Chương 84: Chapter 85 :Braised Beef and Cold Chicken Salad

"Alright," Zhou Yan replied, then went to find Zhou Hao and Zhou Hai, who quickly subdued Zheng Qiang and got rid of him. He grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, sat down next to Xiao Lei, poured wine for his master, and chatted about the arrangements for tomorrow's banquet. In Jiaozhou, the main focus of the banquet is the midday meal, featuring nine large bowls of hearty dishes to ensure guests are well-fed and satisfied.

The evening meal is simpler, with two meat dishes and a few stir-fried vegetables; minced meat and pickled cowpeas are good accompaniments to sweet potato porridge. Actually, not only in Jiaozhou, but Zhou Yan had attended several wedding banquets in Sichuan, where the midday meal was always the most elaborate, with the wedding ceremony also taking place at noon, unlike the more elaborate evening banquets in Zhejiang Province.

As for the evening meal, it usually involved playing mahjong in the afternoon, having a bowl of porridge to tide them over, and then everyone going home. Who could possibly eat two meals of heavy, oily food in a row? Xiao Lei put his arm around Zhou Yan's shoulder and said earnestly, "Learn from your grandma well. If you can learn even eight-tenths of her braised food skills, you won't have to worry about selling your food in Suji. People from all over town will come to buy it."

"Yes, I understand," Zhou Yan nodded. His master didn't blame him for apprenticing to someone else; instead, he encouraged him to learn well, which was extremely rare. After a while, his second uncle and several brothers came to offer toasts, and Zhou Yan's cousins also came. Master Xiao, who had a good capacity for alcohol, gradually got a little tipsy. After dinner, it was already dark.

Xiao Lei, who had drunk a pound of baijiu, declined to stay overnight, but he couldn't get on his bicycle even after three attempts. In the end, Zhou Yan dragged him away. Zhou Yan's bedroom hadn't been slept in for a long time. There was only a wooden bed in the room, with an old trunk at the head of the bed. The bedding was complete, but it smelled musty from not being used for a long time. After taking off his shoes and throwing his drunken master on the bed, Zhou Yan came back from washing up.

He had already taken off his coat and rolled over to the inside, sleeping soundly against the wall. His drinking manners were quite good; he'd fall asleep as soon as he got drunk, without hitting, cursing, or trying to get anyone to chat. Zhou Yan was exhausted from all the running around today, so he turned on the light, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep immediately, completely ignoring the musty-smelling blankets and his master's thunderous snoring beside him.

If he had the mind to complain about these things, it meant he wasn't tired enough. The next day, before dawn, Zhou Yan heard a rustling sound. He opened his eyes and saw his master standing by the bed putting on his shoes. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and said with some surprise, "Master, why are you up so early?" He'd seen him completely drunk yesterday and was worried he wouldn't be able to get up today, but his master was up even earlier than him.

"The rooster's crowed, what's so early?" Xiao Lei pulled out his watch from his pocket and glanced at it.

"It's 4: 30. The wedding procession is leaving at 6: 00, and they need to eat at 5: 30. I'm going over there now to cook two pots of noodles for them, that should be just right."

"Okay, I'll get up too." Zhou Yan replied, getting up as well. It was still dark, so he went out with a flashlight. In the courtyard, Old Zhou and Aunt Zhao were already brushing their teeth, each with an enamel cup.

"Why are you both up so early?" Zhou Yan looked at them with a puzzled expression. Aunt Zhao rinsed her mouth and smiled, "Going to help out. Your second uncle said he's worried the young people might not be careful enough and miss the appointed time, so he asked you, old man, to go with them and lead the procession. I didn't go to help yesterday, so I definitely need to go early today. Someone needs to lend a hand when cooking noodles in the morning."

"Master Xiao, your home is simple, you probably didn't sleep well last night, did you?" Old Zhou asked Xiao Lei with concern.

"Slept well, slept until the rooster crowed. I haven't slept so soundly in a long time," Xiao Lei replied with a smile. After a quick wash, everyone went out. Zhou Momo was still asleep, wrapped in a small blanket and carried in a bamboo basket by Old Zhou. Zhou Yan glanced at the little girl in the basket, turned on his flashlight, and rode his bicycle towards the old house. It was so early, Zhou Yan thought the old lady hadn't gotten up yet.

But as the bicycle turned the corner, he saw a dim yellow light shining at the entrance of the old house. Zhou Weiguo was holding a damp towel, carefully wiping every nook and cranny of the bicycle. A red ribbon was tied to the handlebars, looking very festive. The old lady sat on the stone bench by the door, wearing a dark blue jacket and new cloth shoes. Her silver hair was neatly combed back, and she looked very energetic. Seeing Zhou Yan arrive on his bicycle, she smiled and stood up, saying, "You're up early."

"Grandma, Uncle, why are you up so early too?" Zhou Yan stopped his bicycle.

"Zhou Hao is getting married, so I have to get up early to prepare. He'll be using this bicycle for the wedding procession today, so I'll clean it before delivering it to him," Zhou Weiguo replied.

"Come on, let's grab the chicken; we'll be busy this morning." The old lady came over carrying a package and got on the bicycle.

"Hold on tight," Zhou Yan said with a smile, and pedaled away. Zhou Hao's wedding was a big deal for the entire family, and they were all working together to make it a success. Zhou Yan was beginning to understand the old lady's teachings. Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai got up early to boil water and kill the chickens, and they were already cleaned thoroughly. Seeing Zhou Yan arrive, they lined a nylon bag in their basket and put the four chickens inside.

"You ride slowly back to the shop with Grandma first. I'll go get the beef and pig's head and bring them to you right away," Zhou Jie told Zhou Yan, then got on his bicycle and left. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Zhou Yan tied a flashlight to the handlebars and rode slowly with the old lady on the back towards town.

In those days, there were no streetlights, and the roads were bad; the old lady was quite old, so Zhou Yan didn't dare to be reckless.

"Grandma, why don't we just bring the braising liquid to the 'Ba Ba Yan' (a local restaurant) to braise the chickens? Wouldn't that be more convenient?" Zhou Yan asked on the way.

"Braised food is a skill that can provide a livelihood. Open-air banquets are large venues with many people and eyes. If someone tries to steal your techniques, how will you protect yourself?" The old lady said calmly.

"There are only a few spices. You can experiment by adding more or less. If it tastes five or six parts like yours, and they lower the price by 30%, customers will choose their place over yours. That's one reason."

" Secondly, this pot of braising liquid is made with my old braising liquid. The bumpy ride back and forth makes it easy for impurities to get in and spoil. If it spills on the way, it's a huge loss. A good pot of braising liquid shouldn't be touched easily, and definitely not by others."

"You can cut the braised food at the banquet; it won't affect the taste at all. When I had my stall, restaurants in Jiaozhou would come to me every day to get braised pig's head and ears, taking them whole back and cutting them only when customers ordered."

"I understand," Zhou Yan nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of braising liquid. A while after Zhou Yan arrived at the shop, Zhou Jie also arrived and carried the meat into the kitchen. The basket contained three boneless pig heads, plus eight extra pig ears—things that butchers usually don't sell separately; Brother Jie's connections were definitely unconventional. There were also fifteen jin of beef shank, freshly slaughtered that day.

Zhoucun had no shortage of beef; his family were butchers, so they just needed to inform their colleagues beforehand. Finally, they brought out four palm-sized pig trotters.

"Want some braised pig trotters too?" Zhou Yan asked, a little surprised; this wasn't on the menu. Zhou Jie smiled and said, "These are the trotters from the pig we slaughtered yesterday. My father said Grandma and Momo like them, so he wants you to braise them for Grandma to have with her drinks, and for Momo to have one too."

"Sure," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. His second uncle was truly respectful of his elders and cared for the young. He'd be in charge of braising them; he wondered if he could taste them to check the saltiness.

"Do you need any help?" Zhou Jie asked.

"No, you go to pick up the bride, I can handle things here." Zhou Yan waved his hand and started fetching water to wash the ingredients.

"Grandma, I'll head back now." Zhou Jie said to the old lady and jogged out the door. The wedding procession is the most important part. As Zhou Hao's older brother, he definitely wanted to go with him. In the kitchen, Zhou Yan was in charge of the work, while the old lady provided guidance. Zhou Yan was already proficient at braising pig's head and pig's ears, and he handled the ingredients with ease. He separated the pig's ears and snout, and cut the pig's head meat in half, doing each step meticulously.

He also processed the pig's trotters and set them aside separately. The old lady initially offered some pointers, but later she simply moved a stool and sat down to chat with Zhou Yan, her eyes never leaving him, nodding occasionally.

"Did you learn how to make cold dishes from Chef Xiao?" Seeing Zhou Yan finish separating the pig's head, the old lady finally couldn't help but ask.

"I've learned a little, but my master said your skills are better than his, and he told me to learn from you," Zhou Yan said with a smile. The old lady nodded: "I don't think his skills are any better. The techniques and skills he taught you for handling pig heads are very advanced."

"He's a level two chef, after all." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. The old lady's eye for talent was too sharp, so he had to use his master as a scapegoat.

"Grandma, I've never cooked beef or chicken before. How long should I braise the beef shank? I need to decide which one to cook first." Zhou Yan straightened his attitude and earnestly asked the old lady for advice. Braised beef and cold chicken are both delicious dishes! If the system won't give them to him, then he'll learn from the old lady. Zhou Yan is no longer the same person he used to be. Now he is proficient in knife skills, and his seasoning and heat control have also greatly improved.

He is also proficient in braised pork products and has a certain level of understanding of braising. If the old lady is willing to teach him, he will definitely learn quickly. The old lady took a watch from her bosom and placed it on the stove, saying, "After cleaning the beef shank, braise it for an hour and a half. This is the longest braised dish we're making today, so put the beef shank in first. Braise the pig's trotters for an hour, and the pig's ears, snouts, and head meat for forty minutes each.

The cold chicken is a little different; it can't be braised directly in the pot. We need to use a separate pot of braising liquid, a white braising liquid, so the chicken will be white and clean. After tearing it apart, toss it with chili oil, and the color will be bright, delicious, and beautiful..." The old lady instructed, and Zhou Yan did it, adding each ingredient to the pot precisely according to the time, making almost no mistakes and extremely efficient.

Even the old lady, who rarely praised anyone for their cooking, couldn't help but compliment Zhou Yan a couple of times:"Your basic skills are really good."

"The seasoning is just right, the saltiness is just right, exactly the right amount." Outside, the sky was gradually brightening. The fire under the braising pot was also gradually going out. The braised meat was simmering in the pot, waiting for the meal to begin. Braised pork is 30% boiled and 70% stewed; the flavors must be infused into the meat to make it perfect.