Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 169 The Crystal Plate Contains Hidden Secrets, Encompassing All Things - Pork Belly (First Update of 3K)
"???"

The judges were puzzled and looked up at the pork belly.

Each layer was clearly defined, the fat had an oily film, and the lean meat looked rosy and glossy; at first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

But upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the fatty parts exhibited characteristics of various steamed buns.

The most obvious part is the pig skin, which has a slightly rough, firm and chewy texture, similar to that of "Qiangmian Mantou" (a type of steamed bun).

Applying this logic to other parts of the body, Sui Wubai quickly discovered something interesting.

"Low-gluten dough, medium-gluten dough, and high-gluten dough are mixed together, each clearly distinct... That's interesting!"

"Is this how you're going to present the texture of different parts of the fatty pork belly? The preparation method is quite ingenious... but the taste..."

Sui Wubai does not deny that using mixed dough in a layered process is a very difficult method.

However, this does not mean that simply mixing and matching will result in a better taste.

For example, right now, the layers of the dough are clearly visible...

But thinking about how to combine the different textures from multiple regions in one bite, Sui Wubai raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Even if softness and chewiness can be combined, the final experience will vary greatly depending on the individual's taste."

"Generally speaking, this kind of mistake shouldn't be made..."

"Texture" and "taste" are defined differently.

For example, the taste preferences of young people and older people are different when eating the same bowl of noodles.

Similarly, when it comes to pastries, the proportions need to be adjusted accordingly.

For high-end banquets, it's a little better if the chef can introduce the dishes, since diners can choose according to their preferences.

But this is a competition, and it's a bit risky for Xia Ming to try to integrate pastries without being able to explain them verbally.

Another point is that Xia Ming's pastry lacks aroma. Although it has the aroma of flour and meat, it is too subtle for a meat bun.

Suppressing his doubts for the time being, Sui Wubai continued to look at the layers of meat.

"The top part of the pork belly should be the meat filling that was previously hand-pounded, while the lean part at the bottom should be a multigrain steamed bun mixed with red yeast rice powder..."

"This proportion... is a bit strange!"

Unlike before, Sui Wubai clearly sensed something was wrong this time.

Putting aside the question of where all the minced meat Xia Ming prepared went, just discussing the ratio of meat to steamed buns feels somewhat inappropriate.

Although the theme is "pastries" and "meat," these steamed buns seem to be a bit too many...

Sui Wubai's doubts were also the doubts of the other judges...

However, depending on the viewing angle, the side view seen by different people will vary.

Sitting in the middle, Yin Shengjiang's perspective showed that the "meat" in front of him was perfectly formed and complete.

But even from the corner of Wei Yan's eyes, he could still see a not-so-obvious gap on the upper layer of the "flesh" side.

Mao Xianzheng, who was also sitting in a slightly off-center position, was a bit older, so even though he saw a gap-like part, he couldn't see it very clearly without getting closer to examine it.

It was precisely because of the difference in perspective that Wei Yan reacted faster than the others.

"There must be a layer inside this piece of meat!"

Just as he realized the problem, Xia Ming, who was standing next to him, had already put on his gloves.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, then gently tapped the iron plate three times with his fingers.

As he moved his finger, before the judges could notice any change in the meat in the middle, they first saw the crystal bowl beneath it split open…

"???"

The viewers in the live stream were completely bewildered, thinking that there was some problem with the crystal plate itself!

After a series of question marks, someone finally realized what was going on!

[This is outrageous! What's underneath isn't a bowl, it's aspic!]

[It could also be a crystal-like finish, but with such good light transmission, who could tell?]

I thought the plate had broken accidentally, but it turns out my knee had silently shattered!

[The moment he collapsed reminded me of a previous competition, when I first noticed Xia Ming—it was when he tapped his fried rice with a spoon and it all fell apart!]

The way the food changes on-site is amazing; I wish I could eat this kind of cuisine someday...

No wonder they used dry ice; the smoke obscured part of the view, causing the judges to subconsciously focus their attention on the fleshy part, the main component, and overlook the external design...

[Thanks to the commentator upstairs, I understand now...]

[But what's the point of this besides looking nice? It has nothing to do with the theme!]

I don't know, but it must be useful at least, otherwise it would be quite troublesome to go to the trouble of making something like this!

...

Just like the viewers in the live stream.

The judges focused their attention on the container itself and discovered that the crystal bowl on the iron plate was actually a product called aspic!

Even after the soup jelly broke apart, they could clearly see from the side that there was no frozen material underneath this "steamed bun meat"!
Yin Shengjiang raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes.

"No wonder... this aspic should have been formed in one piece from the beginning..."

"After shaping, Xia Ming first hollowed out a piece of suitable size from the middle and placed the neatly arranged pork belly in the center,"

"Then, using something like fishing line, the jelly was precisely cut, visually resembling pork belly arranged on a crystal plate." "At this moment, Xia Ming tapped the iron plate, altering the stable shape of the jelly, causing it to collapse..."

Although it looked great and was quite unexpected, Yin Shengjiang still couldn't figure out what the purpose of this step was.

Xia Ming, having finished tapping the iron plate, didn't stop, ignoring the broken aspic, and reached out to touch the side of the "pork belly".

Then, he smiled and peeled back the middle part of the pork belly like a canvas.

Instantly, the judges were greeted by a fragrance that was a blend of various aromas!

For a moment, they even thought they had multiple dishes of different flavors laid out in front of them.

As the aroma was released, the judges were able to see the interior of the pork belly.

The "pork belly" was not solid as initially imagined; instead, it was divided into four rather neat squares.

From left to right, from top to bottom, they are...

[Green Pepper and Sliced ​​Pork]

Stir-fried Beef with Bird's Eye Chili

Kung Pao Chicken

The last cell is empty…

Upon discovering the hidden secret, all the judges wore expressions of utter madness.

The reason is that the three dishes inside are essentially made from pastries.

Compared to the various kinds of pastries He He had shown before, Xia Ming's was obviously many times more difficult.

Wei Yan was completely stunned.

He had thought that Xia Ming would hide other fillings inside, but he really didn't expect that it would be this kind of "filling".

At this moment, he felt that the technique of making noodles was not particularly rare. After all, once the principle was understood, although it was difficult to replicate, it was not impossible.

Xia Ming's dish is clearly visually 100% accurate, even with the meat and side dishes being extremely flavorful.

There was even a little bit of thin sauce clinging to the stir-fried pork.

This made it difficult for Wei Yan to tell whether Xia Ming's "pork belly" was formed in one piece or whether the various parts were filled in after the whole thing was made.

However, Wei Yan felt that this was no longer important, because no matter what method was used, Xia Ming had already completely outclassed He He in terms of the presentation of the dish.

Seeing this, the live streamers went into overdrive.

"No, is this something I can watch for free?"

[I don't even need to kneel this time, my knees are practically shattered. I'll just lie face down, I think that position is more comfortable.]

[This is insane, everyone's gone mad! This has surpassed art; I need to tag some of the participants.]

[Nanxiang: I bet someone's going to tag me right now, but this time... it's really too difficult!]

[Guess, is this for real, guys? Is it the same Nanxiang I know?]

[Verified account confirmed! Hilarious! The blogger most daring in recreating recipes on the internet let out a despairing sigh after seeing Xia Ming's cooking.]

Wait, Xia Ming has another move!

...

Just as netizens were lamenting the sudden appearance of the main character from Nanxiang, Xia Ming continued working on his tasks.

He first collected the aspic from the side and then put it into the last compartment inside the pork belly.

Then tear off the middle part completely, and then start tearing it apart along the grain of the pork belly.

The parts that were originally stuck together were separated into their own states after being disassembled.

The fatty part was broken down into even strips, while the lean meat, which was part of the minced meat, had a meatball-like texture. When torn apart, the net-like structure of the meat shreds could be clearly felt.

Xia Ming tore it into small pieces that were as even as possible, and then took the lean meat part made from the mixed grains at the bottom.

Instead of tearing it directly, Xia Ming took a new knife provided by the competition organizers and cut it into even cubes.

Then place all the cut pieces of pork belly in front of the iron plate.

Xia Ming smiled slightly, indicating that the judges could begin tasting the dishes.

When Sui Wubai saw the completely disassembled parts, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

"A dish made with pasta, similar to a wrap?"

"Regardless of how difficult the technology is to achieve, just looking at the visual effects, it absolutely meets the standards of a formal top-tier banquet main course."

Although using steamed buns to wrap dishes similar to steamed buns may sound a bit strange, judging from the thickness of the steamed buns used for the lean meat, it shouldn't have a significant impact on the taste.

"I just wanted to fill my stomach a bit."

Sui Wubai smiled slightly, then took a piece of mixed grain husk, thought for a moment, put in a little bit of meat, then added a little bit of aspic, and finally chose green pepper and meat slices from the three toppings.

He then rolled it up in a very professional manner, looked at the dish in his hand that resembled a "chicken roll," smiled, and then put it in his mouth.

As his teeth separated the grains, a glint of light flashed in Sui Wubai's eyes.

"The green peppers in this green pepper and pork slices really do taste like green peppers!"

"But the filling for these meat slices is deep-fried???"

(End of this chapter)