Outside the Yunlai Xuan, there was already a large open space originally reserved for the noble and wealthy to park their carriages and tie up their horses.
Ruyi swept the ground clean, and Granny Sun temporarily set up an earthen stove and put a large cauldron on it. It was quite a lively scene.
The on - looking commoners had never seen such a spectacle before, and they couldn't help but step forward curiously one by one.
Li Ying changed into a neat set of clothes and pulled her hair up into a tidy high bun, looking very capable.
She stir - fried the wrung - out pickled cabbage shreds with the snow - white lard until fragrant. Then, she poured in the pre - blanched pork shanks and large pieces of scallions and ginger, and simmered them into a thick and hot soup.
Pickled cabbage absorbs oil the most. The longer it is stewed, the more the fragrance of the meat broth seeps into each golden cabbage shred, and the more fragrant the bottom of the pot becomes.
When the unique refreshing flavor of the pickled cabbage perfectly blends with the richness of the lard and pork shanks, she put in the large - cut pork ribs and simmered them over low heat until they were so tender that the meat easily separated from the bone with just a gentle roll of the tongue and melted in the mouth.
Before taking the pot off the heat, she also added the cooked and sliced streaky pork.
Although this sliced meat was just boiled, it was not bland at all. The meat of the black - haired pigs was naturally delicious. After being stewed in this large - bone pickled cabbage soup, it melted in the mouth. The lactic acid bacteria produced during the fermentation of the pickled cabbage made the meat softer, juicier, and not greasy at all.
The earthen stove with firewood was emitting steaming and curling smoke. The aroma of the meat seemed to have feet and nimbly drilled into everyone's noses.
Before serving, she also added the home - made blood sausages.
The casing of these blood sausages was made from fresh pig small intestines. They were washed repeatedly with alkaline noodles, salt, and wine to remove the excess fat and strange odor. Then, fresh pig blood seasoned with scallions, ginger, five - spice powder, and salt was filled into them. After boiling for about a quarter of an hour and cooling, the blood sausages were cut into large pieces with a sharp knife.
After being stewed, the casing of the blood sausages was elastic and crispy, and the pig blood was soft, tender, and dense. It was fragrant but not greasy. Although it looked a bit strange, the taste was truly wonderful.
This was the well - known "Pig - Killing Feast" in the northern region, which carried countless childhood memories of Li Ying. It warmed her body and soul on every shivering winter day.
The remaining small intestines were cut into one - inch segments and stir - fried with fresh peppers. The small intestines were chewy, and the slight bitterness of the green peppers neutralized the greasiness well, adding a crisp texture. It was spicy but not overpowering and very good with rice.
The thicker pig large intestines, after being cleaned, could not only be made into the rich and thick - sauce Braised Pig Intestines but also into a cold dish called "Intestines Stuffed with Meat".
The fresh pig leg meat was cut into large pieces, marinated with oyster sauce, Chinese prickly ash, soy sauce, yellow rice wine, salt, and sugar to remove the fishy smell. After tying one end of the large intestine tightly, the pig leg meat and the sliced pig skin were tightly stuffed into the large intestine.
After stewing for one and a half hours, the gelatin in the pig skin solidified the pig leg meat into a whole piece. After taking it out, it was smoked with sweet tea to add flavor. When the casing was dyed an attractive caramel - brown color, a layer of sesame oil was brushed on it, and then it was finally done.
The large - cut Intestines Stuffed with Meat, together with the steamed blood sausages and hand - broken liver, were arranged on a platter. Just dipping them in sesame oil, garlic, and vinegar to relieve the greasiness, they were excellent for drinking.
The large intestine was wrapped in a thick layer of visceral fat. Its curly shape was very similar to a rooster's comb, so it was also called comb fat. Nowadays, people are concerned about a light and healthy diet and often discard it. However, most of the commoners in the capital were not very well - off. They could only enjoy this fatty oil during festivals. Therefore, Li Ying kept it.
The sand liver and pig kidneys of the black - haired pig were also cut into small pieces. The streaky pork was cut into thick slices, soaked to wash away the blood, and then blanched with yellow rice wine to remove the fishy smell.
Turn on a low heat. First, fry the comb fat until it was dry, fragrant, and crispy. Then, add the streaky pork to force out the oil from the fat and fry the slices until golden. Finally, it was the turn of the sand liver and pig kidneys.
After frying them all until they were fragrant and crispy, they were taken out to drain the oil and sprinkled with the cumin and chili barbecue powder ground by Li Ying herself.
The streaky pork was crispy and delicious, the pig kidneys were crispy and chewy, the sand liver was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the comb fat was full of oily fragrance. When the "Fried Four Treasures" was placed on the table, the rich aroma of meat and oil in the air became even more alluring.
The staple food was naturally pickled cabbage dumplings. Adding chopped oil residue to the stuffing made them more fragrant and added an extra rich texture.
Every dish of this Pig - Killing Feast was served on large plates and deep - sea bowls. All of them were heavy - oil and meaty dishes. The commoners stared in astonishment at the large pieces of marinated pork spines and the pickled cabbage and white meat hot pot, secretly speculating in their hearts who Boss Li was going to entertain with such a generous and heroic display.
Just as people were speculating, Lu Xunguang led a group of men, women, old people, and children, noisily pushing through the crowd and walking over.
Although the clothes of these people were washed until they were white, the collars and cuffs were all clean without a single bit of oil stain, looking very tidy.
Some sharp - eyed people in the crowd had already recognized that these were clearly the group of vagrants who were usually idle in the city!
Could it be that the people Boss Li was going to entertain were them?
As if to verify their guess, Lu Xunguang said in a deep voice, "A Ying, according to your instructions, I've taken the vagrants to the hot spring pool to bathe and change clothes."
Most of these vagrants had suffered natural disasters or man - made calamities at home and had no choice but to flee to the capital.
They had been farmers facing the loess and with their backs to the sky for most of their lives. When they came to the capital, they were not used to everything. The restaurants in the city were very exclusive. Most of the employees had various connections. The vagrants could never find a stable job to make a living. They had to go hungry one day and have enough to eat the next, taking on odd jobs to make ends meet.
Boss Li was treating these vagrants so well. Could it be...
Sure enough, Li Ying changed into a bright new set of clothes, cleared her throat, and said loudly, "The other day, I was framed by villains and almost suffered an unjust grievance. Thanks to all of you for your righteousness, standing up for me and proving my innocence. I am deeply grateful for this kindness and have no way to repay it. I can only prepare this table of wine and dishes. Please drink to your heart's content and don't go home until you're drunk!"
When Lu Xunguang took the vagrants to bathe and change clothes, he had already explained Li Ying's intention. However, at that time, they were still skeptical, secretly thinking that Boss Li's banquet would probably just be some clear porridge and pickled vegetables and the leftover ingredients from the day's sale, just cooked casually.
After all, vagrants in the capital were no different from beggars. Who would really entertain them whole - heartedly?
Now, seeing this table of sumptuous food and wine prepared by Li Ying, the vagrants looked at each other, and there was a touch of emotion on everyone's face.
Li Ying smiled slightly, looked around the scene, and then said loudly, "From now on, the Yunlai Xuan will be my restaurant. I'm just a woman, and I really can't manage it alone. I've invited all of you here today to discuss another important matter."