Chapter 76: Bacon
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ye Ling didn’t know how to explain this to Wan Hai.
When she was cooking, she suddenly had an inspiration. She thought of several herbs that had a special fragrance. 𝗯𝐞𝗱𝐧𝗼𝐯𝐞𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
In the “Ye Family’s Medical Code”, the author mentioned in passing while describing these herbs, “Among herbs with distinct fragrances, some have the effect of removing gamey odors, while others enhance the aroma. Herbs can be used not only for healing but also for various other purposes. Users can expand their thinking and explore additional applications.”
Thinking about this, Ye Ling came up with the idea of using herbs to eliminate the gaminess of wild boar meat. She had harvested fresh herbs from the small world and extracted their juices to mix with the wild boar meat.
Due to the robust growth of plants in the small world, the fragrance was much richer, and the effect of removing the gamy smell was excellent. Furthermore, it added a unique fragrance to the wild boar meat.
Of course, Ye Ling couldn’t reveal the existence of her small world to Wan Hai. She could only vaguely reply, “I used some special methods to remove the gamy smell.”
Wan Hai had asked casually, and since he wasn’t knowledgeable about cooking techniques, he didn’t pursue it further.
After Wan Hai finished his meal, he went to the production team with Wan
Feng. Wan Xue was called out by a few children who came to play with him.
After the three Wan brothers left, Min Nan was about to leave as well. He told Ye Ling to lie down and rest well and not walk or stand for a long time.
Ye Ling was the only one left in the house. She lay on the bed and slept for a while. When she woke up, she felt that her legs were much better, so she went to the kitchen.
Wan Feng had already chopped the remaining wild boar meat into smaller pieces and stored them in a water tank.
The water in the tank came from a deep well and was very cold. The cold temperature would help preserve the wild boar meat’s freshness, but due to the hot weather, it was essential to consume it quickly, or it would spoil
Looking at the pile of wild boar meat, Ye Ling realized she wouldn’t be able to finish it quickly. Moreover, in rural households, meat was a rare indulgence. Eating it every week would be wasteful and might lead to boredom. It was better to have meat just once or twice a week.
Taking the wild boar meat out, Ye Ling planned to marinate it.
After her experiment with using herbs to aid cooking during lunch, Ye Ling felt like she had opened the door to a new world. Her mind suddenly expanded. She took out three different herbs from her small world and crushed them. Then, she heated coarse salt and Sichuan pepper in an iron pot, releasing their fragrances.
The wild boar meat had been cleaned, and the surface moisture quickly evaporated at the slightly elevated room temperature. Ye Ling applied a layer of white wine on the meat’s surface, followed by a layer of stir-fried salt, and finally, she brushed on the herbal juice.
With this initial treatment done, the wild boar meat needed to be marinated for a day or two. After that, it would need to be taken out and dried. During the drying process, if she wanted to enhance the meat’s fragrance, she could spray a bit of white vinegar or other flavor-enhancing substances on its surface.
In the evening, Min Nan returned home and found that Ye Ling had already finished processing the wild boar meat. He was a little depressed and said, “I told you to rest. I was planning to come back tonight to help you with the wild boar meat.”
Ye Ling explained, “My leg is much better now. I had free time in the afternoon, and besides, Big Brother Min Nan, you don’t need to worry about me.”
Seeing that Ye Ling still intended to cook, Min Nan intervened, “I’ll cook tonight. You go rest.”
Ye Ling didn’t expect Min Nan to offer to cook. Just as she was about to speak, Wan Feng burst into the room and exclaimed loudly, “No way, Lingling, I don’t want to eat anything Min Nan cooks. I’m begging you, don’t let him cook. He only knows how to boil everything and add a bit of salt. It’s like a caveman’s way of cooking. If Min Nan cooks, I’d rather go hungry tonight!”
Min Nan felt a bit awkward under Wan Feng’s scathing critique of his culinary skills. He shot Wan Feng a glare and retorted, “Didn’t you used to eat just fine?
Is your appetite now becoming more refined?”
Wan Feng gave Min Nan a gloomy look. “You’re protective of Lingling, but can’t you also be considerate of us? Please spare us from your cooking torture.”
Ye Ling smiled when she heard that. In the end, she said helplessly, “Alright, alright, stop arguing. How about this, Big Brother Min Nan? I’ll guide you from the side while you cook. I won’t cook personally, so you won’t get tired. How does that sound?”
Wan Feng’s eyes lit up. “I think that’s a good idea!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Min Nan nodded. “Okay, then I’ll get you a chair..”
