I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 110



Only Noblemtl

I got the omnipotent tongue 110

Why is this delicious?

I went into the kitchen and opened the dry-aging cabinet. Various cuts of beef were placed on racks, waiting to be aged and taken out.

I have never heard of dry-aging veal. The reason is simple. There would be no reason to do it. I think that flavor can be filled with spices, herbs, and butter, and that sauces can be used to add flavor. However, for someone like me who values ​​the flavor of the meat itself, I would definitely not like veal. Just as ham and prosciutto develop flavor as they age, I think veal would do the same.

I started aging various parts of the bill in the storage. I think it would be good to use the part with the bone. I like the rib eye the best.

It takes a long time for the meat to age properly. I decided to plan the rest of the course during that time.

This course aims to visualize the image of Segreto soaring. In other words, we will create an amuse-bouche with the theme of change.

Change, metamorphosis, growth.

When I think of these words, two images come to mind. One is a butterfly. If you were to express the transformation from an egg to a caterpillar and finally to a colorful butterfly, it would be a dramatic appetizer in itself. However, a dish shaped like a caterpillar? I think some people might be reluctant to eat it.

The second is flowers. From seeds, cotyledons and stems grow, and finally leaves bloom. And capturing the beautiful blooming of flowers seems like a romantic and challenging endeavor. I started to compose the course with this image in my head.

* * *

The appetizer is now almost finished.

I sat down on the chair and exhaled. I had tried to find a flavor that fit the theme through numerous trials and errors over the past month. Fortunately, I could feel that my efforts were not in vain and that I was getting closer to the desired result little by little. Now, if I just match it well with the main dish, I think I can see the overall appearance of the course.

Beep beep beep

The alarm set for one month rings. Dry aging is complete. I go into the aging room and examine the meat. The outside is covered with white mold. I approach and smell it, and I can smell the characteristic smoky aroma of aged meat.

‘Okay.’

I wanted to give it this flavor, but I don’t know what it tastes like yet.

I took a piece of ribeye to taste and shaped it into a steak. It is known in Korea as a tomahawk. When I cut it, I was in trouble. It was my first time dry-aging a bill, so I didn’t know what kind of cooking method would suit it. At times like this, I had no choice but to try them one by one.

First, I decided to try pan-searing the steak the traditional way.

Heat the oil in a pan. The ribeye, which has not been salted or peppered, shines brightly in the light. Since it is veal, it is only half the size of a regular beef cut. I put the meat in a moderately heated pan.

Cheeeeek

The meat cooks with a delicious sound. The Maillard reaction occurs a little faster because the moisture is lost during maturation. After searing both sides sufficiently, I lowered the heat and started to cook the inside. After about 4 minutes, a perfectly cooked bill steak is in front of me.

I was reaching for the garlic and thyme out of habit, but stopped in the middle. While resting, I unconsciously tried to make the sauce. Today, the first thing is to properly know the taste of the meat. My heart is pounding for the first time in a long time when I see the unknown ingredients.

After the resting was over, I tried cutting the meat.

“It’s white.”

The cut section didn’t show the characteristic red meat of beef. It showed white meat, like when pork is cooked. I cut it into small pieces and put it in my mouth. Then I closed my eyes and tasted it.

The meat is chewed softly. It is really soft. It is a unique meat that is different from the sirloin and any other cuts, even though it is lean beef. The beef flavor is barely noticeable. However, the yeast that was activated during the aging process is working. The soft veal and the cheesy, savory flavor of the veal meet to create a unique harmony.

But this also gave me a problem. It was difficult to use any existing recipe, from the cooking method to the sauce. When I cooked it the way I usually cook steak, it ended up being overcooked. And I think I need to think of a new sauce that suits this uniquely flavored meat.

I have tried grilling steaks in various ways since then. The most suitable method, funny enough, was charcoal. When I think about it, it is not without logic. The meat is so tender that grilling the outside with charcoal is more delicious.

But will the guests be convinced by this? I cut the bill thinly and grilled it on a grill, sprinkling salt on it, just like grilling meat at a Korean beef restaurant. I concentrated my mind on infusing the meat with the scent of charcoal and inducing the Maillard reaction. Then I sprinkled a little pepper and put it in my mouth.

“Wow. This was the right answer.”

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been surprised by food. The flavor of dry-aged veal came alive when it met charcoal and fire. When I put it in my mouth and chewed, my teeth went in smoothly and the meat juice burst. And my mouth was filled with happiness. Bill’s steak cut wasn’t the right answer. The most delicious thickness was 1 centimeter.

“What should I do with this?”

What kind of sauce would be good for this? I prepared various sauces.

I tried everything from Fond de Veau, made with beef bone broth, to Sauce Perigueux, made with truffle and Madeira, to the all-time favorite demi-glace, but none of them really caught my eye.

“Isn’t ssamjang supposed to go with grilled meat?”

I turn my eyes and see a refrigerator. It is a refrigerator where the staff members store their personal ingredients. I open the door and see ssamjang. Is it Soyoung’s? Let’s take it out and see that there is a name written on it.

“Oh my god. Why does Ella have ssamjang?”

I couldn’t help but say it out loud. It seems she was impressed by the pork belly she had eaten in Korea. I apologized to her in my heart and put some ssamjang on top. Then I put it on top of the grilled bill and ate it.

It’s like eating a special cut at a fancy beef restaurant. But it’s much richer. The ssamjang doesn’t overpower the flavor of the fermented meat, but rather mixes naturally with it, transforming it into another flavor.

“I can’t tell if it’s because I’m Korean that it tastes good or if the ssamjang goes well with it.”

No matter how good my taste buds are, there are definitely individual likes and dislikes. What tastes good to me doesn’t mean everyone likes it. I felt the need to verify this.

The next day after business, I left Soyoung, Rachel, Ella, Sam, and Dominic behind.

“What’s going on, Chef?”

The chefs looked nervous because I had never called them out like this before.

“Don’t be nervous. I called you today to ask you to do a tasting. It’s hard for me to judge on my own.”

“It’s a strange feeling to be asked to do a tasting by a chef with the world’s greatest sense of taste. It also seems like a good thing.”

Rachel laughs and rolls her eyes.

“From now on, you will be eating the same dish with different sauces. Please rate them in order of taste. You must rank them. There will be four, so first place will receive four points, and last place will receive one point.”

I set up the grill in front of the chefs and started grilling Bill’s ribeye cut into 1cm pieces. Everyone gulped and salivated as the delicious smell filled the kitchen. It was the time when people were hungry after work.

“It’s Veal.”

Since it’s an essential ingredient in French cuisine, Rachel finds out first.

“That’s right. It’s dry-aged. It’ll be a new taste for Rachel, too.”

I placed freshly grilled meat on each person’s plate.

“Let’s start with Porbrown first.”

When I serve them the sauce, they immediately pour it over the meat and cut it with a knife to taste it.

“It’s incredibly delicious. This is my first time eating veal and I had no idea it could be this delicious.”

Dominic is making a fuss. Bill is an unfamiliar meat even to Americans. Most of them will be eating it for the first time.

“This is a special case because it’s dry-aged. It usually feels a little different. It’s delicious as is, but this is really special. It’s such a rich-flavored bill. It goes well with the sauce. The heavy beef bone broth complements the light flavor of the bill.”

Rachel is right. But if you say it differently, it also means that you eat the meat for the taste of the sauce. Then, you lose the meaning of aging.

I gave the meat and sauce to the chefs one by one, and they nodded and expressed admiration while checking the score sheet I gave them. Soyoung was writing something down on the side as she thought of something.

“This is the last one.”

I put some ssamjang on the meat and gave it to them. Soyoung was shocked when she realized what the ssamjang was.

“Chef!”

“Okay, just try it.”

They eat the meat all at once, and let out a gasp just as I did.

“wow.”

“I understand why you called us.”

“Why is this delicious?”

“Chef. This is my ssamjang..”

“Now grade it and give it to me.”

The chefs fill in the boxes without much thought and then hand over the scoring sheet.

For Brown came in second, Demi-glace in third, and Perigueux in fourth. And Ssamjang took first place unanimously. Rather than being happy, I felt relieved that my taste buds were not at fault.

“Why did this result come about?”

Rachel looks confused as she says that ssamjang tastes better than French sauces.

“I think it’s probably because of the way it’s cooked. It’s like Korean barbecue, with charcoal, a grill, and direct fire. And this meat doesn’t go well with existing sauces. There were almost no sauces that matched Bill’s aged flavor. I tried many different things, but I couldn’t find a sauce that matched, so I ended up testing ssamjang.”

“It was definitely a meat with a unique flavor. I can understand why the chef was concerned.”

Soyoung nods and says.

“I’m thinking of making this the main course of a new course. Meat grilled over an open fire is the most delicious when eaten right away. The main course has to be gueridon service (a service where the chef comes to the customer’s table and cooks the food). But I need to first learn how to grill meat.”

If you light a brazier in front of the table and grill meat over direct heat, it will be a good memory for your guests. It is enjoyable to see the meat they are going to eat being cooked right before their eyes.

“I’m busy, is that okay?”

Our kitchen is non-stop. It looks like Jenny may have to do her main job for the first time in a while.

“You all know that, right? If you start, something will work out.”

“But are you really going to serve the ssamjang as is?”

Soyoung’s question is valid. I find it absurd to think that there would be ssamjang at a fine dining restaurant.

“That’s impossible. I’m thinking of making a completely different sauce inspired by the taste of ssamjang. It’ll take time, but it could become a new restaurant’s repertoire.”

If I can just capture the image of the taste properly, I can make as many sauces as I want.

“Even though the chef has become so successful, he never stops. He always thinks and creates new dishes.”

Sam looks at me and speaks with a look that seems to indicate he knows something but doesn’t.

“Why do you feel so insignificant?”

“No. That’s why I like it. Because I have a milestone in life. I’m sure that if I set my goal as a chef and run with all my might, I will never end up as a mediocre chef. Please continue to support me.”

Sam bows his head in the Korean style.

When did this guy get so big? I couldn’t help but feel my heart sink at Sam’s words.