I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 537 - 265: Crocodile Meat is Really Delicious! Master Wei, Can You Take Me Home Tonight? [Seeking Monthly Ticket]
In the kitchen, upon hearing his father-in-law praise him so highly, Lin Xu helplessly sighed. With my father-in-law’s attitude that his son-in-law is always the best, it’s only a matter of time before this public persona I have goes down... Indeed, one fan is worth ten haters.
He planned to use his points to redeem all the Basic Cooking Techniques, lest his father-in-law, his most devoted fan, inadvertently highlight his flaws.
The crocodile vendor was quite considerate and had already turned the crocodile intestine inside out and given them a preliminary wash.
Now, Lin Xu just needed to wash them a few more times with flour, salt, and cooking oil, similar to how Pork Large Intestine is cleaned.
As for making the intestines crispy, he specifically needed to wash them with baking soda.
Once everything was in order, Lin Xu began to cook.
He took out the soaked crocodile fat from the water and sliced it into mahjong-sized pieces. He then placed them in the frying pan, brought the pan over to the stove, added a bowl of water, and started to simmer.
The general method for rendering animal fat was basically the same. It involved chopping it into large pieces, putting them in the pot, and adding water to simmer. This allowed the water to slowly evaporate while the fat slowly rendered out.
By the time the water had completely evaporated, the fat had also given off a fragrant aroma.
"What’s this?"
Shen Baobao noticed that during her brief moment out to drink water, a pot of oil was already on the stove, filled with white chunks of crocodile fat.
"I’m rendering crocodile fat. Later on, you can try the crocodile cracklings. They should taste better than Pork Grease."
Crocodile fat isn’t as greasy as pork fat and naturally has a rich, fresh flavor. This flavor might be a blend of pork fat and chicken fat.
Cooking with this type of fat—not to mention crocodile meat—even just a handful of the most ordinary vegetables could significantly enhance one’s appetite.
The process of rendering crocodile fat is quite lengthy and relatively safe, so Lin Xu left Baobao in charge of it, "Call me when these bits of fat turn golden brown. If they haven’t, just keep waiting. Don’t worry; this oil will only get more fragrant the longer you render it. You can’t ruin it by over-rendering."
Although rendering crocodile fat merely involved watching over it and nothing else, it gave Baobao a strong sense of participation.
She even specifically recorded a brief video of the busy kitchen to share with their group chat.
"Today, Xu and I are cooking an All Crocodile Banquet. I’ll invite everyone to try it when there’s a chance!"
Not long after she sent the message, Chen Yan, who had just finished washing the crocodile liver and lungs, chimed in, "So, was I bustling about for nothing? I contributed to this All Crocodile Banquet too! If you don’t add my name, I won’t let you two off the hook!"
Lin Xu, who was moving an entire crocodile spine to the workbench, couldn’t help but laugh. It’s not like we’re writing some high-level academic paper; do you two really need to show off your credentials like this?
He propped up the crocodile spine on the cutting board and trimmed off the thicker parts. This separated the tenderloin and the back meat, making it easier for the large bones to cook through.
The trimmed tenderloins and back meat could also be stir-fried or deep-fried.
After removing the excess meat, Lin Xu grabbed the Bone Chopper, chopped the spine into large pieces, and then rinsed them with water, ready to start making Braised Pork Ribs.
These large bones could also be used for making broth.
But since he had already decided to use the tail tip for soup, making another soup dish would be repetitive. So, he decided to make Braised Pork Ribs instead, to let his father-in-law taste the flavors of home again.
He placed a large wok on the stove and poured a little cooking oil into the pan. Then, he scooped a few pieces of the rendering crocodile fat into it and added half a spoonful of pork lard.
Once the oil was heated, he added Scallion and Ginger, garlic, and dried chili, frying them until fragrant. Then, he added two large spoonfuls of Northeastern Big Sauce and sautéed it until fragrant. Finally, he added water, Dark Soy Sauce, and Crystal Sugar, and put in the bones.
When the liquid in the pot began to boil, he transferred it to a pressure cooker.
He added a few star anises, several bay leaves, and a piece of cinnamon. Then, he covered the pot and started stewing.
Since the Northeastern Big Sauce is quite salty, there was no need for further seasoning. The mixture would be pressure-cooked for about an hour, until the meat on the bones was fall-off-the-bone tender and ready to eat.
Next, using the steps for making crystal sugar hocks, Lin Xu fried the slightly smaller crocodile claws until partially cooked, then stewed them in another pressure cooker. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Like the large bones, these claws needed to be pressure-cooked for about an hour to achieve a state where the skin was crispy, the meat tender, and the sauce gelatinous.
As for the hind claws, Lin Xu planned to cut them into large chunks and braise them.
However, it was a bit early to start braising them now; he needed to hurry up and start on the tail tip soup first to satisfy the ladies’ cravings for collagen.
He filled a clay pot used for soup with spring water and heated it. Then, he added the washed and chopped tail tip, along with Codonopsis, Astragalus, Cordyceps, Scallion and Ginger, salt, and Crystal Sugar. After covering the pot, he let it simmer on low heat.
While Lin Xu was busy in the kitchen, the living room filled with more and more relatives.
Having just enjoyed a feast at Lin Ji the day before, everyone’s appetite was somewhat lacking. But the prospect of an All Crocodile Banquet today filled everyone with anticipation for dinner.
"It’s said that every part of a crocodile is precious," Shen Guofu, with a cigar in his mouth, said confidently, reflecting his pride in his son-in-law’s skills. "So today, let’s see if crocodile is really as good as the legends say."
He was even curious whether the crocodile bought that day was big enough to satisfy everyone’s meat cravings.
After all, a ninety-some-pound crocodile might seem large, but once its skin and entrails were removed, along with the bones, not much meat would be left.
"Guofu, don’t just think about eating meat; have some veggies too," Mrs. Han, the newly minted cat lover, holding Dundun, seriously advised her son-in-law.
