Chapter 1500 - 581: Delicious and Never Overwhelming—Steamed Rice Cake, Old Shaanxi’s Favorite! Cooking Crunchy Pork! [Bonus 6]

Chapter 1500: Chapter 581: Delicious and Never Overwhelming—Steamed Rice Cake, Old Shaanxi’s Favorite! Cooking Crunchy Pork! [Bonus 6]

"Crunchy Pork? Is it tasty?"

Chen Yan, who was just worried about her figure, asked instinctively upon hearing the name of this dish.

If it’s delicious, then as your cousin, I should try it too, right?

Lin Xu said:

"It should be tasty. Cut the pork fat into strips, coat them in batter and deep-fry them, then dip them in syrup to make them crispy or frosted, tasting crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, quite delicious."

This is a rather obscure Northeast dish, almost lost to time.

Lin Xu wasn’t sure if it was considered a high-end dish, so he planned to try filming it. Even if it’s not high-end, it can introduce viewers to the many facets of Northeast cuisine beyond iron pot stews and pork dishes, including this visually appealing and deliciously sweet dish.

Zeng Xiaoqi took a bite of lamb spine:

"A couple of days ago, during our work meeting, Mr. Lishan mentioned he wanted to make Crunchy Pork for the New Year, but he couldn’t get it right and was disappointed when he couldn’t order it at the restaurant."

Chen Yuanyuan sipped a bowl of lamb spine soup:

"Why don’t you ask Chef Xie and the others? These high-end chefs can easily whip it up, right?"

Zeng Xiaoqi said:

"Mr. Lishan is like that, doesn’t like asking for favors, dislikes owing people, prefers simple monetary relationships in personal matters."

At his age, being a calligraphy master, he naturally doesn’t ask for favors lightly.

Lin Xu laughed and said:

"That’s just perfect. Tomorrow when we film, I’ll give him a shout, let the old gentleman enjoy himself."

If the brother wants to eat Crunchy Pork, it must be arranged promptly.

Just don’t let him call me the world’s fastest this time.

After dinner, Chen Yuanyuan and Zeng Xiaoqi went to the back neighborhood, planning to wash clothes, clean up, and do some yoga.

Both now work and live in the same place.

Besides the occasional envy from Director Zeng for Chen Yuanyuan’s figure, everything else seems pretty well synchronized.

"I’m heading home too. Come over early tomorrow to eat Zeng Cake!"

Not long after Chen Yan drove away, Lin Xu said to Car Guy:

"Tomorrow morning, warm up the Zeng Cake. Remember to sprinkle some white sugar on the red dates on top, not too much, but there has to be some."

Without sugar, the sweetness of honey dates alone can’t balance the sourness of red dates.

Only by adding white sugar can the date paste become fragrant and sweet, with no sour taste at all.

After giving these instructions, he hugged Dundun and left the store with Shen Jiayue, heading home.

The next morning, there was no cooking at home.

Lin Xu woke up and turned on the sweeping robots on each floor, let Dundun enjoy a motorcycle ride, and incidentally cooked two eggs for the little guy, crushing the yolks for a hearty meal.

Once Shen Jiayue woke up, the family of three drove to the store.

"Xu Bao, isn’t eating Zeng Cake early in the morning too greasy?"

Shen Jiayue wasn’t against eating sweets in the morning, just wondered if such sweet treats would be too much without suitable snacks to pair with.

Lin Xu said:

"It won’t be greasy. Zeng Cake is not only delicious but also chewy, you’ll see once you try it."

Arriving at the store, Lin Xu placed Dundun on the service counter and headed up the stairs to the second floor.

At this time, Zeng Xiaoqi and Chen Yuanyuan were already up, sitting in booths eating Qi Siliang’s fried dumplings. Seeing Lin Xu come in, they immediately said:

"Hurry up, hurry up, we’re waiting to eat Zeng Cake!"

Just then, Chen Yan and Dou Wenjing also arrived, clearly everyone was eager to try this delicious dessert.

Lin Xu stepped into the kitchen and asked Car Guy:

"Is it heated?"

"It’s all warmed up, and I’ve sprinkled the white sugar as you instructed. Should we bring it out now?"

"Bring it out!"

The two put on heat-resistant gloves, opened the steaming cabinet door, and carefully lifted out the large basin covered in lotus leaf, placing it on the work table.

Lin Xu removed the lotus leaf, revealing the dates on top had turned completely black.

Steamed large dates become black after overnight storage. The Zeng Cakes bought outside look black and dirty because of the red dates.

Though it looks messy, truth be told, the tastiest part of Zeng Cake is precisely this black date paste.

Zeng Cake vendors give only a tiny amount per serving, because once the date paste is gone, the remaining glutinous rice is less appealing, as the dessert’s sweetness comes from the date paste.

Lin Xu took a bamboo spatula and spread it over the dates, the black dates instantly turned into paste.

Beside him, Niu Chuan laughed and said:

"Oh, it’s got the authentic Guanzhong Zeng Cake vibe, the color looks identical."

He handed over a stack of bowls, and Lin Xu started to serve the Zeng Cake with the spatula.

While serving, he made vertical scoops so every piece had an equal amount of date paste.

One scoop created a full bowl with date paste on top and bottom, while the middle white glutinous rice was separated by layers of raisins, honey dates, and red beans.

The served Zeng Cake was immediately snatched outside.

Those who got it tasted it at once, and upon experiencing the rich date aroma and sticky yet resilient glutinous rice, everyone found it quite extraordinary.

"Though it’s sticky and soft, it feels like chewing beef tendon candy, with a good chew. Jing Jie, is your hometown’s Zeng Cake like this too?"

"All Zeng Cakes are like this. Without this texture, it would’ve been Eight Treasure Rice instead, and Zeng Cake’s date paste must be black, made from steamed dates crushed into the black paste, making it more satisfying to eat."