Chapter 58

Dongpa Project (东坡工程)

Dongpa Project (东坡工程)

The two major clichés of death-related abilities that often appear in novels like the one from my previous life can be broadly divided into two categories:

Reincarnation and Regression.

Reincarnation is being born into a completely different world, like me, and struggling to survive from scratch.

Of course, I do get a little help from the memories of my past life, but the struggle to survive is no different from rolling around like a dog.

Regression, on the other hand, is returning to a certain point before death and reaping the benefits.

Unlike the reincarnated lords who struggle like me, the regressionists are quite despicable and cowardly, as they use the fact that they have returned to a certain point after dying to take advantage of the information they already know about the future, robbing others of their achievements or seizing benefits.

They are no different from thieves, you might say.

For this reason, reincarnated lords who struggle like me deeply despise the thievery of regressionists, and today, due to the incident caused by Su Dongpo, I decided to break a taboo.

I decided to steal one of Su Dongpo's achievements.

It pained me to have to resort to thievery, but it was more important than maintaining the dignity of my ancestors.

'To make me so angry that I break my own taboo!'

Rising up for the honor of my ancestors, I recalled my goal.

Su Dongpo left behind many dishes and poems during his lifetime, but since I am not a poet and do not know his poems, I decided to steal his dish, aiming to claim the creation of his dish before his achievement was completed.

Dongpa Project (东坡工程)!

That was the name of this operation.

'For the insult to my ancestors, you will pay with Dongpo Pork!'

While I was thinking about my plan and swallowing my anger, Zuge Qing's uncle, who had just seen Su Dongpo off, asked:

"Actually, things didn't go well today, and I was hoping for another chance. It's very good that you invited Zichen again tomorrow. I wonder what kind of dish it will be tomorrow."

With a pleasant smile, I asked Zuge Qing's uncle:

"From what I heard, Uncle thinks that we should cooperate with Goryeo, but it seems that Zichen doesn't like Goryeo very much?"

"Yes, the Liao Dynasty established by the Khitans and the Western Xia are now powerful, and the Song Dynasty is sending huge tributes to the Liao and Western Xia. Therefore, I think we should cooperate with Goryeo to check the Liao, but Zichen believes that the people suffer too much from hosting Goryeo's envoys."

It seems that while Su Dongpo cares deeply for the people and dislikes Goryeo, the reality is a bit different, according to Uncle.

He said that the cost of entertaining Goryeo's envoys was only a fraction of the enormous tributes paid to the Liao and Western Xia.

According to Uncle, while my ancestors may have acted a bit recklessly, it was just that they were a bit (?) reckless.

It is problematic to openly show such emotions in international relations for trivial reasons.

"That's a very frustrating situation, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

After finishing his words, Zuge Qing's uncle made a pained expression.

If someone dared to insult my ancestors and cause suffering to my in-laws in this life, it would be my duty as a son-in-law to address it.

A novice achieves one goal at a time, but a master catches two rabbits at once.

Thinking about it, I came up with a way to take revenge and help my in-laws at the same time, and asked Uncle if he needed any help.

"If so, would it be alright if I helped a little tomorrow?"

"Are you talking about yourself?"

"Yes, I can't change his mind, but I can try to make him reconsider. However, I will need some help."

At my words, Zuge Qing's uncle looked surprised and asked:

"Is that possible? How, how can it be done? I will help you with anything."

"That is... I want to do it like this."

As I explained my rough plan, Uncle, being a descendant of the genius strategist Zuge, began to add wings to my plan.

"Oh! That method? Then I should... do this?"

"Then... do this as well?"

"That's good, but... what about doing it this way?"

"Oh! Indeed! Yes, if you do that, it would be very good."

"Trust me!"

To help his friend regain his senses, and to restore the dignity of my ancestors, Zuge Qing's uncle and I proceeded with our joint operation.

'Ah, a joint operation with his descendant.'

My heart swelled with emotion.

***

The next day, around lunchtime, I headed to the kitchen with Zuge Qing.

Today, I will be making Dongpo Pork, Su Dongpo's greatest achievement.

Dongpo Pork is a dish that requires a lot of time, so I had to start preparing early.

After checking the ingredients I had asked for with Zuge Qing, I began the cooking process.

"However, Lord, I'm worried that serving pork to the respected Yebulangzhong might upset him."

Zuge Qing asked with a slightly worried expression about making a dish with pork.

"Lady, don't worry. It will likely be his favorite dish."

"Pork?"

Nodding at Zuge Qing's question, I first prepared a large piece of pork with the skin still on.

Then, using a knife, I carefully removed the hair from the skin of the pork belly and placed the skin side down in a heated wok.

-Sizzle

The reason for burning the skin of the pork in a heated wok is that when the skin meets the hot wok, the remaining hairs that the knife couldn't remove will all burn away.

The skin can be burned over an open flame or rubbed against a heated wok, but the ultimate goal is to burn off the hair.

Once the surface of the pork skin is thoroughly cleaned, it is boiled in water with a bit of star anise and green onions for about ten minutes to remove the gamey smell.

The next step is to take the boiled pork out, cut it into fist-sized squares, and fry it in oil.

"Qing, please step back. I'm worried that the oil might splatter and hurt your face."

"Yes, Lord. But what will Lord do?"

"Ah, I will cover it with a wooden lid, so don't worry."

I made Zuge Qing, who was closely watching the cooking, step back, and after pouring enough oil into the wok to cover the pork and heating it, I carefully placed the fist-sized pieces of pork into the hot oil.

-Sizzle

-Splat Splat Splat

When frying boiled pork, the water in the fat layer causes the oil to splatter and make a popping sound, so a lid is essential.

After quickly placing the pork in and covering it to prevent the oil from splattering, I waited until all four sides were golden brown.

The aroma of the fried pork wafted up.

I occasionally lifted the lid to check how well the pork was cooking and continued frying until all four sides were golden brown.

The reason for frying the pork is to help it maintain its shape as much as possible during the long cooking and steaming processes.

Dongpo Pork requires four processes: frying, steaming, boiling, and simmering.

The long cooking time not only makes the meat tender but also means that it could become mushy and lose its shape.

Once all four sides of the pork were golden brown, the next step was to simmer the pork in the broth.

Although I had seared the four sides, there was a risk that the shape might still be distorted during the long simmering process, so I firmly tied the four sides of the pork with string.

Of course, I did this with Zuge Qing's help.

"Is this how it should be tied?"

"Very well done. How can you... tie it so neatly... anyone would think you were a veteran..."

"Really?!"

"Ah, no... I didn't mean that..."

While tying the neatly cut pork with string, I praised my wife's exceptional handiwork and moved on to the next step.

I cut the green onions into large pieces and carefully lined the bottom of the pot, then placed slices of ginger on top.

Then, I densely arranged the tied pork on top.

The pork needs to be simmered for a long time, and if it sticks to the bottom, it might cook unevenly, leading to a mushy appearance or overly seasoned parts.

However, by placing the pork on top of the green onions and ginger slices, it not only prevents direct contact with the bottom of the pot but also allows the subtle flavors of the green onions and ginger to infuse the pork as it simmers.

Next, I added the five-spice powder to the pot.

Five-spice powder is a blend of the five most commonly used spices in Chinese cuisine: cinnamon, fennel, star anise, Sichuan pepper, and cloves.

In my previous life, it would have been easy to find pre-ground powder, but here, I had to grind the five spices in equal proportions and add them to the pot.

Then, I added caramelized sugar, which I heated over a low flame, along with aged soy sauce, a few cloves of garlic, and more star anise.

And the final ingredient:

Shaoxing Laojiu (绍兴老酒).

Shaoxing Laojiu, also known as Shaoxing Jiu, is essential; without it, it's not Dongpo Pork.

It's like the resident registration for authentic Dongpo Pork.

The top contributor to its unique flavor and the removal of gamey smells.

Although it's called something different in this era, it's still the same thing.

"Adding Yuejiu (越酒)?"

As I poured the Shaoxing Jiu into the pot, Zuge Qing asked.

"Yes, it's the most important ingredient for this pork dish."

I nodded at Zuge Qing's question.

Shaoxing Jiu.

Thinking about it, just like the instant noodles and dumplings in martial arts novels that are different from reality, this Shaoxing Jiu is also one of the things that shatters the romanticism of martial arts novels.

Imagine this:

Liu Qingyun, who earned the title of Sword Dragon at the age of 20 and beheaded two of the Four Great Villains, visits a brothel, feeling cynical about his own strength.

To soothe his heart with a drink...

But the waiters at the brothel, recognizing Liu Qingyun's identity, lead him to the top floor, saying that the lower floors are not suitable for someone of his status. The incomparable beauty, Zuge Qing, who rarely meets anyone, personally greets Liu Qingyun.

Liu Qingyun's half-open eyes, his cynical aura, and Zuge Qing, who is already smitten at first sight.

But Liu Qingyun, seemingly uninterested in the incomparable beauty Zuge Qing, asks:

"What kind of wine do you have here?"

"Ah, Sword Dragon Liu Qingyun. At Huayuelou, we have Nüerhong prepared for distinguished guests like you."

After a moment's thought, Liu Qingyun answers with a cool expression:

"Then, I'll have Nüerhong."

A newcomer to the martial world might drink Huajiu or Zhuyeqing, but once you've earned a title like Dragon and visit a brothel, you drink Nüerhong to show off, just like a cliché.

Nüerhong, a must-have for successful men in the martial world, is like wine.

A drink to savor while looking down from the top floor of a tall brothel at the bustling people below.

However...

'Yeah, it's just Shaoxing Jiu.'

Nüerhong is just Shaoxing Jiu.

Shaoxing Jiu has a long history, known as Nüjiu, Nüerhong, and Huadiaojiu during the Qin Dynasty, as Yuejiu during the Tang Dynasty, and finally as Shaoxing Jiu during the Southern Song Dynasty.

So, they are all the same thing.

The charming names given to Shaoxing Jiu by the people of Central Plains and the story of burying it under a tree when a daughter is born are just tales created by the Central Plains people to sell more wine.

To encourage people to buy and bury a lot when a daughter is born.

'Anyway, the sales skills of the Wang Xifang people...'

While clucking my tongue at the sales tactics of the Central Plains people, I poured the Shaoxing Jiu into the pot.

Once everything is prepared, the pot is placed on the stove and simmered over a low flame for about an hour (two hours). Then, it is steamed for another half hour to complete the Dongpo Pork.

Finally, I mix cornstarch into the broth used to cook the meat, thicken it, and pour it over the Dongpo Pork as a sauce, and prepare some bok choy on the side.

As the Dongpo Pork pot slowly simmered and the rich aroma of the meat and spices filled the kitchen, I began to hear a sound.

-Smack

Looking to the side, I saw Zuge Qing covering her mouth with her sleeve, blinking in confusion, as if she didn't know what the sound was.

Smiling at her cute expression, I looked at Zuge Qing, and she, perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly asked to divert my attention:

"Lord, what is the name of this dish?"

I wondered if she was genuinely curious about the name or trying to avoid a crisis.

The humble pork...