Chapter 382: Chapter 217: The Attractiveness of Beauty and Skincare! Craving for Crunchy Intestines? Let’s Go for Stir-fried Pork Intestines! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3
Now that his eldest maternal uncle was interested in Stir-fried Pork Intestines, why not make it and give it a try? It would also be a good opportunity to test how effective this flash-frying technique was. If it worked out, the future restaurant would have one more flash-fried dish in its repertoire.
Shi Wenming, who was nearby, heard "Stir-fried Pork Intestines" and curiously asked, "Flash-fry Fatty Intestines directly? How long does that need to cook?"
Back in his hometown, Fatty Intestines were usually eaten braised, or first boiled then simmered to make Braised Large Intestines; they were rarely flash-fried directly in a wok. This was because, in many people’s perception, Fatty Intestines are difficult to cook thoroughly and aren’t suitable for such quick cooking methods.
His uncle said, "It seems pretty fast. It’s out of the wok in less than a minute. They say if it’s cooked any longer, the Fatty Intestines won’t be crispy and will turn tough like rubber bands. But I don’t know the specifics."
Less than a minute? Shi Wenming looked toward Lin Xu. "Can it really cook through in that short a time?"
"Yes, it can. However, this dish demands precise control over the heat and high-quality ingredients. It’s not something that can be made casually." In Chinese cuisine, all dishes involving flash-frying techniques are quite challenging. Dishes like Flash-fried Kidney Slices, for instance, cook for only seven or eight seconds. A second less, and they’re undercooked with a rank taste; a second more, and they’re overcooked and tough. This Stir-fried Pork Intestines doesn’t have such extremely demanding requirements, but it’s not far off.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wenming became interested and wanted to learn. But he felt somewhat apprehensive. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this dish was similar to the large intestine sashimi that Yu Qian’s father in the comedy skits loved. Yet, seeing Chen Meide’s eager expression and his nephew’s confident demeanor, and considering his family’s usual diet was quite healthy, he figured they wouldn’t have a palate as adventurous as that of a Mongolian Navy Commander.
After Lin Xu fried the small river fish, he served them to Shen Baobao, who was watching a drama series in the dining room. As a reward, she gave him a sweet kiss. He then returned to the kitchen to start making the Stir-fried Pork Intestines his uncle wanted to eat.
He poured the Fatty Intestines from the bag into a basin. He then selected the thinner section of the Fatty Intestines. As he worked, he explained, "To make Stir-fried Pork Intestines, you need to use this thinner section. The thicker parts can’t be used; otherwise, they won’t cook through during the flash-fry." If one were to use the large intestine head (the thicker end), forget flash-frying it for tens of seconds; it probably wouldn’t cook through even if stir-fried for several minutes.
After selecting the ingredient, Lin Xu took it aside to begin cleaning.
Shi Wenming said, "You should have said so earlier. I could have washed it all together."
"That won’t do, Uncle. The Pork Large Intestine for Stir-fried Pork Intestines must be cleaned separately; it can’t be mixed with other Pork Large Intestines."
Shi Wenming became interested as soon as Lin Xu said that. It needs to be cleaned separately? That particular, huh?
Lin Xu took a pair of scissors and, pulling at the Fatty Intestines in the basin, cut them open lengthwise. When making Stir-fried Pork Intestines, the Fatty Intestines need to be flat pieces. This allows them to cook through instantly during the quick stir-fry. If the traditional tubular form is used, the cooking speed is greatly reduced, making it easy for the dish to fail.
After splitting the Fatty Intestines open, he first tore off the excess fat from the inner side. Then, he put salt and White Vinegar in the basin and began to scrub them. This step was to remove the mucus from the surface of the Fatty Intestines. After scrubbing them for two minutes, he rinsed them thoroughly with clean water. Then, he added flour and a small spoonful of baking soda and continued to scrub. Flour has strong absorbent properties and can remove impurities from the surface of the Fatty Intestines. Baking soda, meanwhile, makes the Fatty Intestines’ texture crisp, which is the source of this dish’s distinctive mouthfeel.
"No wonder these can’t be washed with the other Fatty Intestines," Shi Wenming exclaimed. "Usually, when cooking Fatty Intestines, the goal is for them to be tender and flavorful; adding baking soda would be counterproductive." He started to look forward to it excitedly, feeling that he was about to master another impressive dish.
After rinsing them thoroughly again, Lin Xu drained the Fatty Intestines well and placed them on the cutting board to begin cutting them. The Fatty Intestines were now flat pieces, so he simply cut them into diamond shapes.
As he cut, he said to Shi Wenming, "Uncle, could you please get me some Pickled Peppers, pickled ginger, and sour radish? This dish is flavored with pickled vegetables, and the result is typically sour, spicy, and refreshing."
Adding Pickled Peppers, pickled ginger, and sour radish wasn’t just to enhance the sour and spicy flavors. More importantly, one must utilize the volatile nature of the acidic compounds in the pickled vegetables to carry away any off-odors from the Fatty Intestines. This way, the cooked Fatty Intestines won’t have that peculiar smell.
When Lin Xu finished cutting the Fatty Intestines, Shi Wenming also brought the requested pickled vegetables. Lin Xu cut the Pickled Peppers directly into small segments and put them into the small basin with the Fatty Intestines. "Because Stir-fried Pork Intestines cook very quickly, the seasonings must be combined with the Fatty Intestines in advance. This allows the aromas to be released more rapidly during cooking."
After cutting the Pickled Peppers, he shredded the pickled ginger and diced the sour radish. However, not too much sour radish should be added, or its sourness will overpower the spiciness.
Once these three were ready, Lin Xu added some Doubanjiang, a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns, a small spoonful of sugar to enhance the umami, and a small spoonful of White Pepper powder to eliminate any off-odors to the Fatty Intestines. As for salt, none was needed, since both the pickled vegetables and the Doubanjiang contained plenty of it. Adding more would make the dish too salty.
Once the Fatty Intestines were prepared, Lin Xu diagonally sliced some scallion whites into thin pieces that would easily release their flavor. Next, he diagonally sliced some Thai chilies and Hangzhou peppers. After slicing everything, he placed it all in another basin. To this, he added half a ladleful of Light Soy Sauce, which would help release their aromas during stir-frying.
With all these preparations complete, he was ready to cook.
"Shall we start now?"
Lin Xu checked the time; it was just past five in the afternoon, a bit early for dinner.
Chen Meide fetched a beer from the nearby refrigerator. He bit the cap off, and GLUG, GLUG, downed two mouthfuls before saying,