Chapter 41
41st Episode: Beef vs. Pork
Boeuf bourguignon.
A famous beef dish from the Burgundy region of France.
In French cuisine, which tends to look down on soup dishes, it is a rare dish that is highly regarded, served with a generous amount of sauce.
And the reason it is highly regarded is because the sauce is made of wine.
'Burgundy is the region with the most developed wine culture in France.'
Burgundy is the region where the world's most expensive wine, Romanee conti, which costs tens of millions of won per bottle, is produced.
In particular, the 'Cote d'Or' (Golden Slope) region of Burgundy is so full of Grand Cru (top-grade) wine fields that there is one almost every other house.
It would be stranger if a dish using wine did not become the representative dish of that region.
'If you apply the recipe for boeuf bourguignon, beef braised in wine, you can maximize the texture and flavor of the beef.'
A dish in which beef, lightly seared on the surface with bacon fat, and red wine are placed in a cast iron pot called a 'cocotte' and braised with carrots, potatoes, etc. for more than 3-4 hours.
'The key is to allow the delicate aroma of the wine to permeate the beef, along with the tenderizing effect of the alcohol.'
Strongly flavored seasonings should be used for pork, which has a strong meaty flavor, but delicate and elegant wine aromas go well with beef, which has a clean flavor.
Julia Child's somewhat exaggerated expression, 'the best beef dish ever created by mankind,' must refer to the perfect harmony between beef and wine.
'The Ming Dynasty envoys, who are so confident in their cooking, can't possibly not recognize its true value.'
The real problem was that making boeuf bourguignon required the most basic ingredient: wine.
But this is the Joseon Dynasty.
Where on earth can I get wine?
"...But I definitely remember seeing records of 'wine' in the Joseon Dynasty."
Ji-young has a memory floating in her head.
A unique liquor that appears in several old cookbooks, including the <Suunjapbang>, and also in the <Record of Yearning for the Clouds>.
Wine.'
Of course, that doesn't mean that there were wine-making grapes like Burgundy's 'Pinot Noir' or Bordeaux's 'Cabernet Sauvignon' in Joseon at that time.
'At this time, grapes meant wild grapes, or Meoru.'
Meoru, also commonly called 'mountain grapes,' is a cousin of the 'Pinot Noir' variety used to make Burgundy wine.
But when I first heard that, I couldn't easily accept the fact that they made wine with Meoru.
'Meoru is too sour and has a low sugar content, making it unsuitable for making wine.'
Alcohol needs a certain level of sugar to ferment.
However, unlike European grape varieties, native Meoru does not contain enough sugar to ferment, making it unsuitable for making wine.
But the recipe found in the old cookbooks also contained the solution.
'...That is, fermenting Meoru and rice together.'
When rice and Meoru are fermented together, the starch in the rice turns into sugar, which replenishes the Meoru's lack of sugar.
In modern times, that old method was used to successfully restore the liquor, known as 'Rice Meoru Wine.' In other words, Joseon Dynasty wine.
Ji-young had tasted the restored Rice Meoru Wine before, so she was able to recall it.
'A unique taste and aroma somewhere between wine and Cheongju. But it definitely had the unique aroma, tannins, and body of a well-made red wine.'
When Ji-young was working as a chef in France, she introduced Rice Meoru Wine to the restaurant's sommeliers as 'Korean traditional wine.'
Everyone was surprised when they tasted it back then.
Based on that experience, Ji-young judged that Yeonsangun would have stored that unique and precious liquor in the palace's liquor warehouse.
And that judgment turned out to be correct.
'Of course, since I'm using Joseon-style Rice Meoru Wine instead of Burgundy wine, I'll have to slightly modify the original recipe for boeuf bourguignon.'
In any case, vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and shallots, which are necessary for the original recipe, cannot be obtained in this era.
Ji-young used pork fat instead of bacon to lightly sear the surface of the sirloin and ribs.
- Sizzle
Instantly, the savory smell of meat cooking spread throughout the Royal Kitchen.
When the surface of the beef was lightly cooked, Ji-young put the meat into the Rice Meoru Wine, which was simmering with traditional ingredients that could be obtained, such as radish, jujubes, chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and ginkgo nuts, and covered the pot.
"Are you... making braised short ribs with wine?"
Ji-young nodded to Jang-geum, who was staring with wide eyes.
"It's a combination of Korean-style braised short ribs and Western-style beef cooking methods. This will definitely work."
In modern terms, it's a so-called French-Korean fusion dish.
[Boeuf Bourguignon Braised Short Ribs in Rice Meoru Wine]
Ji-young's face flushed as she listened to the sound of the beef simmering in the wine.
When the splendid court music ended, the Flourishing Clear and Cloud Peace, who had been gracefully dancing and filling the courtyard, all stepped back at once.
Taepyeonggwan (the guesthouse where Chinese envoys stayed).
The 'Dismounting banquet,' a ceremony to welcome envoys who had entered the capital, was already reaching its climax.
The Ming Dynasty envoy, eunuch Liu Jin, who was sitting in the seat of honor at the banquet, was simply yawning because he had no interest in women due to his physical characteristics(?).
There is only one thing he is waiting for with greedy eyes.
"I have high expectations because I heard that you have prepared the best cuisine in this country."
As soon as Liu Jin finished speaking, Royal Secretary Im Soong-jae relayed the words to Yeonsangun's ear.
As a member of the Im family, who regularly traveled to Ming Dynasty, Sungjae, who was fluent in Chinese, volunteered to translate the banquet himself.
"Our Royal Cuisine Master has prepared it with all his heart, so you can look forward to it."
As soon as Yeonsangun finished speaking, Ji-young, who was standing next to him, bowed her head.
Seeing this, eunuch Liu Jin briefly showed an unexpected look, and then began to mutter something and laugh loudly.
"What is that guy babbling about?"
"Th, that is... he was saying that in this country, a woman cooks for the King... and that it is indeed like a small country."
Even Sungjae, who was relaying the words, seemed to have difficulty speaking.
Regardless of the relationship between the King and the envoy, it was a very rude remark as a person.
Yeonsangun was trying hard to maintain a smile on his lips, but his eyelids were trembling without him even realizing it.
"...I don't think that eunuch without X should be saying that."
"...What should I answer?"
"Tell our envoy that he has the spirit of the continent, and that even though he doesn't have what he should have, he is indeed a manly man."
As Sungjae hesitated and conveyed the words, the smile disappeared from the face of eunuch Liu Jin, and his smooth lips without beard marks began to tremble.
Is this... a pad-lib battle with the pride of two psychos on the line?
Yeonsangun, satisfied that he had finally scratched the other person's pride, ordered today's dishes to be brought in with a somewhat relieved expression.
"We will present today's main dish, 'four-legged meat'!"
Soon, a thick cast iron pot was brought into the middle of the banquet hall, which was full of delicacies.
And as the lid of the pot slowly opened, a mysterious fragrance burst out with cloudy steam and spread in all directions.
With just that scent alone, the people in the audience were already sniffing and focusing their attention on the cast iron pot.
At this time, Ji-young walked out leisurely and brought a flame to it.
- Whoosh
Instantly, flames rose from the pot and disappeared.
"Oooooh."
As if they had seen a magic trick, exclamations involuntarily leaked out from the people.
The so-called 'Flambee.'
A technique of setting the food on fire to burn off the remaining alcohol in the wine before serving it.
The reason why the aroma of the food spread quickly as soon as the lid of the pot was opened was because the highly volatile alcohol carried and released the aroma components of the food.
"It is braised beef short ribs cooked in wine in a Western style."
As Ji-young explained, she peeked at the envoy's expression, and he also had a face that was showing interest.
"It would be polite for the guest to eat first."
At Yeonsangun's words, who leisurely recommended a tasting, a court lady serving the meal took a plate of food and placed it in front of Liu Jin.
Liu Jin picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and began to squint and examine it like a pawnbroker appraising valuables.
The thoroughly cooked short ribs were glistening like jewels, soaked in the thick Joseon-style wine sauce.
After staring at it for a long time, Liu Jin finally opened his mouth wide and slowly brought the chopsticks to his mouth.
And the moment he took a bite.
"Oh oh (Ooh ooh)!"!"
Suddenly, his expression changed completely.
He looked quite shocked by the taste and aroma of the food he had put in his mouth.
No matter how hard he tried not to show it, he couldn't hide the expression that was bursting out.
Yeonsangun, who was carefully observing the scene, smiled faintly and then put a piece of Ji-young's dish in front of him into his mouth.
"Ooh, indeed! A delicacy of the world..."
Yeonsangun's face also gradually changed to a blissful expression.
The deep and delicate flavor of the wine that washes over you every time you chew the beef, which is cooked so softly that it melts in your mouth.
It seems to be fully expressing the four seasons of the Joseon land, its terroir.
This is like a flower garden.
It feels like Yeonsangun and Liu Jin are playing together in a flower garden full of floral scents.
"Oooooh..."
A moan-like exclamation was involuntarily flowing from the mouths of the two people.
Right then.
Wait!"
A scream burst out, and Dang Baek-ryong, a man wearing a hood behind Liu Jin, jumped out like the wind.
At the same time, a huge Chinese pan, a 'wok,' flew onto the brazier with a thud.
While the wok was heating up, Dang Baek-ryong placed a large chunk of meat on the cutting board and whipped out his usual square Chinese knife, 'Caidao,' from his back pocket.
"Th, that's right. I almost forgot. Dang Baek-ryong! Show me your skills properly!"
Liu Jin seemed to have been momentarily immersed in the taste of Ji-young's dish and almost forgot the counterattack he had prepared.
Dang Baek-ryong began to slice the thick, fatty pork belly on the cutting board into pieces about 2mm thick without hesitation.
'You can't cut raw meat to that thickness. It's pre-boiled pork belly. But even so, it's amazing knife skills...'
Although he was the opposing chef, Ji-young could not help but admire the speed and accuracy of his knife skills.
Dang Baek-ryong threw the thinly sliced pork into the wok, which was heated with hot oil, along with vegetables such as green onions and ginger.
- Sizzle
Then, holding the wok, he began to shake it using the elasticity of his whole body, as if he were using the strokes of martial arts.
Then, the ingredients in the wok flew into the sky as if dancing.
At the same time, the oil, which had become small droplets and scattered, came into contact with the embers from the brazier.
- Whoosh
It became a huge flame and soared.
"Oooooh!"
Exclamations erupted once again from the audience.
"...Th, that is!The so-called, Wok Hei.
The technique of imbuing a unique aroma, commonly called the breath of the wok, which is the flower of Chinese stir-fried dishes.
- Sizzle
When the thinly sliced pork belly touched the flames, it began to curl up like grilled squid.
At the same time, pork fat sizzled and flowed out of the curled-up fat.
Dang Baek-ryong poured a spoonful of soybean paste into it and started stir-frying again.
'Could that be, the signature of Sichuan cuisine! Twice Cooked Pork!The Chinese character for return and the Chinese character for pot.
A dish that means returning the once-boiled meat to the pot and stir-frying it again.
In simple terms, it would be something like 'Chinese-style seasoned stir-fried pork belly.'
'...But since chili peppers have not yet been introduced in this era, they are not using 'Doubanjiang,' a specialty of Sichuan cuisine. Instead, they seem to be using 'Doujiang,' which is made from black beans.'
Since it is a dish that stir-fries fatty pork belly, the strong flavor of the fire and the strong taste of Doujiang sauce must be used to harmonize with the meaty flavor of the pork.
'So this fight is a fight between beef and pork!'
A beef cooking method that brings out a delicate and elegant aroma, and a pork cooking method that emphasizes a bold and greasy taste.
The victory will be decided between these two.
At that moment, a strange smile appeared on the lips of Dang Baek-ryong, who made eye contact with Ji-young.
Just when I instinctively felt that something was wrong.
Dang Baek-ryong took out a small jar and opened the lid.
The moment a unique smell wafted far away.
'Wait a minute. Th, this smell is...'
As soon as she identified the identity of the smell, Ji-young felt like her heart was sinking.
If he uses that seasoning, the fight from now on will definitely be incredibly disadvantageous.
'That's not... Mala (spicy and numbing)?'
