Chapter 106: Red Braised Pork
Now that she had opened a restaurant with a proper, large kitchen, Shen Lu couldn’t just sell malatang, fried rice, and fried noodles like before. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, but she wanted to expand her menu with more variety.
However, she also had to consider the staffing situation.
Wang Daguo was purely a handyman; besides washing vegetables and dishes, he couldn’t handle any other kitchen tasks.
Cai Su was a newcomer who was just getting the hang of things, mostly serving as her assistant.
And with her own limited energy, she couldn’t work herself to death in the kitchen.
Shen Lu quickly jotted down a few lines, setting the menu for the day.
Malatang would remain on the menu. That stuff didn’t require much mental effort; as long as she continuously provided ingredients to be cooked in the broth, it would sell.
The mint water, too. As the very first product she sold back when she had a stall, Shen Lu had a special fondness for it. It could also continue as a signature item for Little Deer Cuisine.
Of course, Shen Lu would never admit she was keeping it on the menu only because it was so easy to make!
The braised snacks were also a low-effort dish. The braising liquid was already prepared. As long as she seasoned it correctly, the rest of the work could be handed over to Cai Su and Wang Daguo.
So, this would also stay on the menu.
The fried rice and fried noodles would be temporarily removed. Plain white rice would serve as the staple, paired with newly introduced dishes.
For the first official day of business, Shen Lu felt she needed to serve something that would leave customers wanting more, something utterly unforgettable.
With a flourish of her pen, she wrote down three words: Braised Pork Belly.
Who could possibly dislike braised pork belly—rich and fragrant, but not greasy?
Paired with some refreshing baby bok choy and an appetizing cold-dressed radish skin salad, Shen Lu felt this braised pork belly set meal showed real sincerity.
For today, she would just sell this one set meal. She’d see how things went before deciding on tomorrow’s menu.
Once the menu was set, Shen Lu went to the storeroom alone. She had exchanged the metal she’d salvaged earlier for a good amount of common ingredients, which included everything she needed for today.
She moved them out one by one, placing them on the shelves, and also stocked up on many seasonings she hadn’t taken out before.
Especially the rice—she brought out ten bags in one go, along with several bags of flour and noodles.
The once somewhat empty storeroom was now filled to the brim.
After dropping off Xiao Lang, Cai Su returned and asked Shen Lu what time they were going to the junkyard today.
"We don’t need to go anymore," Shen Lu said. "Come on, you two can help me with prep."
’The newbie benefit month is over, and salvaged junk can’t be exchanged for ingredients anymore. What’s the point of going to the junkyard?’
Cai Su and Wang Daguo just "oh"-ed in response. Neither of them asked why. After witnessing yesterday’s opening day drama, both had independently come to feel that Shen Lu had a profound background and was incredibly capable.
It was as if nothing could stump her; she always had a plan for everything.
Working for a boss like this, they didn’t need to overthink things. They just had to do as they were told.
So, when the two of them saw the storeroom, which had been mysteriously filled, they showed no signs of surprise.
’Ingredients don’t have legs; they can’t run into the storeroom by themselves. Boss Shen must have gotten them.’
’Boss Shen is Boss Shen, after all. The ingredients she buys are always high-quality and fresh.’
’Look at this baby bok choy! It still has dew on its leaves and gives off a faint, fresh fragrance. If your willpower were even a little weak, you wouldn’t be able to resist taking a raw bite or two.’
Wang Daguo picked up two huge slabs of pork belly. It was almost all the belly meat from a single pig—heavy, glistening with fat, and still warm to the touch.
"Boss Shen, what are we making today? Are we not selling malatang and fried rice anymore?" Wang Daguo asked, swallowing his saliva.
"We’re still selling malatang. The fried rice and fried noodles are temporarily off the menu. We’re adding a braised pork belly set meal," Shen Lu said concisely, telling Wang Daguo to wash the vegetables.
The ingredients for the malatang were the same as usual. Shen Lu handed them all over to Cai Su to handle while she dealt with the two slabs of pork belly.
She sharpened her knife. Before making the first cut, Shen Lu turned on her Light Brain’s recording function.
In front of the camera, Shen Lu briefly introduced the dish she was making today.
"Good morning, everyone. Today, I’m making braised pork belly."
Whipping out a cleaver bigger than her face, Shen Lu gave it a casual, cool-looking twirl. The moment the blade touched the pork, the young woman’s expression sharpened, and an imposing aura emanated from her.
The entire slab of pork belly needed to be cut into fist-sized chunks. They looked a bit big, but the meat would shrink after cooking, leaving just the right amount for one person.
Shen Lu’s movements were quick, precise, and decisive. It only took her about ten minutes to cut up both large slabs of pork belly. The irregular scraps were placed on a separate plate.
She would never be wasteful; she had other uses for them.
After blanching all the pork belly cubes, Shen Lu started a new pan to caramelize sugar.
Although soy sauce could also add color, using caramelized sugar would give the braised pork belly a richer, more vibrant red sheen.
Once the caramel was ready and the pork was blanched, Shen Lu scooped out the meat, drained it, and placed it directly into a hot wok without oil to pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
This would render out some of the fat, making the final dish less greasy. She scooped out some of the rendered pork lard, tossed in some spices for a quick stir-fry, then poured in enough hot water and the caramelized sugar. She added a suitable amount of soy sauce and salt, then cranked up the heat to a rolling boil.
[DING!~ Mission issued: Please sell 100 braised pork belly set meals, achieve a total revenue of 30,000, and maintain a customer satisfaction rating of three stars or higher. Time limit: eight hours.]
[DING!~ If customer satisfaction reaches Four Stars or higher, there will be an additional reward. If this bonus objective is failed, the additional reward is canceled. There is no penalty.]
’Great, the daily mission is out. There’s even a bonus objective.’
Shen Lu was very confident in her skills. "A mere Four Stars satisfaction rating? Simple enough."
System: (｀・ω・´)
Such a confident host!
There was no rush to stir-fry the baby bok choy. She would wait until eleven to cook it; otherwise, if it sat for too long, the flavor would diminish.
The mint water had been prepared early in the morning. Shen Lu made two huge barrels, each one taller than a person, enough for a thousand people to drink.
Shen Lu suddenly remembered that Xue Can had mentioned wanting to buy something from her. ’Would the mint water work? It’s simple and effortless to make, and the ingredients are dirt cheap.’
’Make a note, make a note. I’ll message him tonight and ask.’
The braised snacks were also cooked and were now soaking in the braising liquid to absorb the flavors. With nothing else to do for the moment, Shen Lu went to the front counter, edited the video she shot yesterday, and posted it to her account.
She had over ten hours of footage from the whole day but edited it down to a one-minute highlight reel. After all, the crayfish competition from yesterday had already been on the morning news, so a casual clip would be enough.
Just as she posted it, a message from Bai Wanwan came in.
Bai Wanwan: Well, well, Shen Lu. You have time to post videos, but no time to reply to my messages, huh?
Shen Lu tutted and sent a cute, pleading emoji in reply.
Bai Wanwan: Acting cute won’t work. I’m very angry right now. You’d better offer me a proper apology.
Shen Lu scratched her head. ’Wait, what exactly is my relationship with Bai Wanwan? Why do I feel like her boyfriend?’
Shen Lu: I’ve been super busy lately. Please understand, Miss Bai.
Bai Wanwan: I suppose I could... How about this: you bring me some of those braised shrimp, and I’ll forgive you for not replying to my messages. I’ll even give you a hand with something as a bonus.