Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

The cutting board made a very rhythmic tapping sound as he moved, and the red chunks of meat were broken down into even thin slices in the silver light.

Beside it, the braised pork in the cast iron pot was bubbling away, the amber-colored broth taking on a glossy sheen as it reduced.

"It really is Teacher Bai Yuan! I knew it! Who else but Teacher Bai Yuan could have such skills!"

Seeing Shirayuki busy at work, Erina Nakiri revealed an excited expression that said, "I knew it!"

"You're back."

"Wash your hands quickly, it's almost time to eat."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he put down the cleaver and gently pushed the meat chunks with the back of a spoon. The aroma of star anise and the sweetness of rock sugar mingled and overflowed from the edge of the pot.

The next moment, he turned around and sprinkled turmeric powder into the curry pork stewing next to him. The smoothness of the coconut milk instantly brought out the aroma of Southeast Asian spices.

"Ok.

This curry pork tastes so rich and flavorful! But why are there so many pork dishes all of a sudden? Looking around, it looks like the whole pig's family is here.

My gaze swept around the kitchen. Various pork dishes were laid out on the stove, all cooking. Judging from their progress, they would probably be finished around the same time.

This is the ultimate control over cooking time!

"Ding"

Just then, the oven started to hum, and the honey-crusted char siu was puffing up with glistening sugar bubbles, emitting an incredibly tempting aroma.

"Erina, go get the char siu, slice it, plate it simply, and serve it."

"receive"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's instructions, Nakiri Erina made a playful gesture, then stepped forward, opened the oven, and took out the crispy char siu while wearing oven mitts.

When the foil was peeled off, the aroma of caramel mixed with the smoky scent of lychee wood rushed up to the ceiling, along with the unique aroma of roasted meat.

"And what about me? Is there anything I can do?"

"And me and me!"

Seeing that Shirai was ordering Nakiri Erina around, Nakiri Alice also poked her head in from outside the kitchen, her big eyes filled with longing.

After watching TV for so long, she was itching to get her hands on it!

If you could be in charge of making a dish in the kitchen, even if it's just helping out, this situation could be greatly alleviated!

Although Hisako Shinomiya didn't know what had happened, she saw that Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri had gone to help, so she naturally didn't want to be left behind.

"Alice, you'll be in charge of thickening the sweet and sour pork later. The broth is yours."

Seeing the two of them so eager, Bai Yuan didn't want to spoil their fun, so he simply gave them a simple task and let them do as they pleased.

"Make sure to complete the mission."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri's eyes immediately lit up. She then quickly walked to a stove, next to which were fried pork tenderloin that had not yet been thickened with cornstarch.

"Me too!"

Hisako Shinoto also sprang into action, standing in front of a clay pot and beginning to examine the ingredients inside, but soon her brows furrowed.

Because the ingredients in the pot are very simple, or rather, too simple: pork and pork bones, yet the soup has a very fresh and delicious flavor!

"What's going on?"

This question arose in Hisako Shinoto's mind, and she began to observe even more diligently.

She wanted to see why this pork soup could be so rich and delicious without adding any other ingredients!

"This must be a free-range pig. Because it roams the mountains so often, its meat is better than regular pork. And because it's been raised for a long time, the meat stewed from the bones is very flavorful. Judging from the condition of the meat, it's probably from the foreleg..."

Looking at the pork soup in front of her, Hisako Shinomiya's eyes sparkled with a unique excitement. As expected of Shirabuchi-sensei, even though this soup only uses pork, it is still so delicious!

"If I remember correctly, this should be Hakka cuisine. It's covered with a plastic film to lock in the steam and essence inside."

Next to Hisako Shirato, Erina Nakiri had already prepared the crispy char siu and was now focusing her attention on the stew, offering her comments.

"That's right, this is the essence of Hakka meat soup: it forms a small circulation within the clay pot, so no matter how it's heated, the essence won't be lost."

To know if it's stewed well, you need to consider three characteristics. The first is the aroma of the meat; after removing the plastic wrap, the room will be filled with the aroma of meat.

Secondly, the soup must taste fresh and sweet to be considered successful. Thirdly, observe the state of the soup; the solids should form a net-like structure, floating on the surface...

Despite cooking braised pork, Bai Yuan didn't stop introducing Hakka meat soup, listing several of its characteristics.

Hisako Shinto also looked thoughtful after hearing this.

This pot of soup, apart from a little salt, was made entirely of spring water. It was covered and steamed over water, and nothing else was added.

Looking at the clay pot placed in the cast iron pot, supported by bamboo strips underneath, Hisako Shinoto suddenly took out her notebook and began to take notes.

In her previous cooking, her understanding of soup has always been to put a lot of Chinese medicine in it, so that the Chinese medicines can interact with each other, thus making the soup more delicious.

Bai Yuan's ability to create a delicious soup using only a single ingredient undoubtedly shattered her understanding.

If that works, could we feed the food animals medicinal herbs while they're still alive, filling their bodies with medicinal properties...?

For a moment, Hisako Niito was filled with many thoughts.

His eyes also became brighter and brighter.

On the other side, after listening to Bai Yuan's explanation of the soup, Alice Nakiri turned her attention back to the crispy fried pork tenderloin in front of her.

Sweet and Sour Pork.

This dish is very famous and can be found in various cuisines. Moreover, each cuisine has its own version of sweet and sour pork to suit the local taste.

What Alice Nakiri is making now is the same sweet and sour pork that Bai Yuan taught her. Because she could never get the sweet and sour sauce right, she was scolded a lot.

However, thanks to those reprimands, she had to pull herself together and her skill in making sweet and sour pork reached a very high level.

At this moment, golden and crispy pork tenderloin chunks are piled up like a small mountain in the bamboo basket, each piece glistening with an enticing crispy sheen, making one's mouth water.

"I haven't done this for a while, I hope my skills haven't gotten rusty."

As she spoke, Alice Nakiri let out a long sigh of relief, then turned her gaze to the clean iron pot in front of her, her eyes becoming sharp.

The next moment, she raised her hand.

With a flick of her finger, she scooped up half a spoonful of clear oil and slid it into the pot. Before the oil ripples had even dissipated, she sprinkled in a handful of rock sugar.

As the sugar simmered slowly over low heat, it gradually melted into an amber-colored syrup, creating tiny bubbles in the pot, and filling the air with the sweet aroma of caramel.

Suddenly, Alice Nakiri flicked her wrist and poured balsamic vinegar along the edge of the pot.

With a sizzling sound, the aroma of sour oil rose in a cloud of white steam, and the syrup became translucent during the violent reaction, like melted glass.

The next moment, Mito Ikumi's fingers twitched slightly, and the tomato sauce slowly slid into the pot along the wooden spoon, instantly staining the sweet and sour base with its deep red color.

Soy sauce was poured in in a circular motion, cooking wine was added to remove any fishy smell, and the moment water was poured in, the entire pot of sauce began to boil violently as if it had been awakened!

At the same time, Alice Nakiri stretched out one hand to turn the pot, causing the sauce to thicken over the flames, while her other hand pinched up some minced ginger and flicked it into the pot.

Spicy flavors, like invisible threads, suddenly weave sweet and sour into extraordinary layers.

When the sweet and sour sauce started to bubble, Alice Nakiri used her left hand to steady the pot handle and poured in the cornstarch slurry in a thin stream with her right hand.

As the starch water was added, the soup visibly thickened, leaving clear lines on its surface when the wooden spoon was used to stir it.

As the last spoonful of oil was poured in, the sound grew louder and louder, and the whole pot of sauce shimmered with a silky sheen, looking exceptionally tempting!

Seeing this, Alice Nakiri scooped up the sauce with a spoon and slowly poured it into the pot. The dripping sauce formed a triangular arc on the edge of the spoon.

"Perfect!"

As the sweet and sour sauce dripped like silk, filling the air with its rich aroma, Alice Nakiri's face showed a satisfied expression.

The next moment, the fried pork tenderloin was poured into the pot, and Alice Nakiri once again got into position, placing her hands on the pot handle and vigorously tossing it.

Golden chunks of meat tumble in a deep red sauce, every ridge coated in a glistening sweet and sour glaze, making them look incredibly tempting.

At the same time, Alice Nakiri suddenly had a handful of roasted white sesame seeds in her hand, which she threw directly into the wok, mixing them with the sweet and sour pork. Under the heat, they burst forth with a rich nutty aroma.

"That's the perfect heat, take it out of the pan!"

As the Nakiri Alice continued to stir, the sweet and sour aroma became more pronounced, making one's mouth water.

When the dish is finished cooking and plated, the stringy sweet and sour sauce forms an amber bridge between the pork tenderloin, and the chopped green onions sprinkled on top look like jade shavings falling on red silk.

"Brother Bai Yuan, try some!"

Looking at her meticulously prepared masterpiece, Alice Nakiri excitedly presented it to Shiro Awakening, hoping to receive his praise.

As expected, Bai Yuan ladled the braised pork from the pot into a bowl while picking up his chopsticks to taste the sweet and sour pork made by Nakiri Alice.

When the chopsticks picked up the sweet and sour pork, a long, thin, amber-colored thread suddenly appeared on it, which looked particularly eye-catching.

Furthermore, when the chopsticks touch the crispy crust, a soft "crack" can be heard, proving that its crispness has not been greatly affected by the sweet and sour taste.

"There are no major issues with the appearance; the next step is the taste."

Seeing this, Bai Yuan nodded slightly, then put the sweet and sour pork in front of him into his mouth and closed his eyes to savor it.

"A bright sourness, like the leaping of hawthorn and plum, with the refreshing taste of rice vinegar."

Then, the sweetness of caramel slowly rises, gently supporting the tartness, as if to sink the blazing sunset into honey.

Savoring the flavors on his tongue, Bai Yuan launched into his professional commentary mode.

The tenderness of the pork tenderloin is perfectly showcased the moment you bite into it; the fibers are distinct yet not stringy at all, and it's soaked up the savory sauce.

Every now and then you can bite into a roasted white sesame seed, and the oily aroma of the nuts suddenly explodes in your mouth, bringing a wonderful double experience!

"I want to try some too!"

Erina Nakiri squeezed in as well, reaching into the plate of sweet and sour pork with her chopsticks and picking up a piece of pork tenderloin to put in her mouth.

"The slight sourness of the tomato sauce and the spiciness of ginger and garlic are subtly revealed in the aftertaste, and the more you chew, the more layers of the sweet and sour flavor become."

Feeling the flavors surging on her tongue, Erina Nakiri showed an expression of enjoyment. As she chewed more, the sweet and sour flavors became more and more pronounced.

The sweetness of rock sugar is mellow, the sourness of vinegar is clear, and the salty and umami flavor of soy sauce sinks to the bottom, firmly holding the flavor together and preventing it from drifting away.

As I swallowed, a subtle fruity flavor lingered in my throat...

"I see. You added orange zest to it, so when you swallowed the tenderloin, the ending felt both light and unexpected."

Sensing the rich fruity aroma hidden deep within the sweet and sour pork, Erina Nakiri's eyes lit up, and she revealed the little secret that Alice Nakiri added to the sweet and sour pork.

"Oranges themselves have a sweet and sour taste, which coincides with the taste of sweet and sour sauce. Orange zest itself has a crisp aroma of bitter orange essential oil."