Zhou Yan's smile was sincere and expectant, making him look like a harmless disciple awaiting his Master's guidance.
Xiao Lei unconsciously sat up straight; he couldn't laugh anymore.
Guidance? What guidance could he possibly offer?
This Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was even better than his own.
This is putting his master on the hot stove to roast!
Zheng Qiang also looked at Xiao Lei with anticipation.
With such a perfectly made Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver, he wondered what other profound insights Master Uncle could offer.
"Your Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is exceptionally well-made. The heat and seasoning are both perfect. Even I would find it difficult to reach this level." Xiao Lei looked at Zhou Yan, his smile tinged with emotion: "Like new bamboo shoots sprouting from the old eaves—growing higher and higher!"
Zheng Qiang was stunned. He hadn't expected Master Uncle would also admit defeat.
But… he must be very proud to have taught such a talented apprentice!
He deserves to die; besides embarrassing his Master, all he does is think about finding another master.
"Master is too modest. I haven't even mastered a tenth of your skills." Zhou Yan quickly waved his hand, sighed, and said, "If I was to say that I can stir-fry this Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver well, besides Master's careful teaching, there is actually another reason."
"What reason?" Zheng Qiang became interested.
Xiao Lei also leaned forward slightly, staring at Zhou Yan, his face unable to hide his anticipation.
Zhou Yan leaned forward a little and whispered, "Actually, I got two tattered recipes from my grandmother. They are said to have been passed down from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. After reading them, I gained a lot of insights, and the quality of several dishes improved significantly."
"The Shang and Zhou dynasties… did they have Sichuan cuisine? Did people eat Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver back then?" Zheng Qiang scratched his head, feeling that something was amiss.
"Your grandma's kidding you. Although Sichuan cuisine has a long history, to say that recipes passed down from the Shang and Zhou dynasties can teach you how to make Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver and Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves is utter nonsense." Xiao Lei laughed, not believing it at all.
"Then did I mishear? It wasn't Shang and Zhou, it was from imitator?" Zhou Yan scratched his head, looking at Xiao Lei. "Anyway, I think it's quite well-written. Master, why don't you come tomorrow, and I'll borrow it for you to take a look? May be you'll gain some insights."
"It's your family's secret recipe. It's not convenient for me to see it." Xiao Lei shook his head firmly.
"Exactly, family skills aren't passed down to outsiders, that's the rule." Zheng Qiang added.
Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei and said, "Master, Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is your specialty. Don't you want to improve it a bit?"
Xiao Lei remained silent; it was something he had been thinking about day and night, and he couldn't say he didn't want to.
"Let's learn it together tomorrow. I feel there are still many things I want to learn from you, so we can improve together." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Xiao Lei smiled upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "Okay."
…
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Master Little Zhou and Master Old Zhou went out to buy groceries.
Today, Zhou Yan ordered forty jin (approximately 20 kg) of lard; he wanted to fill the large oil vat in the kitchen.
The oil left by Comrade Little Zhou has run out as business has been booming for the past two weeks.
The usual extra expenses for buying oil and firewood had begun to increase.
However, Zhang Laosan brought him some good news today: pork that can be purchased with coupons is expected to be launched soon, and the pork prices at their meat stalls may drop significantly compared to those at the supply and marketing cooperatives.
This is a huge boon for self-employed individuals like Zhou Yan.
Are pork ribs that cost 1.8 yuan per jin the same as pork ribs that cost 1 yuan per jin?
Lowering the price would increase customer willingness to buy, allowing him to earn more.
After finishing his work at noon, Xiao Lei rode his bicycle and arrived as promised without any rush.
"Master, I've washed all the lard; I'm just waiting for your guidance." Zhou Yan greeted him with a smile.
"Come on, you must have rendered a lot." Xiao Lei followed him into the kitchen.
This was his first time in Zhou Yan's kitchen. It was larger than he had expected, with a very rational layout. The washing, chopping, and cooking areas were well-organized, which made him nod repeatedly in approval.
A large basin beside him was already filled with snow white pork fat, at least forty jin. He said, "Come on, let's get started!"
"Sure!" Zhou Yan liked his straightforward and direct personality, which meant he didn't waste any words.
"The pork fat is cleaned. Cut it out first. I'll tell you, you do the work. Next time you'll be able to render it yourself." Xiao Lei said.
"Okay." Zhou Yan tied on an apron, picked up a piece of pork fat from the basin, and placed it on the cutting board.
"Cut it to the size of a mahjong tile. That way, the cracklings will be perfect for stir-frying cabbage. See the lymph nodes and blood vessels over there? Cut them off and discard them when you cut, otherwise the rendered lard will have a foul, fishy smell..."
With his Master providing guidance, Zhou Yan got to work.
Large chunks of lard were quickly transformed into evenly sized lard pellets, filling two large basins.
"This amount is too much; it can't be cooked in one wok. You should heat two woks at the same time and pour both into the woks to render them together."
"Add some Sichuan peppercorns from Hanyuan, a piece of ginger, and some cooking wine to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma. After adding the lard, add some water to the wok."
Zhou Yan added the cooking wine, paused, and looked at Xiao Lei with confusion: "Master, why add water when rendering oil?"
"Adding a little water makes the oil whiter. The water will slowly evaporate during the rendering process." Xiao Lei explained with a smile.
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded, added some water to the wok, and started the fire.
"The heat is also important. Rendering oil requires high heat first, then low heat. If the order is wrong, the oil will turn black and bitter. During the rendering process, you need to stir constantly to ensure the fat is heated evenly…"
For beginners, oil refining is not a simple task, but it has a relatively high margin for error. As long as you keep an eye on the wok and have an experienced master to guide you, you can't go wrong.
The white lard sizzled in the wok, the fat seeping out, and the cracklings turned golden yellow and gradually floated to the surface.
The heat was reduced from high to low, and the rendering continued.
"Okay, let's scoop out the excess oil from the wok and put it in the oil container first, then force out the excess oil from the cracklings." Xiao Lei said.
Zhou Yan quickly brought over two large oil vats; the leftover oil inside had already been cleaned and dried yesterday.
Using a large ladle, he scooped up the clear, pale golden lard, passed it through a sieve into the oil container, filtering out the residue. The resulting lard will be cleaner and fresher. Some dishes require specific types of oil.
Press the remaining pork cracklings in the wok with a spoon along the edge, slowly releasing the excess lard using the residual heat.
Xiao Lei reached out and picked up a piece of pork crackling, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunchy sound. He nodded and said, "That's about right. Don't squeeze it too dry, or the crackling will be overcooked and too tough to chew. Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage needs a little oil to give it a meaty aroma."
"Uncle, is it good?" Zhou Momo had been sitting on a small stool nearby for an hour, watching Xiao Lei eat the pork cracklings, and couldn't help but swallow hard.
The aroma of rendering lard was so enticing that she couldn't tear herself away once she entered the kitchen.
"Mmm, fragrant and crispy." Xiao Lei nodded with a smile, then told Zhou Yan, "Get a small bowl, scoop out a dozen or so, add a spoonful of sugar, mix it all together, and have her eat it as a snack."
The little one was adorable and a chatterbox; she'd been talking non-stop all afternoon, just staring at the pork cracklings in the wok.
"Okay, Guo Guo will make it for you." Zhou Yan turned off the heat, took a small bowl, scooped out a spoonful of pork cracklings, and it bubbled up.
Xiao Lei shook his head: "That's too much. This stuff is too hot. Babies shouldn't eat too much. Just a little bit to taste is enough. You've never taken care of a baby before."
"That's right, she's happy eating it, but if she's not feeling well tonight, it'll be a hassle for us." Zhao Tieying smiled as she entered, then took a small bowl and divided the pork cracklings.
Zhou Yan smiled awkwardly. He hadn't thought of that; he was only thinking about making Zhou Momo happy.
Zhou Momo's portion was sprinkled with a spoonful of white sugar.
Another bowl was sprinkled with chili powder, which is usually served with Cross-legged Beef. The bowl was tossed a couple of times to coat each piece of pork crackling with chili powder.
"Thank you, Guo Guo!" Zhou Momo took the bowl, grabbed a piece, and popped it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out as she happily chewed, crunching away like a little hamster—utterly adorable.
"Dad, sister in law, come and have some pork cracklings. They're freshly rendered, the best flavor ever." Zhou Yan said with a smile, taking a bite himself.
Coated in chili powder, the cracklings were fragrant, spicy, and crispy, the meaty aroma hitting you right in the head. They were definitely a great dish to have with drinks.
The best time to enjoy pork cracklings is now.
Xiao Lei ate another piece and nodded, "Your chili powder is perfect, fragrant, spicy, and slightly numbing, it really enhances these pork cracklings."
"They're really fragrant and crispy, but it's a pity they won't taste the same if they're reheated." Zhao Tieying remarked with a sigh.
Zhou Miao and Zhao Hong nodded in agreement as well.
In this era, rendering lard was a top priority for every household.
Who doesn't crave the savory aroma of pork cracklings? Store them carefully in a jar, and toss a few into your stir-fries dishes to add a touch of meaty flavor.
A bowl of pork cracklings was shared among everyone, smiles on their faces.
Zhou Yan used a winnowing basket to scoop out the remaining cracklings, letting them cool before storing them to prevent them from becoming soggy.
Two large woks of lard were rendered over an entire afternoon.
Zhou Yan glanced at the time and smiled, saying, "Master, it's dinner time again. You make some Stir-Fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage, and I'll make some Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver. Let's just have dinner at the restaurant."
"Sure." Xiao Lei rolled up his sleeves, and Zhou Yan handed him the cabbage.
Cabbage has many names; in some places it's called Juan Xin Cai, and in others it's called Bao Bao Cai. In the Sichuan and Chongqing areas, it's generally called Lian Hua Bai.
Vegetables that can be grown in the fields are cheap now; bok choy is three cents a jin, and Lian Hua Bai is the same price.
Only the leaves of the cabbage are needed; the stems and hearts are removed. No knife is needed; it must be torn by hand for the authentic taste.
Xiao Lei didn't take it, glancing at Zhou Yan: "Now you want me to be your chopping board operator?"
"Aiya, Master, just kidding." Zhou Yan withdrew his hand and began to tear the cabbage by hand.
Don't throw away the stems and the heart-shaped part. Dry them and put them in a pickling jar to pickle. They can be used as pickles or for cooking.
Smash a few cloves of garlic, chop three small red chilies and a few dried chilies, and add a small handful of Hanyuan peppercorns.
The wok, which had just been used to render oil, still had a small pool of oil at the bottom. Xiao Lei reheated the wok, scooped up some pork cracklings with a spoon and put them into the wok, then added the prepared aromatics to saute until fragrant, followed by the torn Lian Hua Bai. He then turned the heat up high and stir-fried it over high heat constantly.
The Lian Hua Bai was visibly cooked through. Salt, MSG, and a small spoonful of soy sauce were added, and after a few stirs, it was immediately removed from the wok and plated.
The whole process took less than three minutes, and Xiao Lei didn't say a word.
[A Pretty Good Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage]
An evaluation has already appeared below Zhou Yan's eyes.
"Have you learned it?" Xiao Lei asked, looking at him.
—