I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 56



Only Noblemtl

Best steak

“Hello, viewers. A classy entertainment show, a helpful educational program for daily life, Gourmet Road is starting now.”

As Yoo Han-young gives his opening remarks, the camera turns to the panelists.

“What about educational broadcasting? Last week’s lunchbox special was a flop, so now they’re trying to wash it with steak.”

Panelist Park Chan-soo teases Yoo Chan-young to make it easier for him to make comments.

“Oh! You shouldn’t say that. Our show aims for realism. Are all of you viewers good at cooking? No, you’re not. Among the viewers, there are many who can’t cook like Soo-Jung. It would be great to see those people rehabilitate themselves and make delicious meals.”

“Why are you tripping me up again when I’m just sitting still? I’m not that easy. And what sin have I committed to rehabilitate myself?”

Jeong Su-jeong gets upset.

“But you can’t cook.”

“That’s true. But you keep asking me to make something even though you already know everything.”

Soo-Jung’s voice gets smaller and smaller, as if she is embarrassed about not being able to cook.

“If Soo-jung overcomes adversity and becomes a good cook, wouldn’t the viewers feel catharsis? It’s a feeling of sympathy.”

“I hope so.”

“There are probably many viewers who feel the same way. That’s why we do various special features like this, provide cooking opportunities, and invite various chefs, right?”

“I guess someone great is coming out today too?”

Soo-Jeong asks while looking at Chan-Su.

“Isn’t that so? Usually, if the cooking is a failure the previous week, the producer tries his best to come up with a delicious picture the next week.”

“Oh! Even if it’s not like that, that’s what happens. Today’s broadcast is really helpful to the viewers and the panelists.

Everyone! Do you eat a lot of pork belly at home? But are there many people who cook their own steak at home?

“I tried it a few times before and failed so many times that now I just go out and eat.”

Sujeong speaks as if she has been liberated.

“I also tend to buy steaks because after I grill them, the oil splatters and makes a mess in the kitchen, and they don’t taste as good as I’d like.”

Chansoo also agrees after seeing the correction.

“That’s right. There are more than one or two stories on the message boards these days of people who tried to cook steak at home and failed. I’ve checked over 100 of them. Why is it so hard to cook steak? Isn’t it just about grilling meat?

“We have another panelist today who will explain this in more detail. Please welcome him. We will be welcoming Mr. Oh Seung-ho, a big name in the domestic restaurant industry.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Seungho Oh, the CEO of ‘Oh Happy Table.’”

“The CEO strongly refused to appear on TV, but we persistently persuaded him and he finally agreed to appear. But why don’t you appear on TV often?”

CEO Oh Seung-ho was receiving a lot of love calls from broadcasters for his neat appearance and good speaking skills.

“It’s not that I hate broadcasting, I just want to leave, but if I leave, my coworkers and store owners won’t like it.”

“No, why is that?”

“The CEO doesn’t work and just hangs out all day..”

“Phew. Big. Really?”

“Yes, it’s true. That’s why I came here today to assure everyone that I will work hard to appear on TV and definitely create a promotional effect.”

“Mr. Oh, do you also run a steak franchise?”

“You’re pushing it so blatantly? But unfortunately, we don’t have a steak chain.”

“If you do that, it will be difficult for us to get hired. Open PPL is not easy even for the most daring PD Kim.”

When Yoo Han-young makes a mean comment to PD Kim, the camera focuses on PD Kim. The flustered PD covers his face with his script.

“Haha, I understand.”

“And we’ll invite one more person. We’ve invited the movie industry’s sexy man, actor Jung Min-woo who cooks!”

“Nice to meet you. I am actor Jung Min-woo.”

“Why did an actor appear on a cooking show?”

Yoo Han-young cracks a joke.

“Huh? Oh..no, I came out because you called me.”

Minwoo stutters as he is flustered because it is not in the script.

“Haha. I’m just kidding. Actually, Minwoo is a famous gourmet. He even published a cookbook and I heard he often cooks at home.”

“Yes. I especially like French and Italian cuisine, so I studied a lot and often cook it at home.”

“Today is the steak special, and you’re here. Do you have a special love for steak?”

“Of course. I cook steak once or twice a week. I try different recipes. I came out today with really high expectations.”

“Okay! Now that the experts are here, let’s talk. Why is steak so difficult?”

“First of all, it’s the equipment.”

Oh Seung-ho opens fire first.

“What do you mean by equipment?”

“To properly cook a steak, you need a cast iron or stainless steel pan. In fact, these pans are quite inconvenient to use and are a hassle to maintain. That’s why people who aren’t very interested in cooking often don’t have these at home.”

“Do you really need fans?”

“Not necessarily. But if you have a cast iron or stainless steel pan, it definitely tastes better. I can guarantee that.”

“Why is that so?”

“It’s because of the heat retention rate. When you put meat on a coated pan, the temperature of the hot pan surface drops rapidly. That’s why it’s difficult to cook consistently.”

“Ah! Chef Shin Je-hee also said this before. First of all, you need fans. And what else is there?”

Yoo Han-young looks at Jeong Min-woo and asks.

“In my case, I’ve messed up a lot when it came to steak. I’ve cooked it so well-done that it was tough to eat, and I’ve cooked it so rare that it was cold and raw on the inside. Of course, I couldn’t finish it all and ended up throwing it away.”

“If you’ve ever cooked a steak, you’ve probably had this experience at least once. Why does it happen?”

“I think experience is the most important. Just because someone who has experience grilling meat knows how to grill it well, it’s not easy to grill it well from the beginning. Things like the subtle degree to which meat is cooked or the temperature require intuition based on experience.”

“Today, we have someone who can fill the void in the experience of those viewers. Please give him a round of applause.

“He is the sous chef of a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York, the Michelin Guide’s Young Chef of the Year, and the world’s only absolute taster certified by MIT, Chef Shin Je-hee.”

“It’s really nice to meet you, Chef Shin Je-hee.”

The panelists applaud Yoo Han-young’s introduction and welcome Je-hee, who is wearing a chef’s uniform and walking into the studio.

“Nice to meet you. It’s been a while.”

Jeong Su-jeong smiles brightly and shakes hands.

“I’m a fan of Chef Shin. I’ve always wanted to try Chef Shin’s cooking.”

Jeong Min-woo greets Je-hee with great joy.

“Thank you for calling. I’m here today because you said it was an educational program.”

“It’s a show that satisfies the intellectual curiosity of viewers, so of course it’s an educational show. Today, we’ll continue our conversation with Chef Shin Je-hee, who will put an end to your worries about steak. Chef Shin?”

“yes.”

“Why do steaks fail when you cook them at home?”

Yoo Han-young asks Je-hee the same question.

“Isn’t the biggest problem the lack of understanding of the dish called steak?”

“What if you say you understand?”

“To cook thick cuts of meat deliciously, we need to know what we are cooking.”

“That’s right. It’s steak.”

Yoo Han-young makes a puzzled expression.

“In the United States, if you ask a butcher to cut your meat into steak cuts, they will cut it at least one inch thick. In metric terms, that’s about 2.5 centimeters.

But the steak we want is a bit thicker. Normally, it is about 3 centimeters thick, and many people who enjoy steak prefer 4 centimeters.”

“I like thick steaks too.”

Yoo Han-young answers.

“Me too. For a man, it has to be at least 4 centimeters long to be considered a steak.”

Jeong Min-woo also agrees with this.

“Oh my! Even though I’m a woman, I like thick ones.”

“Everyone seems to prefer thick steaks. But what does thickness have to do with comprehension?”

“The probability of failure increases when cooking thick meat in a pan. In order to cook the inside, you have to cook it for a long time. Then, the outside inevitably gets burned. If you worry about burning it, you take it out a little early and cut it, but the inside is not cooked at all. The dilemma that comes from this is a big difficulty.”

“I can relate. There are two main types of failure: burnt or undercooked.”

Representative Oh nods with a serious face and agrees.

“The type of meat is also a barrier to our enjoyment of steak. In Korea, the so-called 1++ meat with a lot of marbling is considered high-quality and is considered the most delicious.”

“That’s right. It’s also the most expensive.”

“But those kinds of meats are not suitable for cooking as steaks.”

“What is the reason?”

“Marbling is fat. When you cook it to medium rare, which is the preferred doneness in the West, the internal temperature doesn’t reach the temperature where the fat melts.

So, meats with a lot of marbling, such as Hanwoo 1++ or Kobe beef, should be cooked to medium or medium well-done to melt all the fat. This is definitely not the doneness preferred by steak lovers.”

“Why is medium rare the best?”

“There are two pleasures to eating steak. One is the crispy outer crust. The golden surface of the steak, where the Maillard reaction has fully occurred and the savory flavor of the meat has been activated, has a texture and taste that everyone likes. The second is the thick but soft interior.”

“Is medium rare the most tender?”

“In the past, the expression “cooking the outer surface hard to seal in the juices” was often used. It sounds good, except that it’s a lie.”

“I’ve heard that a lot too. Is it wrong?”

He chimes in, wondering if the correction was correct.

“When do the juices come out of the meat? It’s simple. The juices come out of the meat when it’s cooked. The more cooked the meat is, the denser the texture becomes. I think many of you have had the experience of meat shrinking after it’s been cooked.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Meat that has been cooked and shrunken like that will naturally become dry. This is where you can get a hint of the most delicious steak.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“The outside is cooked until golden brown so you can enjoy a crispy crust, and the inside is cooked just before the meat loses its juices. And this is the medium-rare that Westerners prefer.”

“I’ve never seen anyone approach steak so theoretically. As expected from someone who graduated at the top of their class from a top culinary school. I’m getting hungry because I’ve been talking so much. Could you explain it to me while you cook it yourself?”

“Of course. Today, I plan to grill several steaks using various recipes, so I hope the panelists enjoy them.”

The panelists’ faces brighten. In fact, they were also looking forward to the authentic steak that Jehee made, which they rarely get to taste.

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