Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 70: The Most Authentic Braised Intestines in Brown Sauce!

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Most Authentic Braised Intestines in Brown Sauce!

In a water basin lay a collection of light pink intestines.

To clean the intestines thoroughly, they needed to be turned completely inside out, scrubbed repeatedly with salt and vinegar, and then all the grease and mucus had to be removed from the inner lining.

This also included cleaning off any... ’remnants’ from the inner lining.

Unless one wanted ’original flavor intestines,’ in which case it was acceptable to retain these ’remnants.’

These intestines had already been washed once. Jiang Feng turned them inside out again, carefully inspecting and cleaning them further.

He ensured not a single speck of dirt remained, rinsing them several more times with water.

After washing, it was time to stuff the intestines.

As the saying goes, "Life is unpredictable." For this dish, large intestines would envelop smaller ones.

The intestines were inverted and layered one inside another, then inverted and layered again, until they formed a soft, long rope.

This rope of intestines consisted of four layers in total.

Then, he used toothpicks to seal the ends of the intestinal rope.

Next, he boiled a pot of water, adding scallions, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, Szechuan peppercorns, cooking wine, and soy sauce. Then he added the intestines. He brought it to a boil over high heat, then simmered on low heat for an hour.

This step ensured the intestines would become tender.

Although the intestines had been thoroughly hand-washed, many imperceptible ’remnants’ still clung to them.

Thus, boiling them allowed their flavor to meld into the soup.

Some who preferred the ’original flavor’ would even use this broth when further processing the intestines.

"The original soup for the original dish."

They enjoyed that faint ’fecal flavor.’

Jiang Feng, naturally, had no interest in such a flavor.

While the intestines were boiling, he busily prepared other dishes.

Everything proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner.

After an hour, the intestines in the pot were almost perfectly tender.

Jiang Feng lifted the lid, and a cloud of steam billowed from the pot.

Jiang Feng took a small step back, avoiding the moist, warm, faint ’fecal smell.’

The intestines had stewed until tender, and their texture was now excellent.

He lifted the cooked intestinal rope out to cool, then sliced it into sections with a kitchen knife.

Each segment of intestine resembled a small tire, with its cross-section appearing like a spiral.

Next, Jiang Feng blanched the intestines. This involved placing them in a pot with cooking wine and ginger-scallion juice, then boiling them for five minutes.

Many people skip this step, resulting in the intestines having a stronger taste.

After blanching, he added a bit of soy sauce to the intestines before deep-frying them in a wok.

Once fried and removed, they were ready for the final braising.

China is a land of gastronomy, with countless varieties of dishes and myriad cooking techniques.

This dish, braised intestines in brown sauce, had to go through the processes of blanching, steaming, frying, and braising to reach its final presentation.

Jiang Feng then caramelized sugar in the wok, added hot stock, ginger-scallion juice, salt, chicken powder, and vinegar.

Jiang Feng used his own homemade stock. Some people, however, preferred to use the broth from the initial boiling of the intestines, believing it to be more flavorful.

Next came the braising. The intestines simmered for about 20 minutes until the sauce in the pot thickened. He then sprinkled in some starch to help the sauce coat the surface of the intestines, making them ready to be served.

Each piece of intestine now glistened with a shiny, dark soy color. The thick, steaming sauce flowed over them, creating a visual delight akin to braised pork.

After these various treatments, the intestines were tender, offering a complex blend of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors.

Each bite offered a new sensation.

The intestines were remarkably elastic; each bite had a delightful springiness, releasing a burst of savory juices from their multiple layers.

This springy, elastic texture was unique to intestines, a quality unmatched by any other meat.

Jiang Feng took out a piece of the finished intestine, let it cool slightly, and then tasted it himself.

As he chewed, he couldn’t help but nod in approval.

Perfect.

None of the original undesirable taste remained.

Several young cooks nearby watched this, their mouths watering as they swallowed hard.

These cooks all knew their way around a kitchen, but their skills were average, and they lacked true dedication.

A relatively complex dish like braised intestines in brown sauce was completely beyond their capabilities.

Mealtime had arrived, and Jiang Feng quickly completed the final steps for all the dishes.

He arranged the intestine segments on a plate, placing them on their sides to display the spiral pattern, then topped each piece with chopped cilantro.

The presentation was very appealing.

All four dishes were now complete.

Yang Zheng personally carried the dishes out. What happened next was no longer Jiang Feng’s concern, so after bidding farewell to Yang Zheng, Jiang Feng left the Public Security Bureau.

Meanwhile, in the canteen of the Public Security Bureau, at the leaders’ table.

Ji Weiguo, the highest-ranking leader of the inspection team, sat at the round table. He was accompanied by four leaders from the city’s Public Security Bureau and other members of the inspection team.

Once Ji Weiguo was seated, everyone else took their seats in turn.

"Hmm, this meal looks quite good," Ji Weiguo remarked unhurriedly. "But I’ve heard from the rank and file that the bureau’s food isn’t always to everyone’s satisfaction."

Hearing this, one of the city leaders quickly explained, "Yes, Director Ji. The canteen is contracted out. While it guarantees basic dietary needs, there are indeed shortcomings. We will address them promptly."

Hearing this explanation, Ji Weiguo didn’t press the matter further.

Inspection teams typically avoided discussing work during meals; instead, conversation usually turned to more casual topics.

However, Ji Weiguo still wanted to make a point about the food.

Sitting in his chair, Ji Weiguo exuded an air of authority befitting his high position; leaders of his caliber were rarely simple characters.

He surveyed the delicacies on the table, his interest particularly piqued by several Shandong Cuisine dishes.

He himself hailed from Eastern Shandong.

"Please, let’s eat," Ji Weiguo gestured for everyone to begin.

He picked up a piece of the braised intestines in brown sauce and placed it in his mouth.

The first taste was a delightful sweet and sour flavor.

Because the vinegar had been added early in the cooking process, its aroma was fragrant, without any hint of sharpness or pungency.

Ji Weiguo was genuinely impressed by the first bite.

The flavor of these braised intestines in brown sauce was exceptionally authentic.

It wasn’t merely that the original character of the ingredients was preserved; the sweet and sour notes perfectly embodied the essence of Shandong Cuisine.

High-ranking leaders like him were often gourmands with discerning palates.

Having tasted countless fine dishes, they could instantly discern the quality of the ingredients.

Ji Weiguo began to chew slowly.

To truly appreciate authentic braised intestines in brown sauce, one had to chew slowly.

Initially, it was sweet and sour, but as he continued to chew, notes of bitterness, spiciness, and saltiness emerged.

Each distinct flavor tantalized his taste buds.

The flavor was profound, his mouth filled with the rich, fragrant sauce.

After finishing one piece, Ji Weiguo couldn’t help but ask, "This braised intestines in brown sauce is remarkably authentic. Did you specially invite a Shandong Cuisine master chef?"

When the top leader posed a question, an immediate answer was paramount.

The bureau director spotted Yang Zheng standing nearby and quickly beckoned him over. "Yang Zheng!"

Yang Zheng hurried over. "Director."

"Who prepared this braised intestines in brown sauce? Didn’t you specially arrange for this chef?"

Yang Zheng quickly replied, "Oh, that was made by a food stall vendor. He’s quite famous online, an exceptionally skilled cook! He used to sell braised meat and steamed buns, and this week he’s selling noodles here."

Hearing Yang Zheng’s explanation, the bureau leaders were somewhat bewildered.

Selling braised meat and steamed buns before, and now noodles this week? What a mishmash.

However, upon hearing Yang Zheng’s words, Ji Weiguo actually chuckled.

"So, it’s him! What a coincidence. My daughter visited the resort here and tried his braised meat. She came back raving about it to me. I recall him. That vendor is a young man, isn’t he? Very capable. His braised meat caused long lines at the resort; there are even videos of it online."

Yang Zheng quickly affirmed, "Yes, Director Ji, that’s him. A young man, incredibly skilled at cooking."

Hearing Yang Zheng’s confirmation, Ji Weiguo felt a sense of serendipity and laughed even more heartily.

"I never imagined this dish was his creation. Truly a coincidence."

Seeing Ji Weiguo laugh, the bureau leaders and the other members of the inspection team all joined in with laughter.

They all did their best to make their laughter sound sincere.

This was an essential skill when dining with superiors.

Ji Weiguo picked up another piece of the braised intestines and savored it thoughtfully.

The dish was truly authentic; it had been many years since he’d tasted anything quite like it.

He had assumed it was the work of a master chef from Eastern Shandong, never expecting it to be from a humble street vendor.

Indeed, true masters are often found in unexpected places.

The saying is true: hidden dragons and crouching tigers abound among the people!