Chapter 311: Who Works Overtime Anyway?
"Boss, give me one skewer of roasted lamb and one skewer of roasted yak meat."
Not long after Tang Zi and Zhou Long left the kebab stall, Qi Han strolled in at a leisurely pace.
There was a few minutes' gap between them, so they didn't run into each other.
By this time, it was already the afternoon, and breakfast service had ended. The stall had resumed selling grilled meat skewers.
Having had breakfast at this very stall earlier in the day, Qi Han had a favorable impression of the honest-looking middle-aged man who ran the place.
It wasn't because the man was particularly enthusiastic toward him.
Rather, just from the breakfast selection alone, Qi Han could tell that this was someone deeply dedicated to the craft of cooking.
After enduring countless grueling cooking drills in the training space, Qi Han had developed a certain respect for those who carried a true craftsman's spirit.
Seeing that the stall was now selling grilled skewers, Qi Han couldn't resist trying some to see how they measured up.
The stall's afternoon menu was completely different from the diverse breakfast spread in the morning.
There were only two options: yak skewers and lamb skewers.
This alone showed that, while the middle-aged vendor appeared simple and honest, he was far from naive.
For breakfast, customers usually preferred a one-stop experience—they wouldn't hop from stall to stall, so having a wide variety of dishes helped attract more people.
But street snacks were a different game altogether.
With so many snack stalls lining the entire food street, people often wandered around, eating as they walked.
If a stall tried to offer too many different snacks, not only would it risk offending competitors, but customers might not even find it appealing.
Besides, making too many different dishes well required a huge amount of effort.
Keeping it simple—offering just two types of skewers—was a smart move. It gave customers a choice while avoiding decision fatigue.
And being one of the first stalls at the entrance of the food street, selling heavily aromatic grilled meat was the perfect way to lure people in.
Strategic and delicious—no wonder this stall was doing so well.
The lamb and yak skewers were about the same size, but since the lamb came from domesticated sheep, it was cheaper, costing only one Silver Coin.
After handing over three Silver Coins, Qi Han quickly received his two skewers.
Looking at the long, hefty skewers in his hands, Qi Han couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
Even though he had already seen other customers holding these massive skewers and had prepared himself mentally, the sheer size was still visually striking.
The last time he'd seen skewers this big was during a trip to Xin Province in his past life. In most other places, skewers tended to be much smaller.
Just these two skewers alone could already fill him up halfway.
Thinking about this, Qi Han couldn't help but chuckle.
This middle-aged stall owner… really was an honest man.
Did he make the skewers this big so customers would eat one and go straight home?
Well, let's give it a try!
Qi Han was quite curious about the grilled skewers of this world.
His gaze first landed on the dark brown yak skewer.
The yak meat was clearly well-selected, likely taken from the brisket section.
Other cuts of yak meat tend to be tougher, which could make them a bit dry when grilled, but brisket avoided this issue.
Since brisket has a good balance of fat and lean meat, the fat renders as it cooks, releasing sizzling juices that seep into the leaner portions, keeping the meat succulent.
This juicy fat also helped absorb the seasoning, intensifying the aroma of the spices.
The skewer was so large that Qi Han couldn't take a whole piece in one bite—he had to divide it into two or three bites.
As he bit into it, the deep red interior of the meat, rich in myoglobin, was revealed.
Seeing this, Qi Han's expression shifted into one of mild surprise.
This color…
Did the stall owner use a technique similar to "meat resting" before grilling?
That made sense—with meat chunks this large, grilling them without resting would make it hard to cook them evenly.
Silently giving the vendor a thumbs-up in his heart, Qi Han continued to chew.
The moment the meat entered his mouth, the rich explosion of spices hit him instantly.
In just a split second, he could distinguish at least six common spices, along with hints of other seasonings.
Damn, these spices aren't cheap.
As he chewed, the slightly crispy exterior gave way to an incredibly tender and juicy interior.
Juices burst forth from the yak meat, blending with the melting fat on the surface, further enhancing the flavor.
The natural beefy aroma of the yak stood its ground against the intense spice mix, creating a balanced yet bold flavor battle on his palate.
After swallowing the first bite, Qi Han nodded in approval—but at the same time, a trace of regret flickered across his face.
With his deep understanding of cooking techniques, Qi Han was able to evaluate dishes much more critically than before.
The yak skewer was undoubtedly excellent, but in his eyes, it still had room for improvement.
The excessive use of spices was the biggest flaw in this yak meat skewer.
A moderate amount of spices can enhance the meat's flavor during grilling, adding depth to the skewer, so they are necessary. However, relying too much on spices is not the culinary approach Qi Han approves of.
At the end of the day, in grilled meat, the meat itself should be the star. Yet, with this skewer before him, even after putting it in his mouth, the taste of the spices still rivaled that of the beef itself. It was hard to tell whether the deliciousness came from the meat or the seasoning.
In his past life, Qi Han had eaten plenty of barbecue. The reason why many skewers were heavily seasoned—with generous amounts of sauce, cumin, and chili powder—was mainly to cover up the shortcomings of the ingredients. However, the freshness of this yak meat was beyond doubt; it came from a yak slaughtered not long ago, making such heavy seasoning unnecessary.
If Qi Han were the one grilling these yak meat skewers, he would use far fewer types of spices, and at most, only half the amount used here.
That would be enough.
Of course, though he felt a little regretful, the skewer was still delicious enough to finish without any issue.
After quickly finishing the yak meat skewer, Qi Han turned his gaze to the lamb skewer.
Lamb skewers were actually harder to handle than beef skewers. If not done properly, the overpowering gamey taste could significantly affect the flavor.
But if the gamey taste was completely removed, it would feel like the lamb skewer had lost its soul.
The lamb skewer in his hand wasn't the same deep brown color as the yak meat skewer; instead, it had a lighter, more delicate brown hue.
The choice of meat for lamb skewers was different from beef.
This difference stemmed from the animals themselves. Since cattle are stronger, their muscles contain more myoglobin, making the meat firmer.
Sheep, on the other hand, are different. These gentle creatures have tender meat even in their lean cuts, making them naturally soft and never tough.
Among lamb cuts, the hind leg is the most succulent. This part of the meat is usually in large chunks and lacks the dry, firm texture found in other livestock, making it incredibly satisfying to eat.
Besides the hind leg, the best part is the lamb spine.
The lamb spine has a series of protruding sections along its length, similar to fish fins. These protrusions exist on every vertebra.
Despite these bony protrusions, a sheep's back appears smooth, thanks to the bands of muscle flanking each vertebra.
These bands of muscle are exceptionally tender, filling the spaces between the bony ridges, ensuring they don't hinder the sheep's movement.
And these muscle strips—lamb spine meat—are the most delicious parts of a sheep, second only to the hind leg.
Other cuts of lamb rank much lower in priority.
The lamb skewer in Qi Han's hand was made from the hind leg of a domestic sheep. Although not perfectly uniform in shape, its texture was exceptionally tender.
The moment he took a bite, Qi Han immediately noticed something.
This lamb wasn't freshly butchered and grilled like the yak meat; instead, it had been marinated beforehand.
And it seemed to have been marinated for quite a long time, to the point where the gamey taste was almost entirely removed. Combined with the flavor of various spices, the lamb's tender and delicious texture was instantly highlighted.
Even so, Qi Han's face still showed a hint of regret.
They had overcorrected.
By completely removing the gamey taste, the lamb had lost some of its natural flavor.
If lamb meat had no gaminess at all, how was it any different from other meats?
At the very least, if Qi Han were in charge, he would never marinate it for this long.
Bite after bite, the lamb skewer was quickly finished. Tossing the two wooden sticks used for skewering into a corner by the roadside, Qi Han shook his head.
Even in a grand city like Shrek City, public trash bins hadn't been widely implemented yet. That wasn't good.
Next time, when Qi Poxiao comes by, he should bring it up.
After all, Qi Poxiao was the Pavilion Lord of the Sea God's Pavilion—surely, he had the authority to oversee city planning.
Yes, that was the plan.
I, Qi Han, am a responsible and enthusiastic citizen!
But…
As he savored the lingering taste of grilled meat, an idea popped into his mind.
Should he… start having late-night barbecue sessions?
Forget it, forget it.
Qi Han shook his head quickly, dismissing the thought.
What kind of human works overtime?
He would rather die than work late!
<+>
if you want to see more chapters of this story and don't mind playing $5 per month to see my latest update, please go to my Patreon[1]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed[2]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 405: How Embarrassing[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754