Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 150 Not greasy at all? No, no, no, I think your pagoda-shaped meat is greasy on top of greasy! (4K Second Update)
Looking at the judges' expressions, Zhu Wuneng clasped his hands together, remaining calm.

Although he didn't know what kind of dish Xia Ming had made, he had great confidence in his "Twin Peaks Pagoda Meat".

If he could explain, he would surely recount all the details right now.

Of course, even if he didn't say it, some people present would understand.

Inside the players' lounge

Bai Heng raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at Zhu Wuneng's cooking.

"The so-called 'double peak' is made by using one piece of pork belly to make two pagoda-shaped pieces of meat. The difficulty involved seems to be more than just 1+1."

"To perfectly handle the relationship between the outer and inner layers and connect the final two peaks, a rather special method is needed."

Qiao Ruoning, who was standing to the side, also nodded.

Putting aside the fact that this monk is rather hypocritical, at least from a technical point of view, he himself does not have any major problems.

"But whether it's a single-peak or double-peaked cake, doesn't it ultimately taste the same?"

Hearing Qiao Ruoning's words, He He, who was sitting to the side, spoke up.

"Well, it's not that there's no difference. To be precise, the meat itself is the same, but if they're in the same steamer compartment, they'll affect each other."

Because Hehe makes a lot of pastries, he is quite familiar with steamers.

She knew that there was a difference between steaming one dish and steaming multiple dishes.

Often, in order to save time, some restaurants put the same type of food in a steamer to preheat or steam it at the same time. This can lead to uneven heating of the steam, a messy mixture of water and oil, and differences in texture in different parts of the food.
This is just putting the same dish on the same shelf. If it's different dishes, the problem will be more serious. Mixed flavors might be the least of the problems. Sometimes, this kind of quick operation will result in the food being undercooked or overcooked, affecting the taste.

However, the structure of Zhu Wuneng's twin peaks is rather strange, as the bottom left and right sides are connected to each other.

From a purely frontal view, it looks like there's a layer of pork belly at the bottom, with the rest of the meat on top.

However, looking down, it is obvious that the so-called bottom layer of pork belly is actually just two thin railings, and even the part they cover has a little bit of preserved mustard greens spilling out underneath.

Of course, with such a large empty space in the middle, Zhu Wuneng couldn't leave it empty, so he ultimately chose to put some of the sauce inside.

In other words, if we're talking about artistic conception, what Zhu Wuneng presents is a scene of two pagodas standing on either side of a deep reddish-brown lake, which would be a more accurate description.

“I suspect he did this with the layers of pork belly in mind.”

"His dish is called 'Floating Pagoda,' which is probably derived from the saying 'Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.'"

"Although I haven't counted them exactly, it's highly likely that each building has 49 floors (seven times seven) or 42 floors (six times seven).

"In this case, because there are too many layers, even though the pork belly is sliced ​​thinly enough, the thickness of the slices stacked together still exceeds the limit, which can easily lead to problems such as some parts not being cooked through."

"But if there is a gap under the two towers, steam can enter the middle from both sides."

"Then it circulates back into the tower from where the preserved mustard greens are exposed, and after flowing back and forth, it should eventually emerge from the groove at the top of the tower."

"But he also blocked the top, so the heat stayed inside the tower, which greatly ensured the cooking temperature of the food."

Qiao Ruoning was taken aback when she heard He He's words.

"But doesn't this just make things more complicated?"

He He nodded.

"Yes, it has become more complicated, but I suspect it's because there are no molds available."

"Because when there is a mold, the normal pagoda-shaped pork is usually steamed upside down. Although it takes longer, it can ensure that the meat is cooked through to a great extent."

"But he didn't have a mold, and if he steamed the layers too high, he was afraid of it tipping over. So he finally chose this structure, which uses the small circulation of steam on both sides for heating, which is more reliable."

Bai Heng nodded in agreement upon hearing He He's words.

Given the limited time, the desire to show off skills, and the fear of making a mistake, it's understandable that such a technique was used.

Qiao Ruoning considered the idea for a moment, then frowned slightly.

"But won't the meat flavor be disrupted if we do that?"

He He thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Theoretically speaking, yes, but it depends on his control of the heat."

"Simply controlling the probability of a rollover is too high, so he used another method."

At the competition venue, Xia Ming raised an eyebrow slightly.

"After taking out the shaped chopsticks, he poured the pre-prepared 'water-soaked soy sauce broth' into the gaps between the chopsticks."

"The soy sauce broth will gradually seep into the interior of the dish along with the preserved mustard greens, giving the pork belly a slightly salty and savory base flavor from the inside out."

"Furthermore, in this situation, the meat's moisture can be replenished after steaming, delaying the time it takes for the inside to become dry, thus balancing the meat's fat content."

"As for the leftover sauce at the bottom, it will be poured over the final sauce mixture."

"In typical pagoda-shaped pork, the outer part is often covered in sauce and has enough flavor, but the inner layer is a bit bland. This method can avoid some of this effect."

At this point, Xia Ming smiled and touched the tip of his nose with the back of his finger.

"Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Ensuring the uniform texture of the outer meat and preventing it from becoming tough is only a temporary measure."

“Slicing it too thin makes it easier for the meat to become tough, and delaying the steaming process will also make it tougher, so he can only shorten the steaming time.”

"This will result in less oil seeping out from the pork belly, and the preserved mustard greens inside will lack oil absorption. With such a large quantity, it is difficult to ensure that each part absorbs the aroma of the meat, and the flavor will be reduced."

"Of course, the more fatal point is that you will lose a little bit of the texture of the fat and become more greasy."

Xia Ming knew, of course, that Zhu Wuneng had chosen it himself.

"The so-called 'pagoda pork' is meant to be 'fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry,' and the key lies in removing the fat from the meat."

"According to the urban parlance, it means that the fat is firm and has a rich texture. After the right amount of oil is extracted, the fat softens and achieves a melt-in-your-mouth texture."

“He judged from the beginning that ordinary levels of Pagoda Meat could not fight me, so he chose a more aggressive approach.”

"He probably thought that the extra bit of greasiness might not necessarily be a bad thing for the judges."

"After all, whether something is fatty but not greasy depends on personal preference. '3 parts fat and 7 parts lean,' '4 parts fat and 6 parts lean,' and the less common 'half fat and half lean' each have their own audiences."

"Similarly, if the oil extracted from the fat accounts for 3% or 4%, it can also achieve the effect of being rich but not greasy."

"Compared to discussing what truly constitutes 'fat but not greasy,' the dryness of lean meat is more noticeable to most people."

Of course, all of the above are judgments that would occur under the premise that the judges' senses are normal.

In fact, from the moment Zhu Wuneng chose the pagoda meat, in Xia Ming's eyes, he had already pushed himself into the abyss.

Because Zhu Wuneng was using Xia Ming's strengths to restrain Xia Ming, he even sacrificed a bit of the flavor of the dish itself in the process.

Now, he has not only lost in terms of knife skills, but the dish itself has also shown some minor flaws.

What Xia Ming did was simply amplify this slight flaw, building upon his own appropriate handling methods.
On the judges' panel, the judges looked at the "Pagoda Meat" in front of them, and a moment of hesitation flashed through their minds.

Judging from experience, this meat is most likely slightly greasy, which, theoretically speaking, is an abnormal phenomenon within a normal compromise.

The judges saw the intention behind Zhu Wuneng's design and acknowledged that this design would slightly compromise the taste.

But Zhu Wuneng suffered too much this time!

Sui Wubai reached out and picked up a piece of pork belly. Under the light, the pork belly was indeed sliced ​​very thinly.

But he actually prefers slightly thicker pieces. In his "Pagoda Pork Belly" cooking video, he doesn't shy away from saying that thinner pork belly makes it more difficult to cook and loses its texture. "My knife skills are there, but the cooking is a bit lacking!"

With a slight sigh, Sui Wubai put the meat into his mouth.

The first bite is the familiar sauce flavor, but overall there's nothing particularly special about it.

After the sauce, the flavor of the pork belly itself shines through. The lean meat is handled well, and the saltiness and aroma are quite good.

But this fatty meat.
"Forehead"

A strange feeling of nausea welled up inside him, and Sui Wubai frowned.

The greasiness of the fatty meat exceeded his initial expectations; it felt as if a piece of pork was waving around in his mouth, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

"This is unbelievably greasy!"

Sui Wubai was stunned for a moment and remained silent. Under normal circumstances, he would have immediately judged that Zhu Wuneng was incapable.

However, given that the person opposite him was Xia Ming, and based on his limited understanding of Xia Ming's "rustic" ways, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Xia Ming had added something to the dish.

He wasn't saying he wanted to pursue Xia Ming for anything; after all, there was no clear definition of this technique in cooking competitions, and he hadn't previously rejected it.

"The problem is, I don't see anything wrong with it!"

What Sui Wubai was really worried about was that he hadn't yet figured out whether Xia Ming had tampered with the food.

Theoretically speaking, cartilage, clear broth, and a gelatinous texture are all normal phenomena.

Just like when you eat real "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in Golden Broth", the thickness is so thick that it easily sticks to your tongue. That's not intentional; it's a characteristic of the dish itself.

If it doesn't stick to your tongue, or if the consistency or taste is off, it's highly likely you've eaten something fake. After all, quite a few people in the industry use "pumpkin soup."
"Golden Broth" is so expensive; it's even harder to get a serving than regular broth.
Many restaurants use high-tech methods to prepare their broths, so don't even think about getting a golden broth.

As a competition dish, Xia Ming is sure to present the dish in its best condition, which is definitely not a problem.

As for "bone marrow," that's all the ingredients you have. If you want to use shrimp paste or other things, you have to consider whether they are available and whether they are compatible.

Sui Wubai did not think that the bone marrow inside was greasy or plentiful.

"At most, you can only conclude that when we chew the soup, the taste of the bone marrow spreads throughout the mouth. This taste is rich in fat and aroma, which will affect the physiological sensory judgment a little bit."

However, Sui Wubai understood that this was a normal phenomenon.

Let alone the "New Chef Competition", it would be a normal phenomenon even in "exchange competitions" or "national competitions".

Since the judges' palates can't be refreshed with a single click, eating too much will have an impact.

After thinking for a long time, Sui Wubai still felt that Xia Ming's situation was normal.

Ultimately, it was Zhu Wuneng's flawed handling of the fatty meat that caused the problem; he failed to perfectly integrate his knife skills with the presentation of the fatty meat.

"The reason why the two 49-layered pagoda-shaped meat dishes are more about outward appearance than actual culinary content is because of their visual appeal."

After swallowing the pork belly in his mouth, Sui Wubai had already made his own judgment.

The other judges have also mostly tasted the food by now. Compared to the previous "One Meal to Fame" judging panel, the professionalism of the judges here has risen several levels.

They could think of everything that Sui Wubai could think of, and even Wei Yan could think that Xia Ming might have problems.

But even after searching all seven of them, they couldn't find a single trace.

The dishes were new and unfamiliar; the cooking was superb; and the bowls were emptied—not a single black spot.

Forget about "open strategies," whether there was any strategy at all is debatable.
Tan Zhifeng and Sui Wubai probably had more contact and thought things through more deeply. At this moment, they suspected that Xia Ming might have secretly given them a push.

It sounds absurd, but it seems quite reasonable when applied to Xia Ming.
The other five people, including Yin Shengjiang, were more inclined to believe that Zhu Wuneng's mistake was more serious in the absence of evidence.

Seeing the judges' expressions, Xia Ming below also laughed.

He knew the judges were wondering if he had any involvement in the matter.
Well, compared to the straightforward revelation when he flipped the table earlier, and the reverse punishment for Fang Xu's methods, this "Glassy Chrysanthemum Cup" played a borderline role.

It's more about setting a psychological anchor for the judges beforehand, and then implanting a slightly greasy feeling.

This feeling wouldn't be as noticeable with other dishes, but it just can't be overcome by Zhu Wuneng's "Pagoda Meat," which was a compromise he had made himself.

This is a customized product designed for situations where post-match results are unverifiable.
The purpose of doing this was not to win against Zhu Wuneng, since the moment the knife skills were revealed, Zhu Wuneng basically had no chance.

Xia Ming simply couldn't stand Zhu Wuneng's hypocritical words, so he kicked him.
"Sigh~ Since I am a demon and you are a Buddha, it's reasonable for me to use some demonic methods, isn't it?"

"Furthermore, if you, Buddha, hadn't been so wicked, you wouldn't have ended up like this."

After saying that, Xia Ming, led by the host, went to the judges' table and stood with Zhu Wuneng to face the final scores.

The judges barely thought about it before grabbing the scoreboard and writing out their scores.

The large screen behind him flickered, and soon Xia Ming's score was displayed.

[Yin Shengjiang: 98]

[Tan Zhifeng: 99.5]

[Sui Wubai: 99.6]

[You Zhangwen: 99]

[Wei Yan: 98]

[Mao Xianzheng: 98.5]

[Yu Fangmei: 99]

[After removing scores according to the rules]

Xia Ming's final overall score: 98.8 points

The live stream and the players' lounge were completely stunned as they watched the scores on the screen!
In the round of 64 to 32, he immediately scored a near-perfect score, leaving the other contestants wondering if they had a chance!

What? Why don't we all just pack up and take it home?
Of course, the contestants were just venting; they didn't really have any opinions, since they all had their own standards for what level they were at.

Zhu Wuneng was shocked when he saw the score; he really hadn't expected Xia Ming to be able to do this.

Just as he was surprised, his score appeared on the screen.

[Yin Shengjiang: 75.5]

[Tan Zhifeng: 70.3]

[Sui Wubai: 72.2]

[You Zhangwen: 78]

[Wei Yan: 66]

[Mao Xianzheng: 80]

[Yu Fangmei: 79]

[After removing scores according to the rules]

Zhu Wuneng's final overall score: 75 points

"???"

(End of this chapter)