Chapter 351 - 149: Sweet Hawthorn Braised Pork Belly

Chapter 351: Chapter 149: Sweet Hawthorn Braised Pork Belly

He added scallions, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon to a pot of cold water. The ingredients were nearly identical to the ones he used for the previous braised pork dish.

The only difference was that he was using cold water instead of oil.

He had to admit, the quality of the freshly butchered pork from Fang’s Meat Industry was truly excellent. After the water came to a boil, he let it cook for a moment longer, yet very little scum floated to the surface.

He skimmed off the small amount of scum with a spoon.

He turned the heat down to medium and let it simmer for another half hour. When he pierced the meat with a chopstick, no bloody liquid seeped from the skin, which meant it was fully cooked.

Once it was cooked, he began to cut it, changing the original strips of pork belly into cubes. He maintained the same size as before: 2.5-centimeter squares.

"This is really just the traditional way of making braised pork belly. But at least the prep work isn’t too complicated."

Besides, before Su Chen started cooking this dish, he had already planned out all the subsequent steps.

As long as his goal was clear, all he had to do was modify the steps to achieve it.

First, the finished braised pork absolutely could not be cloying—not cloyingly sweet, nor cloyingly rich.

Therefore, rendering the fat was a crucial step.

Second, the finished dish had to be flavorful, but the sweetness couldn’t be allowed to penetrate deep into the meat.

The cooking technique for that was obvious: braising.

With the meat cut, Su Chen added a spoonful of oil to the wok to coat the bottom, then scooped in half a bowl of white sugar.

"There’s really no other way. To capture the essence of certain delicacies, you just can’t skip these steps."

He heated the half-bowl of sugar until it melted and turned a light, date-red color. He immediately tossed all the pork belly cubes into the wok and stir-fried them for a while to render out some of the fat.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to add soy sauce and chopped scallions to enhance the aroma of the meat.

Finally, he drizzled in a spoonful of cooking wine, added boiling water, then turned the heat down to low and began to let it simmer slowly.

"Braised pork made this way can only render its fat out through slow simmering, so a pressure cooker isn’t really appropriate..."

In reality, not many families even use pressure cookers anymore.

It was probably because of a few news stories about pressure cookers exploding. Many young people felt it was an unnecessary risk just for one meal.

Simmering over low heat, however, would take quite a long time.

Su Chen stared at the pot of braised pork, lost in thought.

’What’s the difference between this and braised pork made the conventional way?’

’How could this possibly achieve a unique S Level rating...’

Without a doubt, the dish would be finished after simmering on low for ninety minutes, followed by a final reduction of the sauce over high heat.

Because of the large amount of sugar, it would be easy to reduce the liquid into a thick, viscous sauce.

At that point, the braised pork would be completely finished.

’So what would make it A Level?’

Su Chen couldn’t figure it out for the moment. He had no choice but to wait as the minutes ticked by, until the 90-minute timer on the counter went off. He immediately turned off the heat and took a look.

Then he turned the heat to high, reducing the remaining liquid in the wok until it was thick and syrupy.

The surface of the pork was coated in the dark, savory sauce. When he picked up a piece, it stretched out like pulled sugar candy!

The thick sauce could be pulled into long, unbroken strands.

One could just imagine how heavenly it would be served over a bowl of rice!

Unfortunately...

[Homestyle Braised Pork Belly: Rating, B Level]

"Whew... Just as I thought."

Su Chen looked at the rating that had appeared. His suspicion was correct.

Or rather, he hadn’t even needed to guess.

This was a completely standard, unimproved version of braised pork belly, no different from what was served in most restaurants.

There was no reason it should be elevated to a transcendent level just because Su Chen’s cooking technique was more refined.

"So what exactly is wrong with it..."

Su Chen picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

After more than an hour of slow simmering, the pork belly was rich without being greasy, melting the moment it entered his mouth.

The lean meat wasn’t dry either; it was tender and smooth.

The initial taste was very sweet. As he chewed, it remained sweet, and the aftertaste carried a hint of that sweetness, but it was also joined by a distinct soy sauce flavor.

It was certainly delicious, but it wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t good enough to make someone crave another bite.

Even with his Peak of Flavor ability, Su Chen had already identified the dish’s most obvious flaw.

The flavors of the caramelized sugar and the soy sauce were completely separate.

Sweetness first, soy sauce after—that was the biggest weakness!

Furthermore, because the two flavors were separate, a distinct burnt aroma emerged as he chewed, a byproduct of caramelizing the sugar.

It wasn’t that the aroma was unpleasant, but it was completely out of place in a dish like braised pork belly.

That was one flaw. The second, equally obvious flaw was that it lacked character.

This version of braised pork belly had no defining characteristics. It wasn’t like the savory version, which was prized for its simplicity and convenience. That style tasted salty and umami, highlighting the natural flavor of the meat.

As such, it achieved its effect with very few seasonings.

The sweet version of braised pork, in contrast, was supposed to highlight the flavors developed during cooking, not the meat itself!

Su Chen pulled himself out of the practice simulation, sat up, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The issue wasn’t that he had made a mistake in any particular step. The problem was that every step was correct, yet he needed to take it even further.

This kind of situation was often much harder to solve than simply correcting an error.

’This kind of braised pork belly is completely unpresentable... It’s better not to make it at all than to make it poorly!’