Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

"Wang Biao, can you get my steak out for me?"

Gao Yang walked back to the kitchen.

Now that customers are arriving, the kitchen has completely entered battle mode. Flames are shooting up from the stoves, and the sounds of chopping, tossing, and shouting fill the huge kitchen. Everyone is doing their own thing, and there's no time to catch their breath.

"Chef Gao, what are we going to do with these onions? We probably don't need that many for seasoning, do we?"

Wang Biao was completely convinced by Gao Yang. Although he was still puzzled, he still deftly took an iron plate from the side.

Inside the iron plate, the two steaks were no longer recognizable, completely covered by finely chopped onions, pure white, airtight, and as solid as a brick.

The pungent smell of onions assaulted Wang Biao's nostrils, making his eyes sting and tears stream down his face uncontrollably, without him even bothering to wipe them away.

He knew that the steak wrapped in onions had been sitting for a full twenty minutes, and every fiber of the beef was being quietly softened by the natural aroma of the onions.

"I want to make Chariabin steak."

No one doubted Gao Yang's abilities anymore, but they had never heard of this Xia Libin steak before. Why give it such a strange name when you're just making steak?

They were filled with doubt and kept glancing over to see what Gao Yang was up to.

Gao Yang removed the steak from the chopped onions, drained off the onion bits clinging to the surface, simply sprinkled some sea salt and black pepper for seasoning, and waited for the pan to heat up until it smoked.

"Sizzle sizzle"

Gao Yang gently lifted her wrist and placed the prepared steak steadily into the frying pan. Her movements were gentle yet efficient, as if she were afraid of damaging the meat that had been softened by the onions.

As soon as the steak touched the hot oil, it made an even crisper sizzling sound, and the surface quickly turned a light brown color, making the aroma of the meat even more intense.

"Chef Gao, is it really possible to pan-fry the steak to a tender, mushy consistency like this?"

Wang Biao wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and couldn't help but lean closer, his tone full of curiosity.

Gao Yang nodded and said patiently, "Generally speaking, the way to make meat tender is through long-term stewing, and this is the same for both Chinese and Western cuisines."

"However, we don't have time right now, so I chose to use onions. The oxalic acid in onions breaks down the bonds in the beef, making the beef fibers looser, so it has a texture that doesn't require chewing."

Wang Biao nodded blankly. He couldn't remember any of the sour or acidic ingredients, but he did remember that onions could tenderize beef.

At this moment, seeing that the steak had developed a beautiful Maillard reaction, Gao Yang did not hesitate to drop a piece of butter and a few cloves of garlic.

The butter melts instantly when it comes into contact with high temperature, and the golden liquid sizzles and rolls at the bottom of the pot, filling the air with a rich, milky aroma.

"fragrant!"

Wang Biao's eyes lit up, his throat moved involuntarily, and his cravings were immediately awakened.

In 1993, although Yicheng abolished the rationing system, people still didn't have much money to eat, especially luxury items like steak and butter, which were rarely seen on ordinary days.

The Western food that Gao Yang prepared was a luxury in this era, and it was in a high-end place like the Haoting Hotel, so Su Wanqing naturally arranged everything for him.

From the head chef to the apprentice, everyone sniffed, wanting the rich aroma to linger in their nasal passages for just one more second.

"It smells so good, it smells amazing!"

Zhou Guodong couldn't help but walk over, look at the steak in the pot, and sighed sincerely.

Gao Yang picked up a small spoon and scooped up spoonfuls of butter, pouring them over the steak.

The butter slowly seeped into the brown marbling of the steak, making every tender beef fiber glisten.

The already rich aroma of meat, combined with the fragrance of milk and garlic, became even more mellow and lingering. Even the kitchen helpers in the corner couldn't help but stop what they were doing and tiptoe to look at the stove.

Gao Yang focused intently, his wrist moving constantly as he poured spoonful after spoonful of butter, his movements unhurried and precise, each spoonful just right.

He ensured the butter fully coated the steak without wasting a single drop, explaining softly as he poured it: "Pouring butter repeatedly like this locks in the juices and allows the buttery flavor to penetrate the meat completely, balancing the slight spiciness of the onions and making it taste even smoother."

Unfortunately, the Grand Court Hotel used to serve Chinese food, so Gao Yang could only explain Western food concepts and techniques in as much detail as possible.

Zhou Guodong nodded repeatedly, reached out and gently touched the edge of the pot to feel the temperature, and sincerely praised it.

"Master Gao, your skills are truly amazing! I've been a chef for thirty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen steak cooked like this. The aroma is more authentic than any Western dish I've ever had."

Wang Biao stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the steak in the pot, swallowing hard and muttering to himself.

"I wish I could have a taste, the aroma is just too tempting."

He had barely finished speaking when Zhou Guodong glared at him.

"No manners! This is for the guests. Once we're done, Chef Gao will teach you how to make it. You'll have no trouble getting some then!"

Wang Biao shrank his neck and nodded vigorously.

Gao Yang carefully examined the state of the steak in the pot, mentally calculating the time.

"alright!"

His eyes lit up, and he immediately picked out the steak and set it aside to rest.

"Master Gao, is it ready?"

Wang Biao asked curiously.

Gao Yang shook his head. "This is nothing."

The pot was still heating on the stove, and the butter was slowly turning black.

He poured some red wine, honey, and black pepper into the pot, and the broth bubbled and simmered under the heat of the fire.

He grabbed the plate full of onions and dumped them all into the pot.

The high temperature instantly locks in the sweet aroma of the onion, and the moisture evaporates quickly. The originally pungent and spicy raw onion slowly becomes soft and translucent in the butter, and finally turns slightly caramelized.

The sweet, milky, and garlicky aromas blend together, making it even more enticing than before.

"alright!"

Gao Yang said softly.

Zhou Guodong frowned as he watched Gao Yang's actions.

"Master Gao, isn't this too much? Is it alright?"

…………

In the hall, Chen Hu had come to find fault, and the thought of his humiliating performance just now only fueled his anger.

"Second brother, please have some tea."

The younger brother respectfully handed him a cup of tea.

This time, however, Chen Hu didn't take it. He knocked the cup away and said impatiently, "Drink, drink, drink your sister! How come you haven't drunk yourself to death yet?"

The situation had spiraled out of his control. The main entrance was firmly guarded by the bodyguards of the Grand Hotel, who would glance at it every now and then, fearing that the two might escape.

Damn it, they're treating me like a prisoner.

The younger brother dared not show the slightest anger. He quickly picked up the teacup and said with a forced smile, "Second Brother, don't panic. It's just a matter of waiting here for a while. It would be a miracle if they could solve the problem you set."

Hearing this, Chen Hu's gloomy face softened slightly.

He was so angry he was itching to get his teeth out. He sat in his chair, crossed his legs, and clasped his arms around his chest. He kept looking at this and that, his mind racing with all sorts of thoughts.

After thinking for a moment, he gave up.

There's nothing we can do; we're on their turf, so we have to behave ourselves.

"Hey, is your chef even capable of making this? I'm getting impatient!"

He grabbed a waiter and pulled him back.

The waiter stumbled and almost fell, but when he saw it was Chen Hu, the anger on his face vanished instantly.

"Hello, I'll follow up with them again for you."

Chen Hu interrupted impatiently.

"What's the rush? I've been waiting for so long. If you don't have the ability, just come out and say so, or I'll go eat somewhere else."

The waiter was at a loss for words, his face turning pale as he looked at Chen Hu.

"Can you do it?"

Chen Hu slapped the waiter so fast that the waiter had no chance to dodge and could only stand there, close his eyes, and wait for the slap to fall.

"Wait a minute, who says I can't do it?"

Footsteps sounded, and everyone turned to look.

Gao Yang walked over gracefully and placed the bone china plate he was carrying on the table.

He yanked the lid off the plate.

"Charliebin Steak, please enjoy!"