Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

Since He Yuzhu started learning cooking from He Daqing, his life has become much more fulfilling. Every morning, before the light in the yard is fully lit, He Daqing is already busy in the kitchen. At this time, he usually prepares the materials for He Yuzhu to learn today. He Yuzhu has gradually gotten used to this new life. He gets up early every day, stands beside his father, and studies seriously.

He Yuzhu is not a natural cooking expert, but he is special in one respect: once he makes up his mind to do something, he will go all out. This kind of tenacity and persistence is very gratifying. Although He Yuzhu sometimes does not do his job well or even makes mistakes, He Daqing never blames him, but patiently explains and demonstrates over and over again.

On this day, He Daqing decided to teach He Yuzhu how to prepare ingredients. This is the most critical step in cooking. If you master it well, the dishes will be delicious and tasty. If you don't master it well, no matter how good your cooking skills are, they can't make up for it.

"Yuzhui, today we are going to talk about ingredients." He Daqing said to He Yuzhui while preparing the ingredients.

After listening to this, He Yuzhu realized that the ingredients his father was talking about were by no means as simple as adding some salt and soy sauce. Instead, it required a clear understanding of the taste and characteristics of each seasoning in order to accurately grasp the appropriate timing and amount.

"Dad, I know ingredients are important, but is this thing particularly difficult to learn?" He Yuzhu asked hesitantly.

He Daqing smiled and said, "It's true that it's not easy to prepare ingredients, but it's not as complicated as you think. As long as you master the basic principles and add your own experience and feeling, you can do it well."

He Yuzhu nodded. Although he was still a little nervous, he was more looking forward to the new knowledge.

He Daqing first took out some common seasonings and placed them on the table, including soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, sugar, salt, MSG, pepper, aniseed, etc.

"These are the most basic seasonings, and each has its own unique function," He Daqing said, pointing at the seasonings one by one. "Soy sauce is mainly used to adjust the color and enhance the flavor, vinegar can remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor, cooking wine is also a good helper to remove the fishy smell, and white sugar can neutralize the taste and make the dishes more mellow... Each seasoning has its own unique taste and function. What you have to do is to find the best match for them in different dishes."

He Yuzhu listened carefully, but he also knew that he couldn't learn by just listening, and he had to try it himself. He picked up the soy sauce, looked at the bottle carefully, and thought about how to apply this knowledge in actual operation.

"Dad, how should we combine these seasonings to make the dish the best?" He Yuzhu asked. He was secretly delighted that his son could think about the problem actively, which showed that he had begun to really study hard.

"You are right. The combination of seasonings is very important." He Daqing continued, "However, the use of seasonings is not rigid. Different dishes require different combinations, and the proportion of seasonings in the same dish can also be adjusted according to personal taste. The most important thing is that you need to understand the characteristics of these seasonings and know when and how to add them."

He Daqing picked up a piece of pork and said, "Today we are going to make a braised pork. This is the first complicated dish I will teach you. The key to making a good braised pork is the combination of seasonings and the control of the heat. First, cut the pork into pieces, remember to make sure they are of uniform size. He started cutting the meat immediately. His knife skills were much better than at the beginning, and the pieces of meat he cut were basically the same size. He nodded with satisfaction.

Then, He Daqing began to instruct him on how to marinate the meat. "First, add salt, just a little, not too much. Then add some cooking wine, to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor. Next is soy sauce, which is the main color of the braised pork, but don't put too much, otherwise it will be too salty. Finally, add some sugar, which can make the meat smoother and more tender and enhance the flavor."

He Yuzhu carefully followed his father's instructions, put in each seasoning carefully, and then began to stir. While stirring, he repeatedly thought about the role and proportion of these seasonings in his mind. His father explained it very clearly, but he still felt that this knowledge was like a mountain, pressing him a little breathless.

"Dad, I still don't quite understand how to find the right ratio of sugar and soy sauce?" He Yuzhu asked with a frown.

He Daqing smiled slightly, "There is no fixed standard for the proportion of ingredients. It should be adjusted according to the type of dish and the taste you want. This requires experience. The more you do it, the more you will master it. Today is your first try. Follow the amount that Dad taught you. After you do it a few more times, you will find the proportion that suits you. He understood what his father meant. Experience can only be accumulated through continuous practice. It is impossible to achieve success overnight. He took a deep breath and decided to do as his father suggested.

After marinating the meat, He Daqing began to teach him how to stir-fry sugar color. "To make the braised pork delicious, stir-frying sugar color is very important. If the sugar color is stir-fried well, the color of the meat will be bright red and the taste will be richer. Come, I will demonstrate it today, you watch carefully."

He Daqing lit the fire, poured a little oil into the pot after it was hot, then added sugar and simmered it slowly over low heat. The sugar gradually melted in the pot and turned into an amber liquid. He Yuzhu watched intently. He knew that this step was very critical. Once the sugar was overcooked, the whole dish would be ruined.

"When you see the color getting darker and approaching red, you need to add water immediately, otherwise the sugar will become mushy," He Daqing explained as he operated.

He Yuzhu watched carefully, his palms sweating with nervousness. He knew that he would have to try it himself next, and whether the sugar color was fried well would directly determine the success or failure of this dish.

After He Daqing fried the sugar color, he poured in the marinated meat and simmered it slowly over medium heat. The meat rolled in the pot, gradually dyed with an attractive reddish-brown color, and the aroma was overflowing.

"The heat is also very important," He Daqing continued to explain. "Braised pork should be stewed slowly over medium or low heat so that the meat can be soft and tasty. If the heat is too high, the outside will be cooked but the inside will not be cooked through, and the taste will be bad."

He Yuzhu nodded and wrote down these details, feeling a little bit excited and a little bit nervous. He watched his father's skillful operation and secretly made up his mind to master these skills as soon as possible so that he could also be independent.

Under his father's guidance, the braised pork was finally ready. He Daqing served a bowl and said, "Come, try it and see how it feels."

He Yuzhu took the bowl, his heartbeat quickened. He carefully picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth. Instantly, a rich aroma spread on the tip of his tongue.