Bringing a baby to a street stall: The anorexic female CEO is brought to tears by her cravings at th

Chapter 132 The Stall's New Trump Card

In the kitchen of the rented room, the minced meat sauce was still simmering on the stove over a low flame.

As time went by, the aroma of meat permeated every corner of the house.

Lin Chen cleaned the cutting board and knife used for cutting meat and hung them back on the knife rack on the wall.

He turned around, walked to the pool, and took over the rest of Wang Hai's food preparation work.

"Go and rest for a while, I'll take care of the rest."

Lin Chen rolled up his sleeves and said to Wang Hai, who was washing scallions.

"I'm not tired."

Wang Hai shook the water droplets off his hands and stepped aside. "The crisp radishes for tonight haven't been chopped yet, and the scallions need to be cut too. I'll help you."

Lin Chen did not refuse.

He took the washed white radish and chopped it down with a swift motion.

Lin Chen's movements were not fast, but the spacing between each slash was precise.

The size of the diced radish.

Wang Hai stood to the side peeling scallions, watching Lin Chen's knife skills, and said, "Brother Chen, your skills are amazing."

That kind of knife skill takes at least a decade or more of practice in a kitchen.

"Practice makes perfect."

Lin Chen spoke calmly, his hands moving without stopping.

The two cooperated tacitly.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the sounds of food preparation.

11:30 a.m.

The rice cooker made a crisp "beep" sound, indicating that the cooked white rice inside had switched off the keep-warm function.

At this point, all the side dishes needed for tonight's stall have been prepared and arranged in a food storage container.

Lin Chen put down the rag in his hand and glanced at the clock on the wall.

It's exactly twelve o'clock.

"Time is up."

Lin Chen turned around and walked straight to the stove.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hai dropped the spice bottle he was wiping and came closer, staring at the iron pot covered with a lid.

Tangtang, who was watching cartoons in the living room, also slipped on her little slippers and ran to the kitchen door with a "pat-pat" sound.

"Daddy, is it time to eat?"

Tangtang clung to the door frame with both hands, her big eyes filled with anticipation.

"Okay, go wash your hands."

Lin Chen gave a word of advice, then reached out and grasped the knob on the gas stove, turning off the flame with a "click".

The stove fell silent.

Lin Chen took a damp towel and placed it on his hand, then gripped the handle of the pot lid and slowly lifted it up.

"Whoosh!"

A plume of steam rose up.

Following closely behind was the enticing aroma of meat.

Wang Hai stood to the side, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Once the steam dissipates, the scene inside the pot becomes clearly visible.

The originally clear soup has now been simmered into a thick, bright red broth.

Diced meat, with a ratio of three parts fat to seven parts lean, floats and sinks in the broth.

After two hours of slow simmering, the fat from the pork belly has melted into the soup.

The fatty pieces of meat became translucent, while the lean pieces of meat absorbed the broth and turned a deep reddish-brown.

Lin Chen took a long-handled ladle, dipped it into the pot, and slowly stirred it.

The thick broth clung to the spoon, dripping slowly and forming a short, thin thread.

This is proof that the collagen in the pork belly has completely melted into the soup.

Lin Chen looked at the state of the spoon, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

The cooking time and consistency both met the standards.

"Brother Chen, don't just look!"

"Give me a bowl to try right away!"

Wang Hai rubbed his hands together and urged.

"Get a bowl."

Lin Chen pointed to the cupboard next to him.

Wang Hai took out a porcelain bowl and a small cartoon bowl for Tangtang from the cupboard.

Lin Chen walked to the rice cooker and lifted the lid.

He loosened the rice with a rice scoop, filled Tangtang's small bowl halfway with rice, and filled Wang Hai's large bowl to the brim with white rice.

"Here you go."

Lin Chen picked up Wang Hai's bowl.

Wang Hai caught it with both hands.

Lin Chen turned around and went back to the stove. He picked up a ladle and scooped a large spoonful of steaming hot minced meat into the iron pot.

"Make way."

Lin Chen held a spoon and poured the reddish-brown, glistening minced meat, along with the broth, onto the white rice in Wang Hai's bowl.

The thick broth seeps into the white rice the moment it touches the rice grains, seeping down through the gaps between them.

The white rice was quickly stained with a layer of soy sauce, emitting a aroma that blended the fragrance of rice and meat.

Next, Lin Chen poured half a spoonful of minced meat sauce into Tangtang's small bowl. The sauce was just enough to mix the rice evenly without making it greasy.

"Take it to the table and eat it."

Lin Chen handed the small bowl to Wang Hai.

Wang Hai carried a bowl in each hand and quickly walked to the dining table outside and placed it there.

"Tangtang, dinner's ready!"

Wang Hai called out, "Coming!"

Tangtang ran over with her short legs and climbed onto her high chair.

Lin Chen also served himself a small bowl, carried it to the dining table and sat down.

"Try it."

Lin Chen picked up his chopsticks and said calmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Hai eagerly picked up the spoon.

Without mixing it carefully, he scooped up a spoonful of rice coated with minced meat from the center of the bowl and stuffed it into his mouth, ignoring the heat.

Upon tasting, the rich aroma of soy sauce and meat spreads out.

The fatty part of the pork belly melts in your mouth, while the lean part is stewed until tender but retains its fibrous texture, without being dry or stringy.

The sweetness of the shiitake mushrooms balances the greasiness of the pork, creating distinct layers of flavor.

Wang Hai chewed a few times, swallowed it directly, and then stuffed another large spoonful into his mouth.

He didn't even have time to say anything, he just buried his head in his food, the spoon clattering against the porcelain bowl.

On the other side, Tangtang held a small spoon in both hands and struggled to mix the rice in the bowl.

Then scoop up a small spoonful and swallow it.

"Hmm"

Tangtang squinted her eyes contentedly, her little cheeks bulging from eating.

The broth from the minced meat sauce was so delicious that the little girl ate spoonful after spoonful, and before long, her mouth and chin were covered in a ring of meat oil.

Lin Chen watched as his daughter ate with relish, then took out a tissue and wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth.

Eat slowly.

Lin Chen said gently.

"Daddy, this is so delicious!"

While chewing her food, Tangtang praised the food in a muffled way.

"As long as it tastes good."

Lin Chen patted her little head.

Then, Lin Chen scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth.

The saltiness is just right, the gelatin has been cooked out, and the aroma of the fried scallion oil has been fully released.

The recipe and proportions are fine; it can definitely be sold as a main dish or side dish at the stall.

Less than five minutes.

Wang Hai placed the empty bowl he was holding on the dining table.

He ate that huge bowl of minced meat rice until it was completely clean, even scraping the soup at the bottom of the bowl.

"That feels good."

Wang Hai let out a long sigh of relief and pulled out two tissues to wipe his mouth.

He looked at Lin Chen with utter admiration on his face.

"Brother Chen, that's amazing!"

"I've eaten minced meat rice outside before, but compared to your pot, those are just shoddy stuff."

The meat was stewed to perfection; it was fatty but not greasy, and lean but not dry.

Wang Hai picked up his water glass, took a sip, and wiped his mouth.

"The food is served quickly and tastes so good."

With this dish as a foundation, we're confident we can handle several times the usual customer traffic in the square next Friday.

Wang Hai looked at Lin Chen with full confidence: "Once this meat sauce comes out of the pot, the aroma will definitely tempt passersby."

"At that point, it'll be impossible for our stall not to be a hit."

Lin Chen slowly swallowed the food in his mouth and put down the spoon.

"As long as the taste is okay."

Lin Chen wiped his mouth with a tissue, his tone still calm, "The formula has been finalized."

I've been setting up my stall to make fried rice as usual these past few days.

Next Thursday morning, let's go to the farmers market and buy more pork shoulder and pork belly so we can officially start cooking.

"No problem! I'll come over early next Thursday to help you with it."

Wang Hai responded loudly, full of enthusiasm.

Tangtang sat in the chair and let out a small burp.

The little girl held up her empty bowl, her face beaming with a happy smile.

"Daddy! All the candy is gone!"

Inside the house, the rich aroma of meat emanating from the iron pot had not yet dissipated.

A rigorously tested side dish menu was finalized in an ordinary rented apartment, ready to be unveiled at the food festival next Friday.