's any worse than this."

"We must be realistic and face the gap," Wang Hongliang laughed, though he was happy to hear his wife say that.

Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe exchanged a glance, their lips curling slightly upward. If the Factory Director and his wife said it was good, then this meal was a success.

Lin Zhiqiang opened the bottle of Wuliangye he had brought, poured a glass for Wang Hongliang first, and then poured one for himself.

As they spoke, the beef with dried bamboo shoots and the braised pork ribs were served.

"Come, this one isn't spicy. Haohao, try one first." Li Meilin placed a piece of braised pork rib on Wang Hao's plate.

Wang Hao picked up his chopsticks, struggled a bit to grab the rib, and brought it to his mouth for a bite. His expression instantly brightened.

The pork ribs were delicious!

They were soft and tender; with a gentle bite, the meat fell right off the bone, making it effortless to eat.

In a short while, he had finished a whole rib and even sucked on the bone twice with gusto. He then turned to look at Zhou Momo, asking with a face full of shock and envy, "This... was made by your brother?"

"Of course," Zhou Momo nodded.

"Your brother is too amazing! These ribs are too delicious!" Wang Hao said, full of envy. "Better than the ones my grandpa makes!"

"Let me try."

"Me too."

Hearing this, Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen could no longer restrain themselves; they each grabbed a piece of rib and began to eat.

"Wow! So fragrant, so delicious!"

"Dad, do you often come here to eat alone in secret?"

The two were eating heartily, and Lin Jingxing was already starting to suspect his old man.

"Nonsense, don't talk such nonsense," Lin Zhiqiang denied it vehemently.

"Momo, why don't you come up and eat with us?" Meng Anhe said, looking at Zhou Momo with a smile.

"Yes, come up and eat together. Look how much your brothers are enjoying it," Li Meilin added. This little girl was simply too endearing.

"Auntie, Grandma, you all eat first. I'm not hungry," Zhou Momo said obediently. She didn't just stand by watching; she turned and ran to the kitchen to watch over the stove.

"What a well-behaved little girl," Li Meilin remarked with a smile.

"Yes, she's so cute," Meng Anhe agreed, nodding deeply.

The braised pork ribs became the children's favorite. Meanwhile, Wang Hongliang picked up a piece of dried bamboo shoot and put it in his mouth.

The bamboo shoot had soaked up the rich meat broth and retained a certain crispness; the more he chewed, the more fragrant it became, causing him to nod repeatedly.

Compared to fresh bamboo shoots, the dried ones absorbed more flavor. The broth was incredibly delicious—thick without being greasy, and the seasoning was perfectly balanced.

He tried another piece of beef—a piece of brisket with a bit of tendon, which was the best texture for braising.

The mellow broth permeated the beef; the lean meat was soft but not mushy, and the tendon was tender and chewy. With one bite, the meat juices splashed in his mouth—it was all about that fresh, savory explosion!

"This beef with dried bamboo shoots is spot on. The beef is braised perfectly, the bamboo shoots are even more fragrant than the meat, and the seasoning is highly skilled." Wang Hongliang raised his glass to clink with Lin Zhiqiang, then took a sip of wine. "With these two signature dishes, this restaurant can definitely stay in business."

"We still have three dishes left to try," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"Be careful, everyone, the Qiaojiao Beef is coming." Zhao Tieying brought up two bowls of Qiaojiao Beef, reminding the children to be careful. She smiled and said, "If you need more soup or dipping sauce, just ask; we can add more."

"Will do," Wang Hongliang nodded, taking a small bowl and filling it halfway with soup.

The soup pots of Zhou Village had always been somewhat famous in Suji.

Wang Hongliang had eaten them a few times before, but his impressions had not been great.

Clear soup is harder to make than red soup. When beef offal with a strong gamey smell is added to the soup, if the flavor isn't suppressed, the whole pot is ruined.

The butchers who sold soup pots at stalls had very crude skills; only the laborers at the docks ate them frequently because they were affordable.

This soup was very clear. The rich aroma from the long-simmered beef bones wafted up with the steam, and there was almost no gamey smell to be detected.

He took a spoonful of the soup.

Wang Hongliang's eyebrows shot up.

Fresh!

The soup, just ladled from the boiling pot, was both hot and incredibly fresh.

There was no strange aftertaste. The scent of spices was very light, perfectly complementing the meat aroma and enhancing the freshness.

As he savored it, he could detect a slight hint of traditional Chinese herbs—also a very light flavor—intertwining with the spices to highlight the sheer freshness!

Wang Hongliang blew on it and finished the bowl of soup in two gulps. He let out a long breath and praised

"Fresh! It's so fresh my eyebrows almost fell off!"

As he spoke, he scooped half a bowl of soup for Li Meilin. "You try it."

"Is it really that fresh?" Li Meilin picked up her spoon, blew on it, and took a sip. Her eyes also lit up. "It really is fresh! This soup pot is completely different from the Zhou Village soup pots I've had before."

"That's why they call it Qiaojiao Beef, not just a soup pot," Wang Hongliang laughed. He then proceeded to taste the beef, tripe, tendon, and beef intestines in the bowl.

"The beef slices are large, thin, and soft, cooked very tenderly. The tripe is crisp and springy, the tendon is soft and chewy, and the intestines are tender. Paired with this dry dipping powder, the flavor is simply incomparable." Wang Hongliang pointed to the dry powder. "This dipping powder is highly skilled; the numbing, spicy, salty, and fragrant notes are all in there. It's the finishing touch to this Qiaojiao Beef."

"Comrade Xiao Zhou is highly skilled. This Qiaojiao Beef has fresh soup and delicious flavors; it's suitable for both young and old. It might even become a famous dish of Suji in the future."

"Mhm, quite possible," Lin Zhiqiang nodded in agreement.

The three children were currently buried in their soup, clearly loving it immensely.

Many customers were watching this table. Upon hearing the praise, someone immediately ordered a portion of Qiaojiao Beef, wanting to taste what kind of flavor could make even the Factory Director praise it so highly.

Auntie Zhao kept her ears pricked, her smiling lips never descending. This child, Zhou Yan, was making her so proud; she felt a sense of glory and immense joy.

"Come, let me serve the Fragrant Basil Crucian Carp for everyone." Zhou Yan brought out the grand finale, the Fragrant Basil Crucian Carp. Zhao Hong moved the dishes on the table to make room in the center.

The gaze of many customers turned toward them. This was currently the only table that had ordered this dish.

At two yuan per serving, everyone was curious whether it was worth the price.

Sichuanese people love fish and are skilled at cooking it—steamed, braised, boiled, dry-fried, cold-dressed... there are countless ways.

But to cook fish deliciously requires a certain level of culinary skill.

Zhou Yan's Fragrant Basil Crucian Carp looked quite good.

A thick sauce covered the golden-fried crucian carp, garnished with pickled peppers, pickled long beans, pickled ginger, and basil... the ingredients alone looked sophisticated. As a faint sour and spicy aroma wafted over, many people could not help but swallow their saliva.

As for the taste... they had to wait for the old Factory Director to try it first.

The old Factory Director was well-traveled and had a discerning palate. If he said it was good, then it was definitely good.

"Xiao Zhou, your dishes surprise me more with every single one," Wang Hongliang said with a smile, looking at Zhou Yan. "Let me taste your Fragrant Basil Crucian Carp. I've had this dish made by a first-class chef from a Chengdu restaurant before."

"Please, help yourself." Zhou Yan smiled, full of confidence.

Whether the twenty crucian carp prepared for today could be sold out depended entirely on the Factory Director's evaluation.