After the usual routine of cleaning and organizing his kitchen tools and workspace, Qi Han took a deep breath, opened the food cabinet next to him, and carefully lifted out a large slab of pork belly, placing it gently on the cutting board.
"Meow~"
Hearing the commotion, Pururu, who had been napping on a partition at noon, sat up.
With just one glance, it swiftly leaped down and onto the countertop, sitting obediently in front of Qi Han, its dark purple eyes fixed on the pork belly lying on the cutting board.
This slab of meat could last me two days!
The pork belly was nearly as big as the cutting board itself.
Seeing Pururu's eager expression, Qi Han chuckled. "This time, I can actually let you try some. After I finish making this dish, I'll use the leftovers to make your food."
Though Pururu couldn't eat the finished Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat, the dish didn't require the entire pork belly.
Only the lower portion of the belly was needed, while the upper portion could be reserved for making a premium batch of cat food.
This wasn't just any pork belly—it came from a thousand-year-old rare pig.
Even the upper belly contained plenty of nutrients and essence, making it a highly nourishing meal for Pururu.
Moreover, in terms of quantity, the upper belly far outweighed the lower belly, at about a four-to-one ratio.
Upon hearing this, Pururu immediately calmed down and obediently jumped back to its spot on the partition, not disturbing Qi Han any further as he cooked.
"Meow!"
You do the work, and I'll wait to eat!
Qi Han glanced at the pork belly and, with one swift motion, sliced it cleanly, separating the upper belly from the lower belly.
He set the upper portion aside, leaving a piece of lower belly about 10 centimeters wide.
This 10-centimeter-wide section of lower belly would serve as the main ingredient for the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat.
Next, he heated a large pot, placing the entire strip of pork belly flat in it.
He then added scallions, ginger, cooking wine, star anise, bay leaves, and other spices.
After pouring enough cold water to cover the meat, he turned the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes once the water started boiling.
Soon, the fragrance of the spices mixed with a hint of the pork's aroma.
The steam rising from the pot wafted around Qi Han, bringing a smile of satisfaction to his face.
Although the dish had only just begun, the enticing scent was already evident.
Using a slotted spoon, he carefully removed the pork belly from the pot.
At this point, the surface of the meat had turned pale, and the aroma had started to emerge.
After rinsing the meat in cold water, Qi Han's knife flashed as he skillfully cut the pork into four square chunks.
Since the trimmings had absorbed the spices and flavor of the scallions and ginger, they couldn't be fed to Pururu, so Qi Han decided to give them to Ru Yi to recycle.
Although feline creatures can't eat them, many omnivores in the system's little world could.
With four square chunks of meat, Qi Han could now make four servings of Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat.
One for himself, and the other three for his employees to taste.
Next, he heated some oil in a pan, ensuring the oil level was just above the surface of the pork.
When the oil was hot enough, he carefully placed the four chunks of pork belly into the pan, skin-side down, frying them until the skin turned golden and bubbly.
He then removed the meat and placed it flat on a plate, again skin-side down.
He covered the pork belly with another plate, ensuring that both the top and bottom sides were evenly compressed against flat surfaces.
After this, he placed a basin full of water on top for added weight.
Then, Qi Han placed the two plates, along with the water-filled basin, into the freezer for approximately 12 hours.
Of course, with Ru Yi's help and her high-tech freezing capabilities, this process was compressed to just two minutes.
Two minutes later, Qi Han retrieved the meat from the freezer. The pork belly had now hardened, and the pressure had compacted it.
Carefully, Qi Han cut along the edges of the skin, making shallow cuts only two millimeters deep. He continued slicing around the edges, stopping just before cutting through completely, then rotating the meat and repeating the process. Eventually, he turned the 10-centimeter square of pork belly into a strip nearly five meters long.
This method of slicing required immense precision, but Qi Han, who had already mastered expert-level knife skills, moved his blade swiftly and with confidence. Onlookers might have been anxious, fearing he'd accidentally cut through the meat.
After slicing all four pieces of pork belly into long strips, Qi Han patiently rolled each one into a five-pointed star shape. With the pork belly strips cut and shaped into a flower-like form, it naturally resembled a blooming flower.
He secured the pork belly with two bamboo skewers to maintain its shape during the next step—braising.
Qi Han placed the pork in a large pot, adding scallions, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, cooking wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and fermented bean curd for seasoning. He then poured cold water over the meat and let it simmer on low heat for about an hour.
Thanks to Ru Yi's futuristic technology, this process was also greatly shortened, taking just two minutes to reach the desired tenderness—soft but still intact.
He then carefully transferred the four pieces of pork belly into small bowls, topping them with dates, chestnuts, and lotus seeds.
He ladled some of the braising liquid over the top and placed everything into a steamer to cook for another two hours.
Two minutes later, Qi Han carefully removed the four bowls.
He placed three into insulated containers for his employees and inverted the last bowl, covering it with a small dish.
When flipped over, the dates, chestnuts, and lotus seeds scattered around the edges of the dish.
With a few final adjustments to the plating, the Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat was complete.
The dish was meticulously arranged in a small, delicate bowl.
The top layer of pork skin gleamed with a soft, luxurious sheen, tender and fragrant, resembling a blossoming flower.
Despite the long process of preparation and cooking, the shape remained intact.
The pale yellow fat was thin, with no visible greasiness—only softness and allure, with the golden-brown lean meat intertwined in between.
Around the pork were the lotus seeds, chestnuts, and dates, all of which had absorbed the essence of the rare pork.
Their colors were slightly golden-brown, and their natural sweetness had merged with the rich aroma of the pork, removing any sense of heaviness and leaving only an enticing fragrance.
As the plating was completed, a surge of energy swept through the air, gathering from all directions.
Qi Han was already familiar with this phenomenon.
His expression remained calm, though there was a hint of curiosity.
What kind of vision would manifest this time?
When he had made the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb before, a vision of a carp leaping over the dragon's gate had appeared due to the presence of Dragon Scale Fish.
For the Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth dish, he had carved the cabbage into a lotus flower, resulting in the vision of golden lotuses blooming in a celestial pond.
Both visions seemed connected to the ingredients.
Could the vision this time have something to do with pigs?
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