Upon hearing this, everyone grabbed their chopsticks and crowded around.
The chefs were genuinely curious about just how delicious this Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was, having received such high praise from the three elders.
Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver has an optimal time to be enjoyed. Once the wok hei (the smoky aroma imparted by the wok) dissipates, the texture of the pork liver will gradually deteriorate as the temperature drops.
If you want to eat, hurry up.
"Mmm! So tender! Not a trace of gamey smell!"
"How can such a thin layer of cornstarch be stir-fried until it's so tender? The steps don't seem to be that different."
"The flavor is perfectly seasoned! It's spicy, numbing, and fragrant—truly a high level of skill!"
After the master uncles, senior and junior disciples finished eating, their gazes towards Zhou Yan became clearer.
The Kong Sect doesn't engage in factional suppression. They praise what's good and criticize what's bad.
But…
Isn't this too good?
It's the same Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver.
Zhou Yan ended up with the piece that had been left over.
He only brought a cleaver, used the same wok, the same utensils, and the same ingredients, so how could his Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver taste so delicious?
If this is Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver, then what are they cooking?
The pork liver ends up in their hands, the pig's life has been wasted.
"You're only twenty years old and you've already cooked such a delicious dish of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver. I feel like I've been cooking for nothing all these past twenty years." Kong Guodong said with a touch of emotion.
"Master, you don't need to be so pessimistic. You didn't do well when you were young, and after working hard for more than 20 years, you're no longer young." his apprentice comforted him.
"I…" Kong Guodong reached out to touch his belt.
His apprentice turned and ran.
"I'm so lucky to have met such a 'divine' being like you!" Kong Guodong shook his head angrily, looking at Xiao Lei with envy in his eyes: "Xiao Lei, are you willing to transfer this apprentice to someone else?"
"Senior Brother Xiao, one for two is fine too." Another junior brother chimed in from the side.
Xiao Lei had taken on such a talented apprentice, making them incredibly envious.
His knife skills were superb, and his control over heat and seasoning was impeccable; his Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver perfectly showcased his fundamental skills.
His fellow apprentices couldn't even lift their heads in his presence.
Not to mention the younger generation, even the three old men would have to temporarily give way to his dish of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver.
Xiao Lei did nothing but steal the limelight by relying on his apprentice.
Who wouldn't be envious?
Xiao Lei smiled and said, "Senior and junior brothers, your disciples are all outstanding individuals. With a little guidance, they will surely become great talents. Don't be anxious or impatient."
Kong Guodong looked at him and said, "Xiao Lei, Zhou Yan's Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is so good, is yours just as good? Have you been secretly practicing behind our backs?"
"Indeed, as the master, aren't you even better at it?" The others also looked at Xiao Lei.
"Senior Brothers, you're all too attached to appearances." Xiao Lei shook his head with a smile: "When my Master was alive, he often told me that a disciple doesn't have to be inferior to his master, and a master doesn't have to be more virtuous than his disciple. Even if I was to cook this Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver today, I certainly wouldn't do it as well as Zhou Yan."
"You've become quite modest." Kong Qingfeng laughed. "This Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is your specialty. Among all of you senior brothers, you cook it most like your Master, and you've even taught a more skilled disciple. You've even managed to make something out of the leftover scraps on the side of the wok."
"Master Uncle, you flatter me." Xiao Lei said with a smile, his back ramrod straight.
Zhou Yan's Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was finished by each person with just two chopsticks.
"Now that everyone has eaten, let's talk about why Zhou Yan's Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is so good." Kong Qingfeng called everyone over and said, "First of all, it's about the preparation of the pork liver. After cutting it, he rinsed it to remove most of the blood. This step can reduce the gamey smell of the pork liver.
The key is to drain the surface moisture of the pork liver after rinsing it. It cannot be marinated or coated with starch directly. If excess moisture is locked in, it will become watery and a mess when it hit the oil.
He also uses a blend of oils for stir-frying pork liver: rapeseed oil and lard, which makes it even more fragrant. The heat is high enough, and the oil temperature is also high enough. Because the cornstarch coating is thin, the pork liver cooks faster when it goes into the wok. The thin cornstarch coating forms a thin crust, while the pork liver remains tender.
Add the prepared ingredients to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Immediately remove from the wok and plate. The timing of removing from the wok is crucial. The biggest problem with thin cornstarch slurry is overcooking, if you're not careful, the pork liver will become overcooked and burnt. You must pay close attention to this when you go back and practice."
Everyone listened attentively, some even taking notes diligently.
"If you really can't control the heat well, just add a little more cornstarch to the base, first ensure the success rate, and then slowly improve your skills. Use this Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver as a benchmark, and the goal will be very clear." Qin Kun said, "You guys are lucky today, Zhou Yan is basically giving you a master class on the spot."
"How could I possibly be worthy of such an opportunity? Let's exchange ideas and learn from each other." Zhou Yan quickly replied.
This exchange was indeed quite interesting. Putting aside everything else, the chefs present today will definitely improve their skills in making Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver if they practice diligently after go back.
No wonder sect disciples improve their strength faster than independent cultivators; having sect elders to guide them and teach them top tier recipes makes all the difference.
Of course, those unorthodox cultivators who can cook ten dishes in one wok are an exception.
Zheng Qiang moved closer to Zhou Yan, silently gave him a thumbs up, and exclaimed, "Junior Brother Zhou, it has to be you. If I had your skills, my Master would be laughing in his sleep. All these years I've just suffered, but I haven't made any progress."
Zhou Yan comforted him, "It's alright, Senior Brother Zheng. Take advantage of your youth to endure hardship; you'll get used to it when you're old."
Zheng Qiang: "Hmm?"
Today, the only dish everyone can easily make is Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver. Pork liver is cheap, so everyone can practice.
It was lunch time, and according to the Kong Sect's custom, Kong Qingfeng let his disciples choose their own dishes from the shelf, each of them making one of their signature dishes to make a meal.
This time, Xiao Lei didn't hold back. He stepped forward, selected a piece of second cut pork, and prepared to stir-fry a dish of twice-cooked pork.
Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang, as grand-disciples, are responsible for observing and learning.
However, as soon as Zhou Yan stood to the side, many eyes turned to him, curious whether Xiao Lei would let him cook.
Zhou Yan was also a little hesitant, as twice-cooked pork was his specialty.
These days, his Master has also sought his advice on some detailed techniques, and he should have made some progress in cooking twice-cooked pork.
Each of the master uncles selected their signature dishes, and confident smiles appeared on their faces.
Kong Qingfeng said loudly, "Anyway, the dishes will be served together. You guys can discuss and start cooking yourselves. I want to see if your signature dishes have improved or regressed in the past six months since we last gathered."
"Okay!" everyone agreed, gathered together, announced their respective dishes, and began deciding the order in which to cook them.
Zhong Yong, who had chosen beef brisket to make braised beef brisket with potatoes, started first, followed by the other dishes according to their cooking time.
"Come on, come on, all of my junior nephews, come over here. I'll teach you how to make braised beef brisket with potatoes into a restaurant signature dish." Zhong Yong called out, picking up the washed beef brisket and placing it on the cutting board, beginning his explanation from selecting and cutting the meat.
Zhou Yan, being tall, stood in the second row, listening attentively. Braised beef brisket with potatoes was actually quite similar to his braised beef with dried bamboo shoots, except the dried bamboo shoots were replaced with potatoes.
The cooked potatoes are soft, tender, and flavorful, offering a completely different texture from the crisp bamboo shoots, yet both are equally delicious.
He really should learn this dish, with his existing skills, he should be able to master it quickly.
Not only were the grand-disciples watching, but Xiao Lei and his fellow disciples were also watching intently from the side.
A signature dish represents the culmination of a chef's decades of experience.
According to the tradition of the Kong Sect, everyone brings out their signature dishes at each gathering so that they can learn from each other and make progress together.
As Zhong Yong demonstrated, he explained, "The beef is cooking in the wok. Now let's start peeling the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into chunks, but they should be about the same size. Cut large potatoes in two cuts and small potatoes in one cut. They should be a little larger than the beef..."
Each chef explained in great detail, and the apprentices could ask questions and get answers.
Zhou Yan rotated between the different stoves, absorbing the strengths of each, and learned quite a bit of knowledge and techniques.
Xiao Lei had already scooped the thoroughly cooked second cut pork out of the wok. He was surrounded by grand-disciples, including his master uncles and senior brothers. Even the three old men stood in front of the stove, wanting to see if Xiao Lei's skills had improved by leaps and bounds during this period.
"Zheng Qiang, you cut the meat." Xiao Lei called out.
Zheng Qiang: "Me?"
"Go ahead." Zhou Yan gently nudged him from behind, clearly his Master wanted Zheng Qiang to feel involved as well.
Zheng Qiang took out his knife, washed his hands and the knife, wiped them clean, and then began to chop.
He quickly and steadily sliced the second cut pork, a mix of four parts fat and six parts lean, into thin, even slices.
"Yunliang's apprentice has a solid foundation." Kong Qingfeng nodded slightly, a satisfied look on his face.
Zheng Qiang then chopped the garlic sprouts and other side dishes. Hearing his Grandmaster Uncle's approval, a slight smile appeared on his lips. Thankfully, he hadn't let his Master down!
Zhou Yan glanced at them a few times, then returned to Zhong Yong's stove to keep watch.
"They've all gone to learn how to stir-fry second cut pork. Aren't you going to watch?" Zhong Yong asked with a smile.
"I learn from my Master everyday. I'm already tired of watching. But I'm quite interested in Master Uncle's braised beef with potato." Zhou Yan smiled.
"You've got a good eye, kid." Zhong Yong grinned and said, "See, the beef brisket is already tender. Now we need to add the potatoes. Once the potatoes are tender, it'll be ready to serve."
Zhou Yan nodded, helped pour out the water from the basin, poured the potatoes into the iron wok, and put the lid back on.
Eight woks were simmering away, the fellow disciples knowing each other so well that they actually managed to cook all eight dishes simultaneously and serve them at the same time.
Zhong Yong's braised beef brisket with potatoes was served in two large earthenware bowls. The starch from the potatoes dissolved into the broth, so there was no need for thickening; the broth was already thick enough.
The golden potatoes glistened with oil, were fluffy, and looked incredibly soft and flavorful.
[An extremely good Braised Beef Brisket With Potatoes]
Zhou Yan helped bring a bowl of braised beef brisket with potatoes to the table, his eyes already flashing with the assessment.
Zhong Yong had just let him taste it. The potatoes were soft and flavorful, having absorbed the beef broth—even more fragrant than the beef itself.
Zhong Yong had explained everything to him in one go: the control of heat, the techniques of seasoning, and the little tricks to make the potatoes tender yet not falling apart.
Even though it was their first meeting, the other party had shared his skills without reservation.
This genuinely surprised Zhou Yan.
The tangible embodiment of the sect's tradition deeply moved him.
He didn't hold back at all when learning, there were plenty of potatoes at home, he'd try making it next time.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qiang brought over two plates of twice-cooked pork, placing one on each of the two round tables.
Zhou Yan glanced at it:
[An extremely good serving of Twice-cooked Pork With Garlic Sprouts]
Zhou Yan nodded slightly. Not bad, not bad at all. Master Xiao did a good job, he didn't embarrass him.
His Master happened to be looking at him.
Zhou Yan subconsciously shrank his head, feeling a little smug.
"Hmm, Xiao Lei's twice-cooked pork is quite good. It's perfectly lamp-shaped with a beautiful shimmering texture and just the right amount of heat." At the next table, Kong Qingfeng was already commenting. He picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork with his chopsticks, examined it from all sides, and then put it in his mouth. After chewing it carefully, he nodded and said, "The skin is fragrant and chewy, the fatty meat melts in mouth, and the lean meat is tender with a slightly chewy texture. It's oily but not greasy. With the garlic sprouts, it has a unique fragrance. It's really delicious. It's a huge improvement over last year's!"
"This twice-cooked pork is indeed fatty but not oily, fragrant but not greasy. Just adding garlic sprouts is enough to make it perfect with rice. The skill level is truly high." Qin Kun nodded and said, "You all just watched Xiao Lei make it. As long as you can learn eight-tenths of it, you'll be considered a master."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Sit down, let's eat!" Kong Qingfeng waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit.
The three elders and Master Xiao's generation sat at one table, while Zhou Yan and grand-apprentices sat at another.
Zhou Yan glanced around, not seeing anyone from the 'Sichuan Cuisine' magazine. Perhaps they had scheduled an interview for the afternoon?
"Come on, come on, let's eat too." Zheng Qiang said with a smile. At this table, he was the eldest disciple.
They were all young men in their early twenties, and they were quite eager to eat.
Zhou Yan didn't have time to think much. He first picked up a piece of beef brisket and a piece of potato and put them in his bowl.
The beef brisket was very tender and flavorful. Compared to his own beef brisket with dried bamboo shoots, it was spicier, with a more prominent flavor—numbing, spicy, and fragrant—perfect with rice.
A bowl of rice, a piece of potato—it easily crumbles and sits atop the rice with a gentle touch—a piece of beef dipped in the broth, meat and rice eaten together—the satisfaction of that bite can only be understood by those who have tasted it!
The other senior brothers all picked up the twice-cooked pork with their chopsticks, and after eating it, they all had an expression of amazement on their faces.
The senior brother sitting next to Zhou Yan was named Kong Liwei, Kong Guodong's apprentice and his nephew. The one who had run off so quickly earlier had already eaten two pieces of twice-cooked pork and half a bowl of rice, looking at Zhou Yan with curious eyes and asking, "Junior Brother Zhou, is the food from your lineage different from ours? How come your Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver and your master's twice-cooked pork are so delicious?!"
The other senior brothers at the table, hearing this, also looked at Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang, all with curious expressions.
Besides the two of them, everyone else at the table was considered a grand-disciple of Kong Qingfeng.
Although they share the same Great Grandmaster and belong to the Kong Sect, but these two dishes today made them feel that they were somewhat different.
"Senior Brothers, you're overthinking it. We all inherited the skills from the same Great Grandmaster, so there's no difference. It's just a matter of personal habits and different approaches." Zhou Yan said with a smile, picking up a piece of potato. "I've never seen my master make braised beef brisket with potatoes before. I just stood by Master Uncle Zhong's stove for over an hour!"
Everyone laughed upon hearing this.
"My Master's braised beef brisket with potatoes is our restaurant's signature dish. It's a must-order for almost every customer." Zhong Yong's apprentice said proudly.
"Come and try my Master's braised eel. It tastes absolutely delicious. Now, all the eels at Le Ming Restaurant are made by my Master." Kong Liwei recommended to Zhou Yan.
[A decent braised eel dish.]
Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, smiling as he picked up a piece of eel. "Alright, this eel looks delicious."
The taste was decent, nothing special. He'd seen Kong Guodong cook eel a few times before, his technique was skillful, but a bit rough, with many details missing.
For example, the eel was seasoned well, but the meat had a slightly earthy taste, not quite masked.
The "Decent" rating was based on an overall assessment.
But Xiao Lei's assessment should be correct. None of the Kong family nephews that Kong Qingfeng took in have achieved great things.
In contrast, the signature dishes prepared by the other senior master uncles and master uncles all received a rating of "Pretty Good" or higher.
"Your apprentice is young, but he is quite thoughtful in his words and actions." Zhong Yong said to Xiao Lei at the next table.
"He opened his own restaurant, and he's learned a lot about how to handle things. He used to be a quiet, reserved person." Xiao Lei said with a smile.
"Opened a restaurant? Became self-employed?" Zhong Yong was somewhat surprised. "He opened it himself? Or did you bring him along? Weren't you the head chef at the textile factory?"
The others at the table also looked at him.
"He opened it himself, and it's been going on for two or three months. Business is pretty good." Xiao Lei said. "I quit my job at the textile factory, and now I'm partnering with Zheng Qiang to run a rural banquet business, which we've been doing for about half a month."
"What?"
"A rural banquet?"
"A rural chef?"
Upon hearing this, everyone at the table was greatly surprised.
Xiao Lei has worked in the textile factory for more than 20 years, working his way up from a small factory to a large factory with more than 3,000 employees, and managing a large canteen. He has finally made it through the tough times.
During that time, the two old men and his fellow apprentices invited him to restaurants in the city, but he declined them all, saying that he couldn't bear to leave the workers and chefs in the factory.
Of First Master Kong's four apprentices, one went to a restaurant in Rongcheng, one went to the capital, and another went abroad with a leader from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only Xiao Lei remained in Jiazhou, staying in Suji for over twenty years.
Before, when people talked about Xiao Lei, they all thought he would work at the Jiazhou Textile Factory until retirement.
Retiring from a big factory is quite respectable.
It's just a little regrettable that someone with such excellent cooking skills has always been stuck cooking large batches of food in the cafeteria.
Who would have thought he would resign so suddenly, and then go straight to be a village cook?
"Shitou, why didn't you tell me about this?" Kong Qingfeng put down his chopsticks and looked at Xiao Lei. "Why are you doing a rural banquet business? Only second-rate chefs with no skills would do that. Come to Le Ming Restaurant tomorrow. I'll have them arrange an interview for you. If you pass, you can start working. Bring Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang with you too. Their skills are more than enough. Even if Le Ming Restaurant can't arrange it, we'll arrange it for them at other restaurants."
"I'll go to the restaurant later to report to the manager." Kong Guodong said.
In this era, being a self-employed individual is generally not viewed favorably. This is the general consensus in society.
A rural cook was equivalent to a self-employed individual.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lei smiled and said, "Master Uncle, Senior Brother, you don't need to worry about this. Zheng Qiang and I are doing very well as rural cooks. We've already held three banquets this month, and two more are scheduled for the second half of the month. It works out to more than I used to earn working in the textile factory.
I can cook all the big pot dishes in the textile factory canteen, and I can easily make the "Three Steamed Dishes And Nine Large Bowls" for the outdoor banquet. I don't feel ashamed at all.
The economy is developing, and society is changing rapidly. I think hosting outdoor banquets is a great idea. May be in two years, when we've saved up some money, we'll even get a venue to run private banquets.
Zhou Yan's restaurant business is also doing very well. It pays more than working as a kitchen helper of a restaurant. He invested a lot of money in it, so he certainly can't just close it down easily."
Although Xiao Lei wore a smile, but his tone and attitude were resolute.
Seeing this, the other senior brothers remained silent.
Why was Xiao Lei nicknamed "Shitou"?
Besides the abundance of "stone" in his name, his personality was also like a stone—unyielding and unmoved. Even when First Master Kong was alive, he couldn't be persuaded once he made up his mind.
Kong Qingfeng sighed and looked at him, saying, "Since you've made up your mind, I won't say more. If you encounter any difficulties, just come to me."
"Okay, Master Uncle." Xiao Lei nodded respectfully.
While the master's table was engaged in lively conversation, the disciples' table's attention was entirely focused on Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang.
"Junior Brother Zhou, you opened your own restaurant? Where is it? You only studied cooking for two and a half years and you're already opening your own restaurant? So impressive?!" Kong Liwei looked at Zhou Yan in shock.
He was three years older than Zhou Yan, but he had been learning to cook from his Master since he was thirteen, and this year marked ten years of apprenticeship. He now worked as a kitchen helper at the Le Ming Restaurant.
For the first three years, his knife skills were barely acceptable to the two elders.
His grandfather was extremely strict with him.
But after ten years of learning, his knife skills were still inferior to the few strokes Zhou Yan had just demonstrated when slicing pork liver.
He was truly shocked to hear that Zhou Yan had opened his own restaurant and that business was doing quite well.
The other senior brothers shared similar thoughts and expressions.
Zhou Yan smiled slightly and said, "It's just a small restaurant in Suji Town. My family helps out, and the business is just enough to support my family. It's nothing compared to the big restaurants where senior brothers all work. It's practically insignificant."
The others seemed thoughtful upon hearing this. A small restaurant? It must be a small Sichuan restaurant on the street, located in a small town. Business must not be very good.
In this day and age, city dwellers are hesitant to eat out, let alone farmers in the countryside.
Just making ends meet is considered good.
Zheng Qiang, sitting beside, glanced at Zhou Yan with a slightly strange expression.
It's true that Zhou Yan's restaurant is in a town, but it's located right in front of the Jiazhou Textile Factory, Jiazhou's largest foreign exchange earner.
It's true that family members are helping out, but he has a talkative mother, a father with superb knife skills, and a cute little sister who can lure customers in just by sitting at the door eating a pig's trotter.
His restaurant business is more than just "good"; from his observations while helping in the kitchen these past few days, business is booming at every meal, selling over 100 jin (50 kg) of braised meat and vegetables.
He didn't calculate his daily earnings precisely, but he estimated that all the chefs present combined probably didn't earn as much as he did.
Junior Brother Zhou is quite the master at playing dumb.
"Senior Brother Zheng, how are the results of your work organizing banquets with Master Uncle Xiao?" Kong Liwei asked Zheng Qiang curiously.
Zheng Qiang laughed and said, "I'm just a chopping board operator for Master Uncle. When there's work, I carry cookware and steamers to his place. When there's nothing to do, I just stay home. The money I earn is just enough to support my family. It's nothing compared to the big restaurants where fellow junior brothers work. It's not even worth mentioning."
Zhou Yan glanced at him sideways. Senior Brother Zheng is quite the expert too.
After lunch, the grand-apprentices were responsible for collecting and washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen.
The three elders and the masters brewed tea and sat in the courtyard chatting.
"Master, when will the people from the Sichuan Cuisine magazine be here?" Zhong Yong asked as he poured tea for Kong Qingfeng.
Before Kong Qingfeng could answer, Kong Guodong's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Master, Editor-in-Chief He is here!"