BXBX NOVEL Chapter 55 - 55 Vegetarian Braised Pork
“Indeed, it looks like pork skin.”
Facing Dan Bao’s curious questions, Qin Lang calmly revealed the answer.
“This dish is called vegetarian braised pork. As the name suggests, it’s a vegetarian dish that remarkably resembles braised pork.”
“The winter melon that looks like pork skin is only a start.”
Turning vegetarian ingredients into braised pork?!
Dan Bao’s eyes widened again.
Although this slice of winter melon does resemble pork skin, what about the meat?
It couldn’t help but look at the prepared slices of winter melon and tofu nearby. Could it be using these?
“Gudu?”
“You guessed right.” Qin Lang said with a smile. Then, he stacked four slices of tofu and four slices of winter melon to form a block, covering it with the deep-fried winter melon slice as pork skin.
Shape the edge, then bundle up the ingredients securely with a thin cord, following the cross cut made earlier.
In this way, a piece of “pork belly” with alternating layers of fat and lean meat was formed.
Similarly, after making sixteen such mock pork belly, Qin Lang put them aside, letting Dan Bao observe them curiously while he started the next steps.
Stir-fry white sugar in a pan with low heat and a small amount of oil until it melts.
Vegetables won’t naturally have a meaty flavor, so if you want to give them a taste similar to meat, you have to cook them like meat dishes.
Braising is a cooking method that adapts well to different ingredients and can be used on a variety of foods.
Even without any meat, dishes made in this way can also have a savory umami taste, very similar to meat dishes—what we call the taste of meat.
On this basis, choose ingredients that have a relatively light taste and would easy to be covered by the braise. These will create a texture similar to pork belly, and thus creates a convincing fake braised pork.
When all the white sugar in the pot is completely melted and starts to bubble, turning gradually into a deep red-brown caramel, quickly pour in a small bowl of hot water to stop the caramelization. Stir well then set it aside for later use.
Heat the oil again. After the oil is hot, add scallion and ginger, star anise, cinnamon and other spices. Stir fry until they release their fragrance, then pour the caramel back into the pot. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, and salt.
Put the mock pork belly in the pot. Add water until it covers the ingredients, then cover the pot and simmer over low heat.
All the steps are the same as making braised pigs.
Forty minutes later, the man and the spirit returned to the stove.
“Ready to witness the vegetarian pork belly?”
Hearing Qin Lang’s question, Dan Bao nods its head eagerly.
“Gudu!”
I want to see, I want to see!
“Ta-da~”
Qin Lang took off the pot cover. As hot air gushes out, everything in the pot gradually became clear.
The mock pork belly, that has turned entirely brown, appeared before them.
The tofu is lighter in color. Its light brown color is almost exactly the same as the fat part of the braised pork.
The winter melon is darker in color. Its deep-brown color also makes it resemble the lean part of the braised pork.
Even after such a long stewing period, the mock pork belly, tied with the thin cord, didn’t fall apart and maintained its regular shape.
With the previously fried “pork skin”, it looks just like tantalizing braised pork, trembling slightly in the pot.
“Gudu-”
Dan Bao swallowed hard, sniffing the rich aroma floating in the air, becoming increasingly impatient.
“Don’t rush, let me reduce the sauce.” Qin Lang reassured, then turned up the heat.
The soup in the pot evaporates rapidly, but the delicious flavors within became more concentrated.
Only when the sauce has thickened, Qin Lang skillfully dishes up.
He places the mock pork belly on a plate. After cutting off the thin cords, he drizzles the thickened sauce over them, adding a shiny glaze to the surface.
And thus, a dish of vegetarian braised pork was completed.
“Would you like to taste it?”
Qin Lang smiled, picked up a piece and put it in eager Dan Bao’s mouth, then took another piece for himself.
After a brief chew, he nodded slightly.
Compared to real braised pork, vegetarian braised pork has a slightly lighter meat flavor, but the seasoning is almost the same, making the difference between the two not obvious.
Whether it’s tofu or winter melon, they’re both saturated with the flavorful broth at this moment. After a long time of stewing, the soft texture could bring about an experience no less than braised pork. The deep-fried “pork skin” is chewy yet crispy, creating a wonderful taste.
After the initial flavor of the braised sauce gradually faded, the aftertaste could faintly bring out the unique bean flavor of tofu and the sweetness of the winter melon.
“Gulp!”
Dan Bao tasted a piece of vegetarian braised pork with a doubtful expression on his face.
He couldn’t taste the flavor of vegetarian dishes at all!
If it were not for watching Qin Lang cook, he would really think it was meat.
No way, I need to eat another billion pieces to verify!
Seeing Dan Bao blissfully enjoying the vegetarian braised pork, Qin Lang smiled.
He still had a day’s time and could further adjust and optimize this dish.
For example, making the texture of the pork belly more realistic, or making the meat flavor of vegetarian braised pork richer.
He was curious about what kind of evaluation the thirty judges would give to this dish in the day after tomorrow’s scoring competition.
On this night, not only Qin Lang was preparing for the city-level cooking competition the day after tomorrow, but also twenty-five other competitors on the list.
In his home practice kitchen, Tang Xie’s gaze shone brightly, unobscured by the night.
He had lost to Qin Lang twice, and there wouldn’t be a third time!
As for the other competitors…
Tang Xie’s eyebrows raised slightly, with a touch of arrogance.
Except for a few unfamiliar ones, the rest were almost all his defeated opponents!
Continue to train hard!
Tang Xie encouraged himself in his heart, then joined the two Food Spirits dancing around him to immerse themselves in the adjustment and preparation of the dishes again.
At his side, food scraps had piled up into a small mountain.
And that non-local Spirit Chef, whose background was unknown to Tang Xie, was now busy in the kitchen of a restaurant in Dongxia City.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The restaurant owner came to the kitchen door and knocked on the door beside him.
“Lei Ke, it’s closing time.”
Hearing the sound, Lei Ke in the kitchen lifted his head, revealing his bright brown eyes.
He looked at the restaurant owner and calmly said, “According to our previous agreement, I just need to make the day’s ten special dishes, and this kitchen is mine to use.”
“That’s true, but do you want to continue?” The restaurant owner couldn’t help but ask, “You’ve already been in the kitchen all night, haven’t you?”
“Not enough.” Lei Ke shook his head, with a seemingly burning fighting spirit in his eyes.
He was the champion of the Danju City cooking competition, and he didn’t come here for fun. His goal was the Second-Level Food Recommender Badge of the champion.
A scoring competition, how is merely advancing to the top eight enough?
He wanted to take first place in the scoring competition!
He wanted to claim the Second-Level Food Recommender Badge without any doubt!
“Alright then.” Seeing Lei Ke like this, the restaurant owner helplessly shook his head and said, “I’ll leave the keys with you. Don’t forget to lock the door when you leave.”
End of chapter bonus content:
[Vegetarian Braised Pork]
[Braised Pork]