Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 197 Daqing Pit Roasting: A Trap Set Based on Pride and Prejudice. (First Update in 4K)
Xia Ming's small cart was almost entirely filled with local specialty ingredients.

Seeing that the wild boar meat had been almost completely replaced, Xia Ming went to Sama again and gave her the ingredients he didn't need.

After that, he went to the "private kitchen" marked with his number to cook.

Despite being called a dedicated kitchen, it was actually just a very simple "thatched hut".

Xia Ming touched the wooden support beside him and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"This little pavilion isn't very sturdy; it might collapse halfway through cooking."

Xia Ming glanced at the sky, thought for a moment, and then moved the table out from inside.

Anyway, he was going to prepare the wild boar meat according to the "Hmph" method. After the initial processing, the wild boar meat would be put into a pit.

In other words, 80% of the preparation for this dish is actually done in the pit, so whether or not there is a thatched hut is not important to him.

So, after bringing out the ingredients, Xia Ming first dug two deep pits on the spot, and then lit a fire with wood and pepper leaves.

As the flames burned, Xia Ming's side quickly emitted a smoky aroma with a hint of pepper.

After that, he began to process the wild boar meat further.
In fact, after trying the local specialty "Hengyi" and learning about its flavor, Xia Ming found the corresponding Chinese cuisine last night.

[Daqing Pit Roast]

Compared to the traditional Chinese cuisine that Xia Ming previously prepared, "Daqing Pit Roast" has a shorter history and is more rustic.

Its earliest technique originated from a folk "roasting technique" in the East Third District of "Guming".

Later, it was improved by local workers. The main cooking method is to wrap ingredients such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, chicken, pigeon, quail, lamb chops, fish and pork belly in tin foil.

After being coated with yellow mud, it was placed in a brick pit and roasted over charcoal fire and red-hot bricks for about one and a half hours.

The final product has a unique smoky flavor, while the juices inside the ingredients are retained, creating a unique smoky taste after braising and roasting.

Of course, Xia Ming didn't have tin foil, but the locals found three alternatives.

Wild boar skin, New Zealand broccoli flax leaves, and Puka tree leaves.

The last item comes from the Puka tree, a common local plant with large, tough leaves that are heat-resistant and have a faint resinous aroma.

When Xia Ming was tasting the wild boar meat, it was served on a bed of this material.

It has the same functionality as a lotus leaf, which can lock in the juices and blend the aroma of meat with the aroma of plants when wrapping whole chickens, wild boar meat, lamb chops and other ingredients.

Xia Ming was currently mixing the three materials together.

First, he took a flat piece from the wild boar skin and then roasted the back of it over a fire in a pit.

This step not only removes the hair from the wild boar's skin, but also makes it curl and shrink, making it more like leather.

Then, he cut off a piece of wild boar meat, smoothly made large "wheat ear flower" cuts on it, and Xia Ming used the herbs and salt at hand to do basic marinating.

And a small amount of lemon juice was added to it.
While he was processing the ingredients, Seizo Koyama was also processing the crayfish meat in his hands.

Because he didn't have soy sauce, he wanted to use local spices and broth made from crayfish shells to create a complex sauce.

Coincidentally, Astor had the same idea, except that he used eel.

"The eels here have a high oil content. The oil that seeps out can be mixed with potatoes to make a smooth mashed potato sauce. Paired with local pepper seasoning, it should be very flavorful."

Compared to the two's delicacy, Maca is much wilder.

She believes that the main reason locals choose "pit roasting" is because they have problems controlling the heat.

She is confident that, while preserving the original flavor, she can use spices to create dishes that best reflect the local character.

Unlike her, most people chose to "eat" wild boar meat after receiving it.

The reason is actually a bit difficult to understand.
Because in the Western culinary system, techniques such as "Hum Yi" and "Daqing pit roast" are understood differently in different regions.

For example, Mediterranean chefs would consider it a traditional home-style dish, and they would value its social aspect more than the cooking time.

European chefs generally view it as a "primitive survival technique," and only use it in certain special circumstances during winter, such as roasting pebbles over a fire.

The Eagle District, however, presents two viewpoints.

First: Pit roasting is a rural delicacy, and the special flavor of "smoking" must be emphasized.

Simply put, it involves enchanting pork chops or steaks with different types of wood, which is a type of outdoor barbecue.

Second: This is part of the culture of some indigenous peoples, a symbol of their primitiveness.

It goes without saying that the British have a poor attitude towards the indigenous people, and naturally, they also lack a sense of identity with their cuisine.

McGrady and Carrey are a bit better off because they participated in the first two seasons and understand that the local cuisine has evolved to its current state as a result of local choices.

But Aretha and Roy didn't think so.
In their view, pit roasting is a symbol of the savagery of the Maoli people. Even though they behaved very politely at the tasting dinner, they were still savages at heart.

This has nothing to do with ingredients or cooking skills; it's something called "pride and prejudice."
Among the crowd, there are quite a few chefs who harbor this prejudice. On the one hand, they believe that making "Hum Yi," a dish familiar to the locals, can win their favor and increase their final score.

On the one hand, they felt that this technique was too primitive.

Without precise kitchen utensils to control the temperature, they felt that the quality of a "humi" largely depended on "luck".

This is exactly what Xia Ming wanted to see.

"Therefore, not all chefs are the same. Some focus on flavor, some focus on technique, and some only care about the profits they can see."

Why is it that most of the chefs on a wilderness-themed cooking show are chefs who have only received temporary wilderness skills training?

"It's very simple, because in their eyes, this is a variety show first, and then a competition."

Xia Ming knew that at least half of the chefs there weren't there to showcase their skills in the wilderness; their real goal was probably to perform in their own restaurants after filming the variety show.
Private chef
Or elsewhere, to create a so-called "New Zealand Chestnut Tribe-style dish".

They then use this to demonstrate what they call "vision" and "innovation".

Of course, he believed that more than half of them had other motives, such as the prize money for the top three, to broaden their horizons and meet new gourmet hunters, to make a comeback, or to seek revenge.

He didn't see anything wrong with it; after all, he had his own purposes.

"But different purposes lead to different attitudes when cooking."

Xia Ming realized that a small group of people weren't really concerned about the feelings of the Maoli people. They were simply using local Maoli ingredients to create what they called "creative cuisine." If it were freshwater eel, shrimp, worms, or even potatoes and sweet potatoes...
They can do whatever they want, because although these things have local characteristics, they don't have any extremely pungent "odors".

But wild boar meat is different.
Xia Ming hunted the wild boar himself, so he naturally knew how strong its taste was.

Compared to the domestic pigs in China that are specially castrated, the unique flavor of wild boar meat is, for the Chinese people, both delicious and unpalatable.

Deliciousness refers to its firm texture and unique flavor.

The reason it tastes bad is because it has a strong gamey or bloody smell.
“If these chefs were cooking in their own kitchens, they would have many ways to solve this problem.”

"But this is the wilderness, and the problems with the ingredients themselves are magnified infinitely."

Although wild boar meat is not a staple food in the area, the tribe has lived there for a long time and has mastered a unique way of removing the gamey smell from their meat.

In other words, despite their war dances and animal skins, the Mastiffs are not stupid at all.

They won't eat wild boar meat if it's cooked to smell bad!

Coincidentally, Xia Ming knew the complete recipe for "Heng Yi" and deduced the properties of the other Chinese medicinal ingredients by using the properties of most of the ingredients.

Furthermore, at the food exchange stall set up by Astor, Xia Ming determined the properties of two of the ingredients by smell.

Therefore, he understood that most contestants would definitely mess up when creating "Hum".

“I need to see the ingredients before I can confirm my guess, so why do they assume that the ‘Hum’ that has been passed down in other tribes is just a random stew of ingredients that depends on luck?”

Therefore, prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain.

"Giving everyone the wild boar meat they wanted was nothing more than building a few more high platforms on their mountains."

Of course, Xia Ming didn't think these things could stop someone like "Aster".

Judging from his very restrained actions of taking small pieces of wild boar meat, Astor clearly understood the difficulty of preparing this ingredient.

He believed that he wasn't the only one present who could see it.

Therefore, if he wants to win first place in this dish, he needs to know the answers to two questions.

So, after processing the wild boar meat, he placed two rolls of meat, one large and one small, tightly wrapped with leaves, into the pit where charcoal had been pressed down and flax leaves had been evenly spread.

First, the smaller pit was sealed off with a covering leaf, and then after a while, the larger pit was sealed off.

While the contestants were preparing enthusiastically, the host introduced the judges for this round to viewers around the world on camera.

"Flavors from all over the world naturally need to be appreciated by chefs from all over the world!"

"Welcome to my judging panel, they are..."

"With an extremely high global reputation, he is adept at various cuisines and always manages to spot the flaws in others' skills, sharing and disseminating them without reservation, thus playing a huge role in promoting the global culinary arts."

"Mr. Tan Zhifeng, recipient of the 'China's Top Chef' award, a leading figure in promoting Chinese culinary skills, and known as the 'Best Partner of Michelin-starred Chefs Overseas'!"

As the host announced the program, Tan Zhifeng walked out from the side with a smile and sat down on the judges' table.

Seeing this, the host continued announcing the program.

"Next up is the renowned 'molecular gastronomy storyteller' from Southern Eagle, known as a taste sensory designer. He has been invited by various Michelin-starred restaurants to provide professional evaluations and ultimately oversee the implementation of his work."

"Mr. Grant Akar, a pioneer of molecular gastronomy in the Eagle, the best chef in the Eagle, the founder of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant AJN, and named by Time magazine as the best chef in the Eagle in a century!"

As the host spoke, a middle-aged man with a standard eagle-like appearance, fair skin, and a strong but not bulky physique appeared on stage.

He exudes a captivating blend of sensibility and meticulousness; more than a chef, he resembles a hawkish television star or a legal professional.

Following him was a chef from Gaul.

"Welcome to the director of our 'Institute for Innovative French Cuisine,' who has perfectly blended seasonal ingredients with classic French cuisine, pioneering new frontiers and establishing a dominant position in the field of modern French dining."

"Mr. Tommy, winner of the 'Best French Culinary Art Award' in France, former head chef of the Michelin three-star restaurant 'Lameloise,' and the youngest record holder for the 'FM Award,' the highest honor in French cuisine!"

Compared to the previous "Grant", Tom Mayer is more sunny and handsome. Although his features are somewhat ordinary, his fair and clean appearance has won him a lot of fans.

Furthermore, it's clear to everyone that Tom Mayer is no more than 35 years old, making him a very promising chef.

Following him is Yamamoto Kawaiji, the chef of "Sunrise Island".

He is the successor of the Yamamoto school, the main lineage of Japanese kaiseki cuisine, and is known as the "Knife Demon Craftsman". He has opened many Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo and holds a nomination for the World's Top Chefs Lifetime Achievement Award.

Although he was nominated five times but was not selected, he is definitely among the top chefs in the world.

Then there's the female chef "Mina Hayek" from the "Central Asia region".

She is the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Asia, the chief food judge of Liba Nen, the chef of the local royal family, and now runs the restaurant brand "legacy", which is very popular around the world.

She is skilled in processing meat and medicinal ingredients, and possesses several ancient family recipes.

Although she was over 30, she had a unique charm from the Central Asia region. She was very beautiful with a great figure. When she came on stage, Tommy looked at her buttocks several times.

The last one is quite important.

He is Varuninanda, a spice chef from Borneo.

He is a local gourmet chef and the author of the global bestseller "The Art of the Kitchen".
He possesses pure Brahman blood, so he enjoys unrestricted access to various places within the country. Although he has a high reputation, his status as a chef worldwide is very low.

Many top chefs look down on him, believing that his reputation comes more from his lineage.

As for his creations such as "Ink Five-Spice Modern Cuisine Basics" and "Fan Shenmen Curry," they have been described as pure marketing.

But there was nothing they could do; the Brahma side was determined to have him as a judge.
Mina Hayek looked down on him, and after he sat down, she even moved to the side.

In addition to the six judges, there were five local judges.

They are the chief of the Maurice tribe, Sama, the priestess who stood in the front row when they sang, the first warrior who looked at Xia Ming, and a young man from the tribe.

As all the judges took the stage, time ticked by.

About half an hour later, Maca was the first to raise his hand!

"Host, my meal is ready."

Upon hearing Maka's words, Xia Ming, who was calculating the time not far away, silently raised his eyes, then sniffed the air, and shook his head imperceptibly.
(End of this chapter)