The Meat Invader

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The sound of fresh beef sizzling as it grills over high heat fills the air.

A drop of rich fat slowly travels down the lines of the beef, eventually dripping off. Then, the unique fragrance of the meat wafts into the nostrils, stirring up the greed hidden deep within the heart.

When the timing is just right, a piece of beef is swiftly picked up with chopsticks and tasted.

Fresh!

Fragrant!

Tender!

Smooth!

These textures and flavors mingle together, tumbling and dancing in the mouth, reaching all the way to the stomach.

Using water or oil to cook and heat food was considered a luxury in ancient times, and frying, sautéing, and deep-frying were regarded as advanced technologies.

However, roasting meat was something even primitives mastered.

They simply had to bring food close to the fire, letting the flames "lick" it until it was cooked and ready to be eaten.

Here in the tavern, although customers are free to order anything, the most popular dish is likely still grilled meat.

...

"Is this the place?"

Holding a hand-drawn map, Ikumi looks up at the tavern in front of her.

She was originally tasked by Erina to handle the Over Rice Research Society incident.

However, Soma appeared out of nowhere, forcing her into a Shokugeki—a food showdown scheduled for the next morning!

Afterward, she felt uneasy, fearing that it might be difficult to win against Soma with her own skills.

So, after much thought, she could only follow the address given by Hisako and come alone to the tavern at night.

"Mmm!"

"Is this... the scent of grilled meat?"

"I can't believe such a small tavern could grill beef so fragrantly, I can smell it even from outside."

"Maybe Hisako was right, there's something to gain here!"

Ikumi, who excels in cooking meat, has a very low resistance to the smell of meat.

Quickly, her eyes light up with anticipation, and without realizing it, she pushes open the door and enters.

"Welcome!"

"This is the tavern, please feel free to sit anywhere."

"We don't have a signature dish, but you can ask for anything you want to eat. As long as we have the ingredients, or I can make it, we will fulfill all requests!"

The sight of this bronze-skinned girl makes Zane pause for a moment.

For some reason, ever since he started running this tavern, it seems to have somehow become linked with Totsuki Academy, and almost every day, a Totsuki student comes here to eat.

Of course, from the original story.

At this time, Ikumi has not yet encountered the Over Rice Research Society incident.

Her identity is still as one of Erina's retainers.

So, thinking about this, Zane feels somewhat relieved.

"Quite a strange ordering rule indeed."

Sitting down, Ikumi, upon hearing about the rules here, couldn't help but feel amazed.

If it were regulars like Erina, Alice, Rindo, and others, they are already used to it.

But for a newcomer like Ikumi, everything about this tavern feels very different and unfamiliar.

"Here!"

"Jasmine tea."

Soon after sitting down, Zane warmly passes her a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

Caught off guard by the sudden gesture, Ikumi blinks.

Then, feeling a bit thirsty, she eagerly picks up the still-steaming cup of tea, blows on it a few times to cool it down a bit, and can't help but take a gentle sip.

The taste, like a spring breeze caressing the face, brings a wave of floral romance.

Good jasmine tea not only requires good jasmine flowers but also good tea bases.

Upon entry, it's soft and refreshing, like a melodious song gently reverberating in the mouth, with a fragrance that continually dances on the tip of the tongue, warm and enduring.

Gradually, Ikumi's entire being feels at peace!

And for this strange tavern, her fondness grows even more.

Finally, she slowly opens her eyes and glances casually at the grilled meat on the table next to her, curious to ask, "Owner, the beef you use here isn't A5 grade, right?"

"As you can see, it's all ordinary beef purchased from supermarkets and nearby meat markets."

Zane did not deny it.

...

Every country has different classifications for beef quality.

For example, in the Americas, the quality of beef is graded based on marbling and physiological maturity, which is age, into eight levels:

Prime!

Choice!

Select!

Standard!

Commercial!

Utility!

Cutter!

Canner!

In Australia, beef is determined based on fat content, flavor, and aroma.

It is generally divided into 9 grades, from M1 to M9, with M9 being the highest grade.

Later, they brought Japanese cows to Australia for breeding and introduced American Angus cattle for crossbreeding, using advanced breeding techniques to develop Australian Wagyu!

The deliciousness far exceeds the current M9 level beef, so they added M10, M11, and M12 levels above M9.

As for the classification of beef in Japan.

It is based on the edible ratio and marbling, divided into 15 grades.

The edible ratio is divided into A, B, C three grades, and the marbling level is divided into 1 to 5 grades, that is, divided into A1 to A5, B1 to B5, C1 to C5 a total of 15 grades.

A5 is the highest level, with its marbling so fine, like cold frost falling on the surface of the beef, thus it is famously known as frost-descended beef.

...

Generally speaking.

Aside from the ingredient rewards given by the system, Zane rarely uses A5 grade beef.

The reason is similar to why he rarely makes high-end dishes. The target audience of the tavern is the common folk.

If A5 beef is used, it would definitely drive a wave of people away!

"It's hard to believe."

"Using ordinary beef, you can still make so many people like it."

Upon learning that the beef in the tavern is all purchased from outside markets and supermarkets, Ikumi feels somewhat astonished and a bit disappointed.

After all, her family runs a beef business, especially the highest grade A5 beef, which she has eaten to the point of wanting to vomit in this lifetime!

Now, to have her eat a dish made from ordinary beef here is a bit difficult for her.

"Cooking, well!"

"The quality of ingredients is certainly important, but the chef's skills are truly crucial."

Perhaps seeing through Ikumi's thoughts, Zane casually speaks.

"I... of course, I know that."

Slightly regaining her composure, Ikumi's cheeks flush as she responds.

Then, after thinking for a moment, she continues, "I heard from Hisako that you seem to be a person from China, so... let's have a dish of Shandong cuisine, stir-fried beef with green onions, plus two bowls of rice!"

"OK"

"Just a moment."

Watching Ikumi finally place her order, Zane smiles.

Then he turns and heads back to the kitchen to start preparing the stir-fried beef with green onions.

...

Stir-fried beef with green onions, the focus is actually not on the beef, but on the "stir-fried" aspect.

So-called stir-frying is a Chinese cooking technique.

It usually involves stir-frying chopped green onions with other ingredients to create a unique texture and aroma.

It's important to know that during the stir-frying process, the high temperature causes the volatile organic compounds inside the onions to be released, these compounds are aromatic, such as:

Thiophene derivatives.

Thiane derivatives.

Aliphatic sulfides.

Moreover, stir-frying them with meat and vegetables also produces a synergistic effect, making the dish more aromatic and rich.

Therefore, stir-frying is considered a fairly common technique within Chinese cuisine.

First, prepare the beef tenderloin and large green onions.

For seasonings, you only need green and red peppers, starch, vegetable oil, cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, ginger strips, and rice vinegar!

In short, a simple dish, with the main focus being on those two green onions.

But see, Zane takes out a melody of sparrows slicing knife, and cuts the beef at a 90° angle to the muscle fibers.

Breaking the connective tissues and fibers inside, so the beef slices won't be tough to chew.

Cut the green onions into slices, ginger into mince, garlic into mince, add cooking wine, salt, and ginger mince to the beef slices for marination, set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat a pan with cold oil, pour the marinated beef into the pan and quickly stir-fry until it changes color, then take it out for later use.

Start a new flat pan, pour a suitable amount of oil, add green onion, ginger, and garlic mince and fry until fragrant, then add green and red peppers, onion chunks and stir-fry until they're just cooked.

Add the previously fried beef back into the pan, quickly stir-fry to mix evenly, add salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a little sugar for seasoning.

Finally, the stir-fried beef is ready to be served, sprinkle with chopped green onions for garnish.

Thus, a dish of

 stir-fried beef with green onions is complete!

...

Upon a closer look.

You can see that the plate of continuously steaming stir-fried beef with green onions is quite generously used.

Apart from beef and green onions, the two "main characters," there are also green peppers, cooking wine, white sugar, ginger strips, rice vinegar...

Especially after the entire dish of stir-fried beef with green onions is cooked, under the light, the beef can show a bright red color.

And the sprinkled green onion segments, dripping green, form a vivid contrast with the beef.

These ingredients under the action of heat, permeate each other, merge together, like a beautiful painting, possessing a unique color effect.

For Ikumi, who only wants to maximize the quality of beef, this is quite impactful.

Although she knows how to make stir-fried beef with green onions, and knows that the level of Zane's stir-fried beef with green onions in front of her is really high.

"Don't just stand there, hurry up and try it."

Bringing over two bowls of rice, Zane sees Ikumi, who is lost in thought because of his cooking, and couldn't help but urge her.

"Owner, did you use thickening at the end?"

Regaining her senses, Ikumi quickly asks, noticing a little clue.

"Um!"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Zane replies.

...

The academic concept of thickening.

Generally refers to the utilization of starch which, when heated, becomes gelatinized due to its water absorption, adhesion, and smooth lubricating characteristics.

Typically in a dish nearing completion, a prepared starch mixture is poured into the pot, making the sauce thick and increasing its adhesion to the ingredients.

The starch used for thickening is a polysaccharide polymer formed by the condensation of multiple glucose molecules, mainly including:

Green bean starch!

Potato starch!

Cereal starch!

Lotus root starch!

Because starch is insoluble in water, when heated to 60 degrees Celsius with water, it gelatinizes into a colloidal solution.

Thickening is the use of this characteristic of starch.

In the dish of stir-fried beef with green onions, the reason for using thickening is definitely to prevent the excessive loss of water inside the beef.

Moreover, the thickening sauce allows the green onion bits to stick to the beef, ensuring that every time the beef is picked up, it will bring along some green onion bits.

"Stir-fried beef with green onions, itself is meant to be tender and smooth, enticing with the aroma of onions."

"Whether it's frying the meat or stir-frying the onions, even the final thickening step, naturally all have a certain method."

"But the most important is still stir-frying, if this step is not done properly, then the aroma of the onions will be hard to bring out, thereby reducing the overall flavor of the dish by several levels!"

"Of course, talking won't do much good, you should try it yourself."

"I believe, being skilled in meat dishes, you should understand from this dish the true relationship between beef and other ingredients!"

Looking at Ikumi, seeing her still hesitating with chopsticks, still pondering some issues, Zane only explained lightly.

"Um!"

"I... I understand now!"

Hearing Zane's words, Ikumi nods thoughtfully.

Finally, she picks up the chopsticks under his watchful eye and carefully tastes a small piece of beef.

...

If living in ancient times, eating a meal of beef would be a difficult task.

If unlucky, one might even have to walk around for it.

But in modern times, with advanced livestock farming and logistics, beef has become a common delicacy, and various methods of cooking beef are not uncommon.

As soon as she tastes it, she immediately finds the flavor of the beef extremely fresh and aromatic.

Perhaps even Ikumi did not expect that beef, after a brief marination and stir-frying with a large amount of green onion segments and chopped green onions, could have such a rich flavor.

Each chew allows her to taste the rich onion aroma and the freshness of the beef, and this flavor is simply irresistible.

Fresh!

Crisp!

This combination ignites her taste buds.

Even her own appetite is greatly satisfied.

Then, under the slight spiciness of the green peppers, the overall taste of the stir-fried beef dish is enhanced.

Just adding a bowl of rice is enough to keep her eating non-stop.

...

"Um!"

"Unexpectedly delicious!"

Swallowing, Ikumi's eyes suddenly fill with disbelief.

She could never have imagined that using such ordinary beef, far from the frost-descended beef, she would feel like she was eating the most delicious and tastiest beef dish in the world.

Involuntarily, her hands completely out of control, she keeps scooping up rice while picking up beef with her chopsticks, munch

ing and swallowing eagerly.

Gradually, she enters a kind of trance.

Only to see in a vast desert, here resonates a desolate and wild symphony, and the air seems to be filled with the flavor of gods.

And Ikumi is dressed in a highly characteristic cowboy outfit, with a handgun hanging at her waist, like a cowboy from the American West!

Her eyes!

Just then.

A cow, running wild in the desert, charges directly towards the cowboy figure of Ikumi.

Seeing this, Ikumi remains calm and collected, draws her handgun, and fires a few shots.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

After the gunfire.

However, the wild cow, completely unharmed, continues to charge towards Ikumi.

"Ah! No... no... no..."

Back in reality, Ikumi reacts, suddenly squeezing her legs together, her eyes rolling back as she loses consciousness!

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