Food Intelligence King

Chapter 134 Riders Join the Community Canteen Delivery Work (3k Part 2)
In the afternoon, Chen Zhou went to the building materials market, found the timber store, and bought two pieces of ginkgo wood.

The wood was indeed very fresh, still with the bark attached.

Chen Zhou asked the shop owner to fix the roundness and smoothness.

They added another handle.

The process of the workers in the shop repairing the wood was quite pleasant.

Chen Zhou watched as the other person finished their work without realizing it.

The process of paying, settling the bill, and buying the cutting board went smoothly.

However, the intelligence only said that chopping blocks made of ginkgo wood are good.

It wasn't said to be this heavy.

Chen Zhou bought one large and one small this time.

The larger chopping block probably weighs forty or fifty pounds, even heavier than Chen Taotao.

Chen Zhou decisively abandoned the idea of ​​tucking them between his legs and riding his electric bike back.

A slight misstep could lead to more harm than good.

Forest Wood Industry offers delivery services, and Chen Zhou paid a small delivery fee to have it delivered to his store.

After the chopping block arrives at the store, it is first steamed at high temperature.

Then apply cooking oil, and it will be ready to use in a couple of days.

When I got home in the evening, I briefly recorded the recipe for braised pork rice, as I had promised Ms. Lin yesterday.

Chen Zhou then purchased all the ingredients he needed.

When braised pork rice is sold in a shop, it's very convenient to serve:
Serve the braised meat and rice, and add seasonal vegetables and eggs according to your preference. That's it.

However, it's a little troublesome to do.

We need to prepare for a while.

We can't let the mother and daughter go hungry, so they can have another piece of the five-nut mooncake that the company gave out to tide them over.

When Ms. Lin got off work, the whole family pitched in and participated.

Braised pork rice starts with making scallion oil.

Shallots, as well as common scallions and ginger, are readily available in the market.

Each item is shredded, tied, or sliced.

Put it in a pot and sauté it in oil until fragrant.

The little girl was a bit curious about what red shallots were when she first saw them.

"Dad, what's that?"

While nuzzling against Ms. Lin, Chen Taotao pointed to the new gadget on the cutting board.

They're not as big as onions, and look a bit like purple garlic.

“These are shallots,” Chen Zhou replied. “Your mother is recording a video, so you should stand still.”

"Oh."

Although her father didn't scold her, his tone was a bit harsh just now.

Chen Taotao's thoughts were written all over her face. She stopped her unnecessary movements, clearly a little unhappy.

Seeing this, Chen Zhou tried to coax him a little.

He picked up a shallot and handed it to her: "Here, have a taste."

The little girl was delighted this time.

Although I hesitated for a moment after receiving it, I still put it in my mouth.

Shallots are spicy.

The taste is not very good.

"Pfft, it doesn't taste good! You lied to me, Dad!"

Chen Taotao frowned, took the shallot in her hand, and went to the living room to play with Chen Facai.

After making the scallion oil, separately remove the fried shallots that have been fried until golden brown and crispy, shake them, and spread them out to cool.

The next crucial step in making braised pork rice is frying the pork.

The meat used was pork belly with the skin on.

It was cut into strips about the thickness of a little finger.

The key to pan-frying meat is that it allows the braised meat to achieve a texture that is fatty but not greasy, and lean but not dry.

"Fat but not greasy" refers to the process of rendering excess fat from the pork.

To be lean but not skinny, you need to retain some water.

During the frying process, the temperature inside the pan will be higher than the temperature during stewing.

Frying over medium-high heat quickly is the process of extracting oil and locking in moisture.

At high temperatures, the Maillard reaction that occurs when proteins encounter oils releases a unique flavor.

The memory of this flavor may come from the roasted meat of our human ancestors.

It does smell very good.

I bought some spices from Huang Liaoshi a couple of days ago, and I also need to put two halves of them in when frying the meat.

Pork and spices are a perfect match.

When cooking, Chen Zhou is usually quite focused and mostly silent.

The little girl had just gone to the living room, so the atmosphere in the kitchen was somewhat quiet.

Ms. Lin joked:

"Mr. Chen, you can also say a few words."

I almost forgot my wife was filming. Chen Zhou thought for a moment and said:
"If you want to buy meat, you can go to the wet market and ask the butcher to use a blowtorch to singe the pork skin. Supermarkets don't allow fire. I know a place that makes really good pork."

"Old Zhang, right?" Ms. Lin continued, "I ran into him last Saturday, and he insisted on giving me an extra piece of meat."

"That's what pillow talk is all about," Chen Zhou smiled.

Soon after Chen Taotao returned from her mischievous antics in the living room, the pork skin in the pot, under the high temperature, also began to act up.

Chen Zhou reminded him, "You and Tao Tao should stand a little further away from me."

"Ah."

Chen Taotao knew where the danger was and where the safety was, so she hid behind Lin Yifan.

At this point, as the temperature rises, grease may occasionally splatter outside.

Wait until the pork turns golden brown, the pieces of meat set, and the fat shrinks.

Turn off the heat.

We also have a small clay pot at home. Transfer the meat into the clay pot and set aside.

The remaining lard in the wok, along with the scallion oil from before, will be used to make the braising liquid for the next step.

Sauté scallions, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and star anise until fragrant. Pour soy sauce and rice wine around the edge of the pot, then add water and bring to a boil. Turn to the casserole dish beside it...

Pour in the fried shallots that you just let cool.

With a whoosh, the sound was rather crisp.

Add a few shiitake mushrooms for flavor, and finally, pour in the braising liquid from the wok.

Use soy sauce paste to adjust the color, and add salt, rock sugar, and pepper for seasoning.

The rest is up to time.

Simmer over low heat for an hour to allow the collagen in the pork skin to fully release into the broth. The braised meat in the steamer will gradually become sticky and viscous.

Wash the rice and steam it.

While waiting for the braised pork, the family of three shared a five-nut mooncake.

Chen Zhou said to his wife, "The ingredients he put in here are no good, and they're too sweet. I'll make it myself this Mid-Autumn Festival."

Ms. Lin nodded. "That's good."

The braised pork, simmered for an hour, did not disappoint the whole family's expectations.

It has a savory and salty base flavor, followed by a rich aroma of meat and braising sauce, and finally a hint of sweetness.

After the shallots are fried, their spiciness transforms into sweetness.

The braised pork pieces are relatively small, and each piece is coated with broth and seasoned thoroughly.

It melts in your mouth when you eat it.

The brown broth is very thick; when mixed with rice, it can even be stirred until it becomes sticky.

Chen Taotao thought it was fun and delicious.

There was a bit of ink stain at the corner of his mouth.

The next day, the shop prepared more ingredients for braised pork rice and made it available for sale during lunchtime.

The braised pork rice from the regular system started to take effect, and Chen Zhou really saw many riders coming to eat.

Delivery drivers are usually very busy during mealtimes.

But few people pay attention to where they ate lunch.

Chen Zhou posted a notice on the store door seeking delivery partnerships. Some interested delivery riders left their names and contact information.

Some of them also started chatting with the shop owner.

“Our dispatcher told me before that your steamed bun shop is good. He said that since you don’t do takeout, the taste must be good and the business must be good.”

"But I'm usually too busy to come over."

The two men, dressed in different colored uniforms, learned the location of the community canteen from their colleagues.

However, they usually work in food delivery and are not interested in Chen Zhou's business of delivering steamed buns.

We just had a brief chat.

A little while later, a delivery guy from the same city arrived.

He actually received an order for steamed buns from the community canteen and came to buy the buns for the customer.

I think the braised pork rice at this restaurant is delicious, so I'm going to pack one to take away.

After receiving Chen Zhou's delivery invitation, he stated:
"I'm not very familiar with Mai Xiang Ji, boss. Let's cooperate again when we have the chance."

Chen Zhou smiled and said, "Then come over for dinner when you have time."

"That's for sure."

Although the intelligence provided information on dozens of riders, by the time it came to Chen Zhou, there weren't that many who clearly expressed an intention to cooperate.

Those who wanted to cooperate were not suitable for various reasons.

Sometimes it's because the other party isn't familiar with the area.

Chen Zhou read in the intelligence report, "This rider has received too many negative reviews."

He himself was a little hesitant.

The invitation was withdrawn.

When it was almost 1 a.m. and the store was about to close, a relatively reliable rider finally appeared.

Chen Zhou asked him his name.

It really is Zhang Jian who is ranked first.

The two discussed the specific delivery details.

It was Friday noon, and Zhang Jian needed to deliver the steamed buns from the community canteen to Maixiangji canteen by 11:30.

The estimated number is between two and three hundred.

According to the navigation, it's eleven kilometers away, which isn't close.

Regarding the price, Zhang Jian stated:

"Mr. Chen, let's go through the platform. That way, you'll feel at ease, and I'll feel at ease too."

In a society of strangers, the significance of online platforms lies in ensuring a level of trust.

If anything goes wrong, at least the platform can cover it.

Although Chen Zhou did know the other party's name and business capabilities through intelligence, he still felt that going through a platform was more reliable.

Neither of them needs to worry too much.

In addition to the phone number, Zhang Jian also gave Chen Zhou a contact number on an errand-running platform.

"Just tell me to place the order. I'll make time for you on Friday."

Chen Zhou agreed: "Okay, I'll contact you in advance."

After discussing some specific details, the store's delivery issue was temporarily resolved.

However, Zhang Jian himself still has some unresolved issues regarding his basic needs for food and clothing.

He glanced at the empty shop, the porridge buckets that had been scrubbed clean, and then at the auntie in the kitchen who was cleaning up the steamer.

He asked worriedly:
"Boss, what else do you have to eat?"

The steamed buns were indeed sold out. Chen Zhou invited him:

“We’re about to get off work. Why don’t you stay at my shop and have a staff meal with us? I’ll cook a dish; there’s some braised meat left.”

Zhang Jian was a little embarrassed.

The junior sister was very friendly and outgoing:

"Come on over, it's the boss's treat. The food at our shop is pretty good. Sometimes we save some steamed buns, but we can't eat them every day. The boss will also change things up and cook a couple of home-style dishes. Since you deliver the steamed buns for the shop, we're practically colleagues."

Zhang Jian was pulled to sit down.

During the meal, Chen Zhou was a little curious about how the other person knew about his restaurant.

Zhang Jian smiled and said, "I was just passing by today and it smelled really nice, so I don't know why I walked in."

He looked at the braised meat in front of him: "This should be it."

(End of this chapter)