Chastity Layman 2

Chapter 228 Dongpo Meat and Transshipment Department

By the side of Taibai Canal.

Pieces of rapeseed in the Qinjiazhuang field have begun to bloom golden in the warm winter sun, adding a touch of color to the bleak winter.

The curtains surround an open-air box, and a large table is set up.

Qin Lang invited the emperor to sit down.

Sitting on the Eight Immortals table, Li Shimin looked at it curiously. This kind of high-legged new furniture is quite peculiar. Compared with the traditional sofa and table, this kind of furniture is undoubtedly a completely different style.Tang people are used to sitting on their knees, so the tables are also short-legged.

But this Eight Immortals table is very tall, with four high legs and a high stool, so that when people sit there, their feet hang down.Not to mention that today when the emperor came in private, Qin Lang simply had a dinner at the table of the Great Eight Immortals.

When the first dish was served and placed on the table, Li Shimin stared straight at it, as if looking at an exquisite work of art.

On a large shallow round porcelain plate, there was a square piece of meat that was two cents long.

Thin skin and tender meat, bright red color.

"This is?"

"Your Majesty, is this Dongpo meat?"

"What is Dongpo pork?"

"It is made by stewing the streaky ribs of the white pig that His Majesty saw just now."

Li Shimin was surprised, "Is it really pork? That pig just now?"

Ma Zhou and Wei Zheng, who were sitting with them on the table, were also amazed. The pig just now was white and fat. Although it looked cleaner than ordinary pigs, they never thought that this pig was made like this.

"Why don't you try it?"

Li Shimin was a little hesitant. Ma Zhou had been down and down before, and it was rare to be able to eat a meal of pork when he was young, so he took the initiative to lift the chopsticks at this time.

Such a large piece of meat was completely placed on the plate, but Ma Zhou went down with his chopsticks, only to find that the meat was actually very crunchy, so he picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

Ma Zhou's eyes widened immediately.

"how?"

"Your Majesty, this Dongpo meat dish has thin skin and tender meat, bright red in color, mellow and thick in taste, crunchy but not broken, fragrant and glutinous but not greasy. Half fat and half thin, the taste is fat and not greasy. It's greasy and smells like wine, it's really delicious!"

Ma Zhou could hardly believe it was pork.

"This can't be pork. I also ate pork when I was young, but no matter how the pork is cooked, it will always have a strange smell. This is not pork, and dragon meat is not an exaggeration. It's so delicious."

When Wei Zheng heard this, he couldn't help stretching out his chopsticks to pick up a piece.

As soon as you put it in your mouth and taste it, you can't help picking up another chopstick, another chopstick, and another chopstick.

He dropped his chopsticks again and again, forgetting to say anything.

Seeing this, Li Shimin couldn't help being dubious, and finally stretched out his chopsticks.

"How did you do it? Is it pork?"

Qin Lang laughed out loud.

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the meat of that pig. To be precise, it is the streaky ribs of that pig. The secret to making this dish is actually simple, just slow fire, less water, and more wine!"

"It's not just a bar, what other ingredients are there?" Li Shimin also began to chopsticks frequently.

"For this dish, I used three catties of pork ribs, two taels of green onion, two taels of frosting sugar, five taels of rice wine, one tael of ginger, and three taels of soy sauce, that's all."

This dish was cooked by Qin Lang himself. He was a foodie in his later life, and he usually likes to cook. No matter if it is a cuisine from all over the world, if he has eaten it deliciously, or where he finds it good, he will collect it by himself. Recipe, thinking about the method, just like this Dongpo dish is originally a famous Zhejiang dish. It is said that Su Dongpo created it in Huangzhou and became famous in Hangzhou.When later generations go to Hangzhou to play, basically every restaurant will have this dish.

Although Qin Lang's dish can't be said to be compared with the craftsmanship of those imperial chefs at the state banquet, it must be beyond the average family level. It is indeed a dish for Li Shimin who has not seen such a method. can't believe it.

"Why is it called Dongpo pork?"

Of course, Qin Lang could not say that this was invented by Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty. After all, Su Dongpo would not be born until hundreds of years ago, so he could only say that it was a cooking method that he thought of outside the village a few days ago.

Dongpo meat looks fat, but it is not greasy at all. It is so tender and soft that it melts in the mouth. Several people ate up this three-pound plate of meat without knowing it.

"If you have any other dishes, serve them quickly!"

Li Shimin had a big appetite and was very happy.

During this period of time, due to financial difficulties, he didn't eat well and sleep well, so he had a rare appetizer today.

Ma Zhou even called for another piece of Dongpo meat, Qin Lang hurriedly said, "Although this Dongpo meat has the effect of tonifying virtuous and nourishing blood, nourishing yin and moistening dryness, after all, it is made of fat ribs, so You can’t eat too much, it’s easy to get fat.”

After astonishing everyone with a piece of Dongpo meat, Qin Lang took advantage of the situation and asked someone to serve a lion's head.

Fist-sized meatballs, with a few emerald green vegetable leaves underneath, the meatballs are bright red in color, very attractive to look at.

"What's the name of this dish?"

"Your Majesty, this dish is called Braised Lion Head, also known as Crab Chop Meat, with two crabs on one side, it is as happy as a fairy."

"You also figured out this dish?"

"I have recently studied the book Qi Min Yao Shu. In the book, there are not only the methods of raising pigs, but also many famous dishes. Among them is a dish called Tiaowan Sunshine which is similar to this. In the south of the Yangtze River, there is sunflower chopped meat. Based on this, I have two recipes. The recipe of the dish should be improved to produce this stewed lion head. The main ingredient of this dish is the heart of pork, that is, the scorpion. It is served with shrimps, crab legs, and chopped green onion and ginger, and mixed with egg white. Heat oil in an iron pan, deep-fry the meatballs at high temperature, deep-fry until golden, take out, add oil to the pan, add ginger slices, meatballs, add seasonings, then simmer on low heat, and finally thicken the juice and put on a plate, served with roasted Just put the cabbage on the plate."

"Why only four?"

Ma Zhou looked at the four big meatballs on the plate.

"This dish also has a name, it's called Sixi Meatballs, and the four dishes look good on a plate." Qin Lang smiled and asked someone to serve another plate.

This one weighed a few taels. Ma Zhou picked one up, thinking that the cut meat would not be very tasty, but after eating it, he realized that this dish was no worse than Dongpo meat.

Li Shimin ate two big lion heads by himself, "If there are any good dishes, just serve them!"

Sauce pork knuckle skin, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, steamed pork, white pork with garlic paste, pickled pork with preserved vegetables, twice-cooked pork, pot-wrapped pork...
Finally, there is pork blood tofu.

If he is willing, Qin Lang can actually cook more than 100 pork dishes without repetition. After all, later generations will not say how many classic pork dishes there are in the famous eight major cuisines. Even if they are not included in the eight major cuisines, there are countless kinds of pork dishes How to eat.

Qin Lang just picked out a few classic specialties.

Sure enough, Li Shimin and the others began to suspect that the pork they ate before was completely different from the pork they ate now.

"I heard that some people are extremely extravagant, raising pigs to eat human milk, and the pigs they raise are extremely tender, aren't you a pig?" Wei Zheng asked suspiciously.

Qin Lang almost threw a bone at this guy, "Am I such a person? The pig is the Jiangnan white pig that you saw killed. It takes a long time to feed, and it has been raised for more than a year. It usually eats grass. , also eat bran, locust powder, soybean meal, and distiller's grains, but distiller's grains and soybean meal are not eaten much. If there is any difference between this pig and other pigs, it is that it is completely house-raised and has never been pastured, and it will be castrated after three months. pass·······"

Ma Zhou sighed, "This pork tastes better than mutton!"

Wei Zheng felt the same way.

Li Shimin picked his teeth with a toothpick, "Huai Liang, you go back and summarize these recipes, present them to the palace, and hand them over to the imperial dining room, and let them add these dishes to my imperial dining recipe."

Qin Lang reminded the emperor, "Your Majesty, you should not eat more pork, it is no better than mutton."

"Why?"

"Pork is kept in captivity all day long, eating and sleeping, so it is full of fat, while sheep walk around every day, and its body is mainly lean meat, with a lot of fat and fat. If you eat too much fat, you will easily get fat, and even block your blood vessels. Bad for your health."

"Is there still this?"

"Of course, as long as it is not excessive, then normal consumption will not affect it. It even has the effects of nourishing qi and blood. In fact, everything is the same. Enough is enough, and excess will be harmful."

Li Shimin remembered that Qin Lang had turned those pests, locusts, into delicacies, and felt that Qin Lang was a person who could perform miracles.

"Before I planned to let you be the servant of the household department, but now that I think about it, it is still difficult for people to let go of their hands and feet. Therefore, I plan to set up a new yamen, which will be fully presided over by you. It will be fully responsible for finance and taxation, market transactions, Salt and iron, casting coins, water transportation and regular warehouses!"

This official can take care of a lot, which is equivalent to not being the Minister of the Ministry of Households, but also having many powers such as Taifu Temple Minister, Sinon Temple Minister, Shaofu Supervisor, etc.

Li Shimin really trusted him enough.

"Wei Zheng, Ma Zhou, what do you think the name of this new department should be?"

Wei Zheng suggested, "Why don't we just call him Yantiesi?"

"I thought it could be called the Salt and Iron Transshipment Department."

Li Shimin thought about it, and the salt and iron transfer department, salt and iron transfer and transfer were all reflected, but the finance, taxation and water transportation were not reflected, "how about the full name Changping Duzhi salt and iron transfer department?"

Wei Zheng felt that the name was a bit long!
"Huailiang, what do you think?" the emperor asked Qin Lang.

Qin Lang thought to himself, I haven't even agreed to accept this job yet, but you guys are fast.But judging by the emperor's attitude, it is estimated that this errand will depend on him again.

"I think it's better to call it the Transshipment Department and keep a low profile."

"Okay, just listen to Saburo, call the transshipment department, you come to be the transshipment envoy, and I will hand over the taxation, market transactions, salt and iron, casting money, water transportation, and Changping to you. Tell me now, you Is there any way to get a sum of money quickly to alleviate the current financial difficulties?"

"Borrow money!"

Qin Lang only said two words.

This was beyond the emperor's expectations, not even Ma Zhou and Wei Zheng thought of it.

"Borrow money?"

"Yes, borrowing money. Right now, the finances are running out of water. The imperial court urgently needs money to pay the forbidden army, pay the salaries of hundreds of officials, and prepare for the Zhengdan Grand Court next year. Money is needed everywhere, and the Chinese New Year is coming soon. No matter what reforms are to be made, It is difficult to quench the thirst in the distant water, so I propose to borrow a sum of money to tide over this difficulty."

Li Shimin laughed.

"Qin Sanlang, Qin Sanlang, you really surprise me everywhere!"

(End of this chapter)