A Bite of Douluo Continent

As the owner of Tianxingzhai, Wu Henian was quite prestigious among the judges. Under his guidance, the judges quickly learned how to use chopsticks, and their initial dissatisfaction with not knowing how to eat disappeared in the process.

Qi Han quickly noticed Wu Henian's actions, and a sense of gratitude immediately filled his eyes. This owner of Tianxingzhai was truly a good person.

Zhao Yangfan, who was standing to the side, silently observed Wu Henian's obvious bias towards Hanshi, and his face immediately darkened.

Wu Henian... what is he planning to do?

I heard that before competing with Hanshi Catering, Hanshi had been in contact with Tianxingzhai.

Could it be that Tianxingzhai is trying to use the Cold Food Festival to suppress Mingtingque?

wishful thinking!

Thinking about his arrangements last night, Zhao Yangfan's expression gradually softened.

Ming Tingque will never lose.

...

"This tomato beef brisket..." After just one bite, Ye Ansheng's face immediately showed a look of amazement. "This is truly the first time I've ever seen tomatoes and beef blend together so perfectly. Such a delicious dish comes from a newly opened restaurant. Brother Henian, now I understand why you have so much confidence in Hanshi."

"This Cold Food Festival has truly given me a great surprise. It seems that in time, the strongest shops in Mingdu will probably no longer be two, but three."

"Three families?" Wu Henian shook his head, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "Maybe it's just one family?"

"Huh?" Ye Ansheng was startled when he realized the subtext in Wu Henian's words. "You mean Hanshi can surpass Tianxingzhai and Mingtingque? Even if Hanshi wins this food competition, it's impossible for it to be like this, right?"

“I’ve always been good at judging people,” Wu Henian smiled. “In him, I seem to see the shadow of my great-grandfather. When my great-grandfather was his age, his cooking skills were far inferior to his, so I’m not surprised at all that he was able to go further and surpass Tianxingzhai and Mingtingque.”

"This..." Ye Ansheng looked deeply at Qi Han standing on the stage, "In that case, my Catering Association can make an investment in advance. In a few days, the Catering Association will be publishing the 'Monthly Food Review'. At that time, can we include Hanshi (cold food) in it?"

“Of course we should add them.” Wu Henian nodded. “Without adding dishes from the Cold Food Festival, how can the association maintain its fairness? Besides, His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree to develop the Mingke Street area. Adding more Mingke Street delicacies to our monthly magazine is simply following the call.”

“That’s true.” Ye Ansheng agreed wholeheartedly. “I wonder if Hanshi is open tonight. I’m planning to go check it out. I wonder if Brother Henian is free to join me tonight?”

“Of course I’m free.” Wu Henian chuckled. “Since I asked my daughter to look after the shop, I’ve been completely free. I went to Hanshi yesterday at noon, but there were more than twenty kinds of dishes there, and I only tried three of them. I couldn’t wait to try the other dishes.”

"Oh? In that case, let's go together."

Chapter 514 The Pressure Was Put on Hanshi's Side

After successfully tasting the tomato beef brisket from Hanshi Restaurant, the judges' initial disdain vanished instantly.

Cooking is a skill that requires a lot of practice. Although different chefs have their own strengths, there is no such thing as a chef who is not skilled enough being able to make a certain dish into an unparalleled delicacy.

Therefore, the ability to cook tomato beef brisket is enough to show that the Cold Food Festival is qualified to compete with the Ming Dynasty imperial court.

This is not a competition without suspense, as most of them thought, but rather a most exciting and top-notch culinary contest.

Thinking of this, the judges' eyes lit up with anticipation.

Only a few people's expressions gradually became conflicted.

Is it really possible to rig a food competition vote like this?

...

Qi Han accepted the secret-recipe beef tenderloin that Chef Song, who looked nervous, brought him.

"Chef Qi, please give me your guidance." Chef Song did not address Qi Han as "Boss Qi," but as "Chef," his eyes filled with respect, and his expression became increasingly solemn.

"Okay." Qi Han nodded and began to examine the braised beef tenderloin in front of him.

The secret-recipe beef tenderloin is made by slicing a palm-sized piece of beef tenderloin into slices about one finger thick, cooking it in a special way, drizzling it with a reddish-brown sauce, and finally arranging it on a clean white plate with a few garnishes around the edges.

It's very similar to a Western-style steak from Blue Star.

But after Qi Han gently skimmed away some of the reddish-brown sauce with his fork, revealing the slightly browned surface of the beef tenderloin, he dismissed the idea.

This dish may look like steak, but it's not pan-fried; it has its own special cooking process.

This dark brown color looks more like it was baked over an open flame.

I wonder how it will taste.

Thinking of this, Qi Han gently sliced ​​off a small piece with his knife.

Beef tenderloin is the part of beef with the least connective tissue, so it doesn't have much sinew, making the meat more tender.

A good cut of beef tenderloin is easy to slice with a knife and is also easier to chew.

Therefore, many steak descriptions mention that filet mignon is the most suitable cut of beef for the elderly and children.

This specially prepared beef tenderloin perfectly embodies the characteristics of beef tenderloin, with a neat and even light pink cross-section.

This indicates that the beef is rich in myoglobin. If all the light pink color is cooked until the meat turns grayish-white, the value and taste of the beef will be greatly reduced.

Without hesitation, Qi Han put the piece of beef tenderloin into his mouth and began to chew it gently.

With each bite, a unique flavor he had never tasted before slowly flowed from the grain of the beef tenderloin, permeating his mouth.

Gravy?

No, it's not just the gravy.

While beef tenderloin is indeed tender and juicy, it would never have this much juice.

Qi Han raised an eyebrow slightly, and suddenly realized something.

It's stewed.

This beef tenderloin underwent a stewing process before being grilled over an open flame.

This stewing process is naturally short; it simply involves allowing the uniquely flavored stewing broth to seep into the beef tenderloin along its loose, irregular muscle fibers. Then, the meat is grilled over an open flame until the surface turns a slightly charred brown, locking in the juices.

During the secondary heating process, the stewing broth locked inside continuously mixes with the beef tenderloin under the stimulation of heat, ultimately allowing that unique umami flavor to fully blend with the meat's taste.

It sounds easy, but it's actually not simple. First of all, the beef can't be overcooked. Its best state is actually medium-rare or medium-well. It's stewed first and then grilled. It's more difficult to ensure the right heat and doneness. It takes a long time to find the trick.

On the other hand, to instantly lock in the juices absorbed during stewing while grilling, the temperature control of the flame needs to be extremely precise. Given the current level of kitchen equipment on the Sun Moon Continent, it would probably be necessary to use a soul tool to control the flame temperature.

This is just Qi Han's rough guess; there must be some key aspects that he cannot understand all at once.

The special broth carries a rich beef aroma, with a savory, sweet and sour flavor that slowly blends together. The complex and varied flavor profile is somewhat similar to the fish-fragrant flavor of Sichuan cuisine. These flavors blend perfectly with the beef, creating an exceptionally delicious taste.

After taking a bite, Qi Han's expression became more serious.

Gu Zhen really shouldn't underestimate the heroes of the world.

Although tomato beef brisket is not the most delicious dish he has mastered, it is one of the first dishes he learned. After so much practice and experience, the taste of this tomato beef brisket is naturally different from what it used to be.

Although it was already at the perfect level when it was first launched, Qi Han's basic skills are now even stronger, so he can naturally improve the taste of this dish even further.

Under these circumstances, this secret-recipe beef tenderloin was still able to achieve a level close to that of tomato beef brisket, which even surprised Qi Han.

and so…

We can't let such delicious beef tenderloin go to waste.

Qi Han swiftly wielded his fork and knife, finishing off the entire plate of the specially prepared beef tenderloin before patting his belly in satisfaction.

Eat until you are 30% full.

He was actually looking forward to what the next two dishes at Mingtingque would be.

"The judges have finished their meal. Now we will begin the secret ballot!" Director Zhang announced loudly, interrupting Qi Han's thoughts.

Each judge's seat had a card with "Mingtingque" and "Hanshi" written on it. These cards were placed face down and were put into the ballot box by the judges. Apart from the judges themselves, no one else knew who the judges voted for.

After the 49 judges finish voting, the vote count will begin. Since the number of judges is odd and there is no abstention, one side will inevitably receive more votes.

The one with the most votes is the winner of this round.

The rules were fine, but as the vote counting began, everyone's expression started to turn strange.

The votes for Mingtingque and Hanshi on the first theme were neck and neck throughout the entire vote counting process, and after forty-eight votes were counted, each side had twenty-four votes.

So the final result will be a one-vote difference?

Who will win and who will lose?

Wu Henian frowned slightly. Theoretically speaking, the tomato beef brisket of Hanshi should be more delicious than the secret-recipe beef tenderloin, but the difference between the two is not significant. The secret-recipe beef tenderloin also has the advantage of being served first, and it also has the deterrent effect of the Mingtingque brand.

All things considered, it's really hard to say who will win.

He glanced at Ye Ansheng, the president of the catering association, who was in charge of counting the votes in the middle of the room, and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Why is this guy taking so long to process the last ticket?

Everyone in the room held their breath at that moment. Even Qi Han became a little nervous, while Zhao Yangfan next to him had already held his breath and his heart was racing.

If this last vote goes to Hanshi, it means that Ming Tingque has lost this round, and in the next round with the fruit theme, Ming Tingque will have virtually no chance of winning. If that happens, Ming Tingque will really lose.

Therefore, Zhao Yangfan is under the most pressure on the field.

Ye Ansheng glanced at the murderous glares from everyone, gave an awkward smile, and finally stopped teasing them, turning over the last card in his hand, "Ming Tingque, one vote!"

Zhao Yangfan's body trembled, but he managed to stand up, and his expression instantly softened.

We won this round!

He immediately felt a little disappointed.

They won by a narrow margin.

If it weren't for some arrangements I made, I probably wouldn't have won this game.

Mingtingque won the first game, and now the pressure is on Hanshi.

Qi Han sighed softly, feeling slightly unwilling, but said nothing.

The two dishes were indeed not that different, and the judges had different preferences, so it was normal for me to lose by a single vote.

However, this means we'll have to prepare even more carefully for the next two topics.

Fruits go without saying, and as for vegetables...

We might need to change the dish.

Chapter 515 The Answer We Waited For (Bonus Chapter for the New Leader of This Book, Mu Xin)