Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 384 - 385: Low-Temperature Slow Roasting with High-Temperature Searing
The tandoor and the charcoal pit are seamlessly connected.
The temperature that didn’t have time to drop was instantly reignited.
Moreover, because it’s closer to the charcoal fire, the temperature is much higher than inside the tandoor. The highest temperature in the tandoor is only about 350 degrees, at most medium temperature. Wang Fan even specifically controlled the temperature, with the tandoor only reaching 200 degrees at most, which can only be considered medium temperature slow roasting.
Both low-temperature slow roasting and medium-temperature slow roasting have their unique advantages, but how can you taste the most perfect meat without the involvement of high-temperature grilling?
The lamb roasted at medium temperature has already had the fat inside forced out from the inside, with tiny drops of fat gathering on the surface of the lamb, making it look incredibly enticing.
Wang Fan held a brush in his hand, evenly spreading the seeped lamb oil over the lamb’s body. The fresh scent of this fat is far superior to any other oil and also makes the lamb’s flavor purer.
The evenly spread lamb oil acts under high temperature to sear the outer layer of the lamb skin, making it redder and crispier, and instantly locks in the moisture of the meat beneath the skin.
Until now, Wang Fan was quite satisfied with every step.
This top-quality roasted whole lamb will definitely not be ruined in his hands!
There was suddenly a person with a small floral cap beside Mr. Zhuo, appearing to be about forty, not in the same age group as Mr. Zhuo at all.
In fact, though, the two had grown up together. This person is Zaike.
Every time Zaike saw Mr. Zhuo, he was full of resentment; they had agreed to grow up and grow old together, but damn, they only ended up growing up while only he got old!
Going out with this worthless guy, people would believe him if he said he is his son!
"You damn wolf poop, if you don’t grow old soon, I could become your grandfather!"
Mr. Zhuo raised his eyebrows with a smug look: "It’s not up to me, you know. I just wash my face and use some soap, that’s all. Yet, I just don’t age. Isn’t that infuriating?"
"Say one more word and I’ll strangle you right now!"
Mr. Zhuo coughed and stopped being pretentious, pointing at Wang Fan he said: "Look at his skills; is there anything that needs improvement? You know how young people are about saving face. If it tastes bad once roasted, face will be lost."
Zaike snorted and didn’t respond to him anymore, while Zhuo Qianqian also noticed him and ran over, sweetly calling out "Uncle Zaike."
As her father’s childhood friend, she often visited Zaike’s place when she was little, learning the skills of skewering and grilling meat from him.
When Zaike saw Zhuo Qianqian, it was as if he saw his own daughter, and his eyes instantly squinted with delight.
"Oh, it’s only been half a year and you’re all grown up. I heard that the one grilling is your boyfriend?"
Zhuo Qianqian nodded: "I’ll bring him over in a bit to learn the art of grilling from you."
Zaike laughed heartily: "No problem, no problem. I will teach your boyfriend everything without holding back."
Mr. Zhuo added sarcastically: "To be honest, it’s still uncertain who will teach whom."
Zaike felt sick as if he had swallowed a fly, looking at Mr. Zhuo with an annoyed expression: "That’s not what you said before!"
...
Wang Fan had put all his heart and soul into preparing the roasted whole lamb.
His enthusiasm was even hotter than the charcoal fire beneath the lamb.
The lamb was occasionally flipped on the large grill, and Wang Fan would occasionally move the charcoal underneath.
The finely crushed spices in his hand were sprinkled on the lamb from time to time, making the already enticing lamb look even more appetizing.
The townsfolk naturally wouldn’t pass up such a scene, with a camera capturing Wang Fan and the roasted whole lamb in his hands from every angle.
Under Zhuo Qianqian’s lead, Zaike had reached a spot not far behind Wang Fan. Watching Wang Fan’s movements, he first frowned, but upon seeing the condition of the lamb, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.
Compared to the Northern Border, Southern Border barbecue is relatively lighter, aiming to highlight the meat’s original flavor. Many people from outside may not be accustomed to this characteristic, while the barbecue from the Northern Border is more easily accepted.
Zaike is a typical example of the Southern Border barbecue style.
Seeing Wang Fan constantly adding spices, he instinctively thought they were ruining the year-and-a-half-old good lamb.
How could you taste the lamb’s flavor with all that!
But after closely observing the state of the lamb, he realized he was wrong.
There were indeed many spices on the lamb, but it was far from excessive.
It was evident that this young fellow wasn’t using the Great Border’s customary marinade technique; just by looking at the state of the lamb skin, one could see.
A thin layer of seasoning complemented the naturally glazed red and glossy color of the lamb meat, and within the rich aroma of meat, only a subtle hint of spice could be detected.
The savory aroma of the meat was extremely intense, and the impact of the spices on this aroma was barely noticeable, with cumin being the only spice slightly evident.
However, this hint of cumin flavor effectively transformed the gamy smell of lamb into a tantalizing aroma that whets the appetite!
Such a delicate gaminess turned from being unpleasant to appetite-inducing, with the crucial element being the slightly pronounced cumin aroma!
Observing the details on the lamb closely, it was simply an eye-opener.
Heavier seasoning was applied to thicker sections like the legs and shoulders, while less was used on thinner parts, and the color of the lamb’s outer layer looked absolutely delicious with the naked eye.
Moreover, the movement of the charcoal underneath wasn’t just for show; it was genuinely adjusted based on how the meat was cooked.
This made the whole roasted lamb appear completely uniform in color!
It’s known that the Great Border’s roasted whole lamb achieves uniformity largely due to the marinating process. The color is mostly due to the outer layer of honey sauce, but this lamb had no marinade!
Could this really be achieved purely through technique?!
The more Zaike watched, the more astonished he became, and the more unbelievable it seemed, even beginning to question his own career.
Do I lack talent? Should I not be in this industry? Is this young man like that scoundrel Zhuo Yuanshan, appearing young but actually almost forty?
No, he definitely exaggerates even more than that scoundrel Zhuo Yuanshan. He’s surely already 50, with extensive experience in roasting whole lambs!
Zaike’s current mood could only be described as shocked.
This display of roasting whole lamb demonstrated so many technical aspects, it was astonishingly overwhelming!
It seriously made Zaike question whether he had previously ruined the ingredients.
"If I, as an uncle, ask him for advice...he wouldn’t hold back, would he?"
Zhuo Qianqian couldn’t help but smile wryly, listening to Uncle Zaike’s self-talk. Even when on Mount Tai, he vaguely felt that the boss’s barbecue tasted slightly better than Uncle Zaike’s. Unexpectedly, at their first meeting, Uncle Zaike was already considering learning the art of grilling lamb from the boss!
