Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"let's start."

Looking at the few lamb chops and pork tenderloin left in front of her, Mito Ikumi's face flashed with seriousness. The two had the same score, and she had to perform better than the previous one to have any chance of winning!

Cut the lamb chops, pork tenderloin, and beef fat into slices of similar thickness, then stack them alternately and tie them tightly together with cotton thread.

Take a large bowl and add minced garlic, minced ginger, sliced ​​onion, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, cooking wine, cumin powder, black pepper powder, salt, and olive oil to make a marinade.

The meat is tied up and pricked thousands of times with tiny silver needles before being put into the marinade. This is the fastest way to marinate and infuse the meat with flavor.

"So that's how those different kinds of meat are combined; no wonder they have such a wonderful texture!"

Watching Mito Ikumi's actions, Sentawara Orie had a look of sudden realization. She had actually combined three kinds of meat together; no wonder the taste was so unique.

"If the theme this time hadn't been mutton, her score would probably have been much higher."

Watching Mito Ikumi's actions, the fat old man couldn't help but sigh.

The dish prepared by the other party only made up half of the ingredients with lamb, relying on the combination of the flavors of the three types of meat to create an exceptionally novel and unique dish.

As for the other side.

"I never expected that Mito's opponent would be Subaru Misaka. He likes to thoroughly investigate the students he has his eye on, and then provoke, intimidate, and use every means to drag them onto the stage of a duel."

However, he probably doesn't dare to be too presumptuous now because of Professor Bai Yuan's presence, otherwise he would definitely start a food battle!

Both in Division B, Ibuzaki looked at Mimasaka Subaru and slowly spoke, his brows revealing a hint of resentment, clearly indicating that the two had known each other for a long time.

"Beer-braised mutton".

Looking at Mito Ikumi not far away, Mimasaka Subaru uttered four words.

"what?"

Mito Ikumi was puzzled. Why was the other party telling her all this? Did he want her to go easy on him?

"A dish that Professor Baiyuan once demonstrated in class uses boneless lamb shoulder, which has a unique flavor and a certain amount of fat."

He turned his gaze to Mito Ikumi. Since he didn't know that she would be his final opponent, he hadn't done any research or investigation beforehand. However, he figured that the cooking techniques taught by Hakugen would be more than enough to deal with her.

After all, the other party was trained by Bai Yuan.

"Teacher Baiyuan's method is to remove the fat from the surface of the lamb shoulder, chop it up and set it aside, and then cut the lean meat into pieces the size of a baby's fist."

Add the fatty lamb to a cold pan and cook over medium-high heat to render out its fat. Then add the lamb chunks and stir-fry until browned. Finally, use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them in a large pot.

Subaru Mimasaka explained as he cooked, always keeping in mind the dishes taught by his teacher, Hakugen, and never forgetting them even now.

"Add chopped onions and garlic to the remaining mutton fat in the small pot, stir-fry, then add beer and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then pour into a large pot with 5 sprigs of thyme and 5 bay leaves. Simmer over low heat for 70 minutes."

Next, skim off the surface fat and add an equal amount of starch, stirring well.

Add 250 grams each of potatoes and carrots to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, until all the ingredients are tender. Then, add the mixed mutton fat and cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

This method of preparing beer-braised lamb fully utilizes the aroma of lamb fat and beer, requiring no complicated seasonings and truly preserving the original flavor.

"That's how Teacher Bai Yuan makes it, but I can't replicate that flavor. So I replaced the beer in the beer-braised lamb with pineapple beer to enhance the flavor and achieve a unique and better taste."

After the food was put into the pot, Subaru Mimasaka first looked at Hakugen, then at Miyoko Hojo, who was gritting her teeth, and a mocking expression appeared on his face.

"Teacher Shirabuchi, there's something I'm curious about. Can Subaru Mimasaka really make the same dishes as you?"

Hisako Shinto looked at Shiroyuki with a puzzled expression, her voice filled with curiosity. The other party was imitating his cooking, yet he didn't react at all.

"How is that possible? No matter how well he imitates him, he could never make the same dish as Master Bai Yuan, not even one ten-thousandth as good!"

Before Bai Yuan could speak, Nakiri Alice spoke first, her voice filled with disdain.

No matter how good Subaru Mimasaka's imitation skills are, he can't replicate the Flowing Light Cuisine. There's no particular reason; it's simply a matter of skill level.

"His ability can only replicate the dishes of mediocre chefs. Against truly skilled chefs, he has no chance at all."

After watching for a while, Erina Nakiri also spoke up.

Although Subaru Mimasaka followed the same steps as Hakubuchi in preparing the dishes, the timing of cooking and the condition of the ingredients used that day were all crucial factors affecting the final taste of the dishes.

These small details cannot be simulated through tracking unless he has super vision, and Bai Yuan is cooking in sync with him.

"This kid is quite interesting. If he trains his visual abilities properly, awakening super vision is not impossible."

Unfortunately, his method is wrong; it won't train visual abilities. If he continues training like this, he'll never awaken supervision and will only ever be a despicable imitator.

As Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri discussed, Shirabuchi also turned his attention to Subaru Mimasaka, silently watching him cook.

He had heard of and witnessed the other party's abilities.

By imitating a person, you can master the dish they have learned, and then improve that dish in a food battle to make it even more delicious, thus achieving the goal of winning.

This is actually a very clever approach, because it increases the base score by adding something under the same conditions.

If the opponent's innovation capability is weak, they will be ruthlessly crushed and defeated.

"Extra-vision, can this be awakened through training?"

Noticing the deeper meaning in Bai Yuan's words, Nakiri Alice said with some excitement, her eyes sparkling with a unique light.

Erina Nakiri, upon hearing this, had a subtle expression and stood aside without saying a word.

"Yes, but you need to have exceptional talent in this area and undergo particularly rigorous training to awaken the corresponding superpower."

After glancing at Alice Nakiri and then looking at Ikumi Mito, Shirabuchi spoke.

The human body is amazing and highly adaptable. As long as you get a little stronger every day, the quantitative change will eventually lead to a qualitative change, and you can successfully awaken.

In the world of MasterChef, almost every master chef has one or two special skills, and those who are even more skilled will develop super senses.

However, this ability gradually declines with age, which is the real reason why some chefs who were far more skilled than their peers when they were young are not as good as their peers when they get older.

People like Logan, the pastry king, are ultimately a minority.

"Mito's cooking seems to be finished."

Suddenly, Hisako Shinto pointed in the direction of Ikumi Mito and spoke.

At the same time, the other three looked over and saw that Mito Ikumi was cutting up food that had just been taken out of the oven on a food preparation board.

The baking tray was lined with onions, the meat was brushed with marinade while baking, sprinkled with rosemary, and then brushed with honey just before it came out of the oven.

"What an amazing taste! This feeling is truly wonderful, combining parts of three different creatures! Ahh! It's strange, but so delicious!"

The more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes.

This is their most direct feeling.

"Suddenly, I feel that the dish Mito made seems to be related to the theory that Professor Shirabuchi mentioned earlier."

Take the best parts of the same ingredients and piece them together to create the most perfect dish.

As Mito Ikumi was removing the cotton thread, Shinomiya Hisako's voice was tinged with emotion. She carefully observed the other's cooking techniques, which were remarkably similar to what Hakugen had taught her.

This is the best example of truly applying what you've learned to cooking!

"Actually, there are some differences. When I taught you, I used the same animal as the ingredient, but Mito used meat from a different animal."

Lamb ribs, pork tenderloin, and beef fat—combining these three to create a piece of meat unlike any other in the world—is quite an idea.

Bai Yuan's eyes were filled with admiration. Regardless of the taste, the creativity alone was enough to make him give it a thumbs up, and he decided to try it when he got back.

One advantage of teaching apprentices is that you can reinforce what you've learned through teaching.

One or two problems may not be very useful, but when there are many, solving their problems every day is also a way to identify and fill gaps in one's own foundation.

His strength is improving every day.

Chapter 177 The Battle for Eighth Place

"I wonder what it will taste like. Pork, beef, and lamb are arguably the three most common medium-sized livestock, and to combine them together..."

Erina Nakiri swallowed hard, wondering what Mito Ikumi's dish would taste like. Combining these three ingredients—could it be a culinary disaster...?

At the same time, the audience in the front row also focused their attention on Mito Ikumi, or more accurately, on the bowl in front of her.

As she cut and divided the food, the staff members came forward one after another, carrying the food she had divided to the audience in the first two rows below.

"I never imagined I'd be a judge one day."

In the front row, a viewer looked at the bowl in front of him and couldn't help but sigh. Then he picked it up with his chopsticks, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

On the steak, lamb, pork tenderloin, and beef fat are layered and stacked, creating a unique texture and color contrast.

The bottom of the bowl is lined with a thin layer of roasted onions, which are used to line the meat during grilling and give the steak a rich aroma.

Furthermore, the golden color of the onions contrasts sharply with the brown color of the steak, making it very appetizing.

"I'm gonna start now."

Looking at the delicious-looking dishes in front of them, the audience put their hands together in a gesture of respect before eating, then picked up their chopsticks, put the food in their mouths, closed their eyes, and savored it.

The savory flavor and unique aroma of mutton become even richer after marinating.

At the same time, it intertwines with the spices in the marinade, such as minced garlic, minced ginger, and shredded onion, to create a deep and complex flavor.

"The lamb is firm yet tender, with a natural savory aroma. The addition of pork tenderloin adds a delicate and tender touch to this dish."

The use of beef fat is the finishing touch to this dish. As it melts, it permeates the other two types of meat, giving the entire dish a rich, oily aroma and a silky smooth texture.

As viewers savored the rich flavors on their tongues, they couldn't help but exclaim that the addition of beef fat at the end not only enhanced the overall aroma but also made the meat more tender and juicy, melting in their mouths.

Indeed, meat tastes best when it has a good balance of lean and fat!

"Professor Bai Yuan, please."

Hearing the praise from those around her, Mito Ikumi raised her hand in a gesture of invitation, her large eyes blinking expectantly, hoping to receive praise in return.

"it is good."

Bai Yuan nodded slightly, took the plate handed to him, and picked up the three pieces of meat with his chopsticks, looking at how they had become one through the cotton thread.

"The ratio of meat to fat needs adjustment, that's one issue. Another is the monotonous cooking techniques; all the spices are added at once, failing to create depth and complexity in the flavor..."

As he tasted the food, Bai Yuan offered his evaluation.

The idea is good, but it's too crude.

To make this dish a good one, it needs further refinement. If it were him, he would probably consider using vegetables or fruits to enhance the flavor.

"oh oh!"

Mito Ikumi nodded and quickly jotted down the suggestions Shirai had made in her notebook. She would try them out when she got back.