plumnovel Chapter 29 Spicy Pig's Trotters, A Satisfaction of the Palate
Chapter 29 Spicy Pig's Trotters, A Satisfaction of the Palate
Wang Zhihuan smiled and got up, bringing out another rough earthenware pot from the kitchen. As soon as the lid was lifted, a spicy and sizzling aroma wafted out.
It's spicy pig's trotters. In his previous life, Wang Zhi never tired of this dish, and he put extra effort into making it today, spending a lot of money.
Fortunately, I don't have any urgent need for the system points yet, and I don't feel bad about spending them appropriately. After all, I can't resist my appetite and I love eating and drinking.
The pig's trotters were simmered for an hour until they were so tender that you could chew the bones. Then they were stir-fried with chili oil, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns, and sprinkled with toasted white sesame seeds before serving.
The glistening red oil coating the chewy, tender pork skin is so tempting it makes your mouth water.
Cheng Chuliang sneezed from the spiciness, but his chopsticks were already outstretched.
The pork skin breaks easily when pinched, the tendons are crystal clear, and the taste is numbing at first and then spicy. The meat is soft, tender, and chewy, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. You simply can't stop eating it.
He ate until he was sweating profusely, his lips turning red, and he kept exclaiming, "Spicy enough! Satisfying enough! Even fresher than mutton!"
Then Wang Zhi brought out a bowl of steamed egg custard, which was smooth like tofu pudding. It was drizzled with a little soy sauce and sprinkled with minced ginger. The aroma of egg mixed with the aroma of soy sauce was light and just right to relieve the spiciness and greasiness.
The two said no more and focused on eating. They ate the steamed egg custard with white rice, and used all the sauce from the braised pork to mix with the rice, finishing it all off. The dishes were gone in no time.
After finishing the last bowl of rice, Cheng Chumo put down his chopsticks and sighed with satisfaction, "I used to think pork was a bad-smelling and inferior ingredient. Today I realize it's not that the ingredient is bad, it's that nobody knows how to cook it."
He was halfway through his sentence when he remembered the earlier topic of opening a shop, so he smiled helplessly and swallowed his words.
Wang Zhi smiled without saying a word and poured him some tea.
After a hearty meal, Cheng Chumo suddenly slapped his forehead and took out a leather pouch from his side: "I almost forgot the important matter. Brother Wang, please try this tribute wine."
Uncork the glass and fill it with wine. The liquid is clear and slightly yellow, with a faint aroma of rice.
Wang Zhi picked up his wine glass, gently swirled it to examine the traces of wine on the glass, brought it close to his nose to smell it carefully, took a small sip to let the wine melt on his tongue, and then frowned slightly after a moment.
Cheng Chumo noticed this subtle change in expression and quickly asked, "What does Brother Wang think?"
"The wine is clean and free of off-flavors, but the taste is too bland and the body is thin. It doesn't have much of a sweet aftertaste, so it can't be considered a good wine."
Cheng Chumo sighed softly: "Brother Wang is a connoisseur of wine; he can spot the problem at a glance."
This tribute wine costs one string of cash per dou (a unit of volume) in Chang'an, making it unaffordable for ordinary people. However, most people have never tasted anything better, and even if they find it bland, they cannot distinguish its quality.
"One string of cash?" Wang Zhihuan was slightly surprised that such mediocre wine could be sold at such a high price.
"Nowadays, the secret recipes for brewing are all controlled by large distilleries, and are only passed down to their own people. Craftsmen who know how to make koji and brew wine are even rarer."
Things are valued for their rarity; even this bland tribute wine is not easily obtained.
Wang Zhi remained silent, but he had already made a plan in his mind.
His maternal grandfather in his previous life was a master brewer. He not only brewed rice wine, but also used a self-made copper bamboo still to purify it, producing a clear and mellow white wine that warmed the body without irritating the throat.
He vaguely remembered the structure of the still; it wasn't complicated. If he could build one according to the design, using the rice wine currently available in the Tang Dynasty as a base, he would surely be able to brew a wine far superior to the tribute wine.
However, crafting bronze ware and procuring tools would take too much time for him to do alone.
He glanced at the Cheng brothers chatting across from him and suddenly had an idea.
Seeing that he seemed lost in thought, Cheng Chumo asked, "Brother Wang, do you perhaps have some way to improve this?"
Wang Zhihuan came to his senses, smiled, and without speaking directly, said only, "If you want to brew a wine that is several times more mellow than this tribute wine, I do have connections. But I need your help."
"Brother Wang, please give me your instructions. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse." Cheng Chumo immediately agreed solemnly.
"Several utensils need to be made: a copper pot with a lid, and two holes in the lid, one for water and one for wine."
The outlet for the wine is connected to a thick, sturdy bamboo tube without any cracks. A wooden barrel filled with cold water is used to cool and condense the wine. A cedar wood steamer is also needed.
After a moment's thought, Cheng Chu immediately understood the principle behind it. Like a clever mechanism, it relied on cold condensation of the wine, which was completely different from the usual winemaking methods.
"This method is ingenious; leave it to me. I know the top coppersmiths in Chang'an; they'll make it to the exact dimensions."
He turned to Cheng Chuliang and said, "Go and find some top-quality hard bamboo, uniform in thickness and without cracks, and prepare it as soon as possible."
"No problem!" Cheng Chuliang readily agreed, then stared longingly at the braising liquid at the bottom of the casserole, and asked timidly, "Can I take the rest of the braising liquid with me? It'll be perfect for mixing with noodles tomorrow."
Cheng Chumo glared at him helplessly, but didn't stop him.
Looking at their cheerful demeanor, Wang Zhihuan smiled and nodded in agreement.
The sun was shining brightly in the courtyard. The cat under the jujube tree rolled over and continued its deep sleep. Ah Huang remained lying down, not moving an inch, only its ears twitching slightly from time to time.
The Cheng brothers were about to take their leave when they turned back at the courtyard gate, their eyes full of anticipation: "Since this tribute wine doesn't meet your standards, Brother Wang, you must invite us brothers to taste your new wine in the future."
"Of course." Wang Zhihuan stood up to see them off. "Once the fine wine is brewed, I will definitely invite you two over for a small gathering, to drink and chat. Drinking with friends is a joy in life."
After the two left, the farm returned to its quiet state.
Ah Huang lay under the roots of the jujube tree, squinting, his tail lazily sweeping the ground; Xiao Hei was fast asleep under the stone bench;
Two tabby cats were there: one was licking its paws at the kitchen door, and the other was leisurely wagging its tail on the windowsill.
Wang Zhi sat back down on the stone bench, picked up the tribute wine, and poured himself another cup. The wine was clear, with a faint aroma of rice, and still tasted bland and tasteless.
He was fond of wine but was moderate, seeking only the pleasure of a small drink and casual conversation, and disliking excessive drinking.
Scenes of my maternal grandfather brewing wine in my past life suddenly surfaced in my mind: the sound of water rinsing rice, the firelight of steaming rice, the faint fragrance of mixing yeast, and the sound of hemp rope sealing the jar.
The old folks often say that the key to brewing wine is to be calm and focused. The rice must be thoroughly steamed, the yeast must be mixed evenly, the water must be pure and clean, and the heat must be kept constant. The slightest mistake can ruin a good wine, and the most important thing is good water.
Wang Zhihuan got up and walked to the backyard, where a natural spring in the back mountain was a place he had discovered long ago.
Spring water seeps out from the cracks in the rocks, forming a small pool. The water is crystal clear, sweet and refreshing with a lingering aftertaste, and has no impurities.
The village elders all say that the mountain spring water is pure and the soil is perfect for brewing wine.
He scooped up a ladle of spring water and examined it closely in the sunlight. It was clear and free of impurities, and the water source for brewing wine was thus decided.
With a thought, he brought up the system panel, found the recipes for yeast, including wheat yeast, rice yeast, and red yeast.
After a moment's consideration, I exchanged for basic wheat yeast and prepared red yeast for later use. It only cost me a little over two hundred merit points, which was not worth mentioning.
Merit points are meant to be spent, as the saying goes, "Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again."