txolops Chapter 33 Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs
Chapter 33 Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs
"Click".
Lin Chen took out his key and turned the slightly rusty security door of the rented room.
"Uncle Fatty, we're back!"
As soon as the door cracked open, Tangtang eagerly squeezed inside, her little skirt swaying back and forth.
She kicked off her sandals and put on a pair of plastic slippers with a bunny pattern.
In the corner of the living room, Wang Hai was squatting on the floor, carefully stacking eight trays of free-range eggs that he had just carried back from the farmers' market against the wall.
In the kitchen sink, two freshly washed scallions leaned against the edge of the colander, glistening water droplets still clinging to their tips.
Hearing the noise, Wang Hai dusted off his hands and stood up to greet them.
"Brother Chen, you're back."
Wang Hai picked up a paper cup from the table, took a sip of water, and looked at the file bag in Lin Chen's hand, asking with concern, "Were there many people at the hospital this morning?"
Did Tangtang cry during her blood test?
What was the result?
Lin Chen neatly placed the medical examination report and photos on the folding table and shook his head.
"It wasn't too crowded today because it's a weekday. I registered and got a number right away."
As Lin Chen spoke, he walked towards the kitchen, carrying two heavy plastic bags in his hands. "Tangtang is very brave. She didn't make a sound when the needle went in."
The physical examination results were good; everything was normal.
The doctor checked my weight and said I was a little underweight and needed to make sure I ate more high-quality protein.
"On the thin side?"
Wang Hai turned to look at Tangtang, who was drinking water from her cup, and sighed in agreement, "That's right, the kids really had a tough time back then."
Did the doctor prescribe any medication?
"No need for medicine, just eat more meat."
Lin Chen untied the plastic bag containing the meat and took out the three bright red spare ribs. "I just stopped by the market and picked out some of the best spare ribs."
I'll make sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch to nourish Tangtang.
Upon hearing the word "ribs," Wang Hai's Adam's apple bobbed noticeably.
"Brother Chen, now that you mention ribs, my stomach is really starting to rumble."
Wang Hai grinned, scratching his hair somewhat embarrassedly, "I left early this morning and just grabbed two dry buns. I'm starving right now."
"Let's eat together, since we bought a lot."
Lin Chen spoke calmly, casually pulling off the apron from the clothes hanger and tying it up. "Sit down and rest for a while. I'll take care of lunch."
"Okay! I'll wash the dishes first!"
Wang Hai didn't stand on ceremony and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.
"Daddy, Tangtang's here to wash the vegetables!"
When Tangtang saw Lin Chen enter the kitchen, she immediately and quickly carried her little plastic stool over.
She skillfully stepped onto the stool, stretched out her two chubby little hands, and rubbed the tender green vegetable leaves one by one in the basin of water.
Lin Chen turned around, and the kitchen knife in his hand emitted a light hum.
The ribs were chopped into uniform sizes.
Lin Chen first put cold water into the pot, added two slices of old ginger and a spoonful of cooking wine.
After the water boils, skim off the layer of grayish-white foam, take out the ribs, rinse them carefully with warm water to remove the impurities on the surface, and place them in a strainer to drain.
I put the pan back in the heat and added a little oil.
Lin Chen grabbed a handful of rock sugar and threw it into the pot.
The heat was controlled with extreme precision; the rock sugar melted rapidly in the hot oil, turning into a deep amber color in an instant, with fine caramel bubbles rising to the surface.
He poured the ribs into the pot with extremely decisive movements.
"Sizzle—"
The ribs rolled in the caramelized sugar, instantly getting coated with a bright red color.
Next, Lin Chen poured in light soy sauce to enhance the flavor, and then drizzled two spoonfuls of aged vinegar along the edge of the pot.
The aroma of vinegar, when exposed to high temperatures, instantly released an enticing sweet and sour scent that spread throughout the rented room.
Wang Hai, sitting in the living room, was stunned by the smell.
Lin Chen poured in enough hot water to cover the ribs, put the lid on, turned down the heat, and began to wait patiently.
Half an hour later, the broth in the pot had thickened considerably.
Lin Chen turned up the heat and quickly stirred the bones, allowing the thick layer of sauce to adhere firmly to each bone.
Finally, he sprinkled some roasted sesame seeds on top, then took it off the heat and plated it.
Then, he quickly stir-fried the bok choy that Tangtang had washed.
"Dinner is served."
Lin Chen carried the dishes to the table, where Wang Hai had already set out three bowls of steaming white rice.
Wow! The succulent is so red!
Tangtang sat in her seat, her hands neatly resting on her knees, her eyes fixed on the center of the table.
"Eat."
Lin Chen picked up a piece of the thickest spare rib and put it into his daughter's bowl.
Tangtang couldn't wait to pinch both ends of the rib with her little hands and bring it to her mouth.
Lin Chen's cooking skills were impeccable; the meat was already tender and falling off the bone. With a gentle bite, Tangtang could easily pop a large, sweet and sour piece of meat into her mouth.
"Mmm...delicious!"
Tangtang's cheeks were puffed out, and her big eyes were squinted into crescent moons with satisfaction.
Lin Chen took a tissue and wiped the sauce from his daughter's mouth: "Eat slowly, eat more meat."
Wang Hai across from them had already devoured three pieces of pork ribs.
"Brother Chen, your cooking is amazing!"
While chewing on the meat, Wang Hai mumbled indistinctly, "Really, these ribs are even tastier than the ones I've had in those five-star hotels before."
I could easily eat four big bowls of rice with this broth!
As he spoke, Wang Hai scooped a spoonful of thick pork rib soup onto the rice and shoveled it into his mouth.
Seeing the two of them eating with relish, Lin Chen picked up his own bowl and took a bite of the clear green vegetables.
The lunch was eaten in an extremely quiet and efficient manner.
In less than twenty minutes, the plate of ribs was completely devoured, down to the bone fragments.
"belch--"
Wang Hai let out a satisfied burp, then stood up to collect the bowls. "Brother Chen, you can rest. I'll take care of the bowls!"
We have something important to do this afternoon!
After lunch, I rested for a while.
At 2 p.m., the two began preparing the ingredients for their evening stall.
One hundred portions, the process is tedious but rigorous.
Wash the rice, drain the water, and cook it in a large rice cooker.
After the rice was cooked, Lin Chen personally spread it out in a large winnowing basket to cool, and used a wooden spatula to break it up little by little to ensure that each grain of rice was not stuck together.
Wang Hai was responsible for chopping the drained scallions.
His movements were much more skillful than the previous two days; the scallions were chopped evenly and finely and then placed into a clean food storage container.
As for the eight trays of free-range eggs, Lin Chen didn't touch them at all.
He prefers to crack the eggshells while cooking. Only by personally cracking the eggshells at the moment the fried rice goes into the pan can the egg whites and yolks retain their activity, and only then can the egg aroma coating the rice grains have a layered flavor.
It was exactly 4 PM. All the ingredients were ready.
Two large insulated buckets of dried rice, a box of bright green scallions, and eight neatly stacked trays of fresh eggs.
"Phew—" Wang Hai wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the clean stove and sink, and let out a long breath.
"Brother Chen, it's all ready! I just counted it, there's enough for a hundred servings of rice, no less."
Lin Chen untied his apron, walked to the pool, and splashed his face with clean water.
He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 4:15.
"Ready to depart."
Lin Chen spoke calmly.
"Alright!"
Wang Hai instantly perked up, picked up two heavy insulated buckets, and rushed downstairs.
Lin Chen put the medical examination form and photos into his schoolbag, then turned around and took Tangtang's little hand.
"Let's go, Tangtang, you're going to kindergarten tomorrow."
Let's sell out quickly today, so Daddy can bring you home to sleep early.
"Okay! Tangtang is going to help Daddy collect lots and lots of money today!"
The three of them went downstairs.
Wang Hai deftly and steadily packed the ingredients and tools into the tricycle's cargo bed, securing them tightly with a thick rope.
Lin Chen sat in the empty passenger seat with Tangtang in his arms, while Wang Hai climbed into the driver's seat and skillfully turned on the ignition.
"Brother Chen, hold on tight, let's go!"
"Walk."
"Squeak—"
The dilapidated tricycle emitted a low, rumbling motor sound as it slowly drove out of the urban village, steadily heading towards the Yintai Building Plaza in the sunlight.