Siheyuan: Tathagata's Palm suppresses the entire courtyard!

When the judges began to announce the results, there was silence in the arena. Every chef held their breath and stared at the judges on the stage.

"Xu Mingjie's 'Spicy Flame Shrimp' has great color, aroma and flavor, especially his control of heat and creative presentation," said a judge, and then gave him an approving look.

Then, another judge said: "He Yuzhu's 'Squirrel Mandarin Fish' shows his profound skills in traditional cuisine. His knife skills and seasoning are first-class."

Finally, the results of the competition were announced - Xu Mingjie and He Yuzhu tied for first place. This result was unexpected, but also reasonable. Applause broke out in the arena, and many chefs congratulated the two.

Xu Mingjie was excited and moved. He knew that this competition was a great encouragement and affirmation for him. But more importantly, he learned something new from He Yuzhu - how to maintain awe and respect for tradition while innovating. He Yuzhu walked to Xu Mingjie and said with a smile: "Mingjie, you performed very well today. You are no longer the boy who only knew how to cut vegetables."

Xu Mingjie looked at He Yuzhu gratefully, his heart full of respect and gratitude: "Brother He, without your teaching, I would never have achieved what I have today."

He Yuzhu smiled slightly: "You have done very well. Next, there is still a long way to go, but I believe that you will go further and further."

That night, he recalled every detail of the competition and couldn't calm down for a long time. He understood that today's competition was not only a victory, but also a new starting point. From now on, he would no longer be just a follower, but would go out of his own way and create his own culinary world.

Xu Mingjie's mind was filled with future scenes. He saw himself standing on a bigger stage, competing with more top chefs and challenging himself. His heart was filled with fighting spirit, and he also felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility - he wanted to use his own hands to expand the road of culinary art and go further and further.

A few days after the competition, Xu Mingjie was still immersed in the memory of the competition. The feeling of standing in front of so many top chefs to show his work made him excited and nervous, as if he was climbing a peak and had to be extra cautious with every step. However, he knew that this was just the beginning and there were more challenges waiting for him ahead.

One afternoon, Xu Mingjie was busy in the restaurant's kitchen. Today, he planned to try a new dish - "spicy pig intestines". Pig intestines are a favorite of many diners, especially when the weather is getting cooler, the rich flavor and greasy taste of pig intestines always bring a special sense of satisfaction.

But this dish was a big challenge for Xu Mingjie. He never particularly liked pig intestines, thinking they were greasy, heavy and lacked layers. He knew that cooking pig intestines required great skills, not only to remove the fishy smell, but also to minimize the greasiness while maintaining its flavor. In order to make this dish more refined, he decided to try a new processing method.

Xu Mingjie carefully cleaned the pig intestines, removed impurities and excess grease, and then marinated them with a specially prepared spice. He wanted to neutralize the greasiness of the pig intestines through the layering of seasonings, retaining the unique flavor of the pig intestines while making the whole dish more refreshing. He repeatedly pondered every step in his mind, fearing that any mistake would occur in any link.

When the pig intestines were put into the pot, a strong aroma with a hint of spiciness filled the kitchen. While frying, Xu Mingjie carefully observed the changes in the pig intestines. He controlled the heat very precisely, striving to make the pig intestines crispy while keeping the inside tender and smooth.

However, when he tasted the pig intestines he had carefully prepared, his brows furrowed slightly - although the pig intestines had a strong flavor, the greasy feeling still made him feel that it was not ideal. He put down his chopsticks, pondered for a while, and felt a little lost.

"Why do I always feel that pig intestines are too greasy? It is such a popular dish. Is it my personal preference that affects my judgment?" Xu Mingjie asked himself repeatedly in his heart, trying to find the root of the problem. He knows that the chef's responsibility is not only to cook according to his own preferences, but more importantly to meet the needs and expectations of customers.

At this time, an old customer walked into the kitchen and said to him with a smile: "Mingjie, what new dishes do you have today? They smell delicious!"

Xu Mingjie looked up and saw that it was Uncle Liu, a regular customer of the restaurant, so he smiled and said, "Uncle Liu, I tried the spicy pork intestines today, but I always felt that it was a bit greasy. Would you like to try it and give me some advice?"

Uncle Liu laughed: "Okay, I'm willing to try what you cook." He picked up a piece of pig intestines with chopsticks and savored it carefully. I nervously observed Uncle Liu's expression, silently praying that he could give some constructive suggestions. Uncle Liu smacked his lips and nodded: "It tastes good, spicy and flavorful, and the pig intestines are quite crispy, but it is indeed a bit greasy. It would be better if you could remove the greasiness."

Hearing Uncle Liu's words, Xu Mingjie nodded and thought to himself. He knew that he still had room for improvement in this dish. Uncle Liu's words confirmed his intuition that the greasiness of the pig intestines was indeed a problem, but this was also the challenge.

Xu Mingjie gradually came up with a new idea in his mind - maybe he could try a new cooking method to reduce the greasiness of pig intestines. He decided to challenge himself again, not only to make a perfect "spicy pig intestines", but also to break through the limitations of his cooking skills.

So he started a new round of experiments. He first tried to cook the pig intestines in advance and add some lemon juice and vinegar when cooking, which not only removed the fishy smell but also removed some of the fat. Then, he used less oil when frying and added some refreshing side dishes, such as green peppers and onions, hoping that the refreshing taste of these ingredients could neutralize the greasiness of the pig intestines.

After several attempts, Xu Mingjie finally felt that he had found the feeling. He served the newly improved "spicy pork intestines" and asked Uncle Liu to taste it again. This time, Uncle Liu's eyes lit up after taking a taste: "Wow, this time it's really different! The taste of the pork intestines is still strong, but it is less greasy and tastes more comfortable." He was filled with joy. He finally found a breakthrough in a problem that he thought was difficult, which not only satisfied the taste of customers, but also improved his control over the pork intestines.