101: Spicy Pig Intestine Noodles (Part 2)

“Alright, alright.”

He Jingrui gave an awkward laugh, then quickly ran over and brought three large basins full of green and red chilies and dried chilies.

Lu Chuan reached out, took them, and placed them aside, then turned to start making the super spicy topping.

He first added a large spoonful of oil to the wok and continuously heated it.

Once the wok started to smoke, he poured out all the oil and then added cold oil.

Next, he threw in spring onions, ginger, garlic, dried chili segments, Sichuan peppercorns, and green and red chilies to stir-fry until fragrant, then added a large spoonful of secret hot pot base, stir-frying until red oil and a charred aroma appeared.

Then he added light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and cooking wine.

He quickly threw in the fatty intestines and stir-fried them vigorously with the previous ingredients.

He continued until the high heat seared the surface of the fatty intestines to a slight crisp, their fat rendered out, and their flavor was tightly locked within them.

Immediately after, he added side dishes like green and red peppers, onions, and bean sprouts, stir-frying them quickly until they were just cooked, maintaining their crisp and tender texture.

Finally, he drizzled a little fragrant vinegar to cut through the richness and enhance the aroma, stir-fried everything evenly, and then took it out of the wok.

The fatty intestines, having been braised, already had a vibrant color.

After this high-heat stir-frying to a crispy surface and the addition of fragrant vinegar to set their shape, the fatty intestines were thoroughly endowed with a dual texture of “crispy outside and soft inside.”

He Jingrui, standing by, couldn't stop his mouth from watering.

“Don’t rush, next we’ll simmer the red broth, and this is the most crucial step!”

Lu Chuan said softly.

The soul of super spicy fatty intestine noodles lies in the red broth.

The traditional Sichuan method uses rapeseed oil as the base, first stir-frying Pixian bean paste with pickled chilies and pickled ginger, then adding star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and other spices for flavor, and finally finishing with pork bone broth.

But after referencing the recipe provided by the system, Lu Chuan was not satisfied with just that.

He also added an appropriate amount of red wine, adding a touch of Western wine aroma to the red broth.

Then, Lu Chuan quickly walked out of the studio and brought in the previously extracted purple-gold plant juice.

“The moment to witness a miracle has arrived!”

A hint of excitement appeared on Lu Chuan’s face as he added the extracted juice to the red broth in small, multiple portions and simmered them together.

A few minutes later, he gently twitched his nose and found that the original complex flavor profile of “numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant” had become even more varied.

Overall, it was spicy but not dry, with a long-lasting numbing aroma.

“Ta-da! The secret red broth! It’s ready!”

Lu Chuan smiled.

“Can I eat it now?”

He Jingrui truly couldn't wait another second; he rubbed his hands together and asked eagerly.

“Don’t be in such a hurry! How can super spicy fatty intestine noodles be without noodles?”

Lu Chuan waved his hand, once again stopping He Jingrui’s attempt to sneak a bite.

He began to hand-roll the noodles.

After a while, perfectly uniform, glossy hand-rolled noodles took shape in his hands.

Then, he threw the noodles into boiling water, and once they were about eighty percent cooked, he took them out and rinsed them three times with cold water.

This process immediately made the noodles wonderfully chewy and springy.

“A perfect bowl of super spicy fatty intestine noodles requires the super spicy topping, the secret red broth, and hand-rolled noodles—none can be missing!”

As Lu Chuan spoke, he began the “assembly” process.

He drained the noodles and put them into a bowl, then scooped a ladleful of bright orange-red broth, and finally poured the stir-fried fatty intestine topping over it, sprinkling some crushed peanuts, cilantro, and chopped green onions as garnish.

“You’ve waited long enough! super spicy fatty intestine noodles, please enjoy!”

Lu Chuan carried the steaming hot noodle soup to the dining table and then smiled at He Jingrui.

He Jingrui, who could no longer hold back, immediately pounced on it.

He held chopsticks in one hand for the noodles and a spoon in the other for the soup, making slurping sounds as he ate.

Periodically, he uttered vague words like “delicious,” “spicy,” and “satisfying.”

Lu Chuan watched He Jingrui, who was completely engrossed in the delicious food and had forgotten the purpose of the taste test, and couldn't help but shake his head.

After a while, He Jingrui, who had licked the bowl clean, wiped away his sweat and leaned back in his chair, feeling satisfied.

“This is the best fatty intestine noodle dish I’ve ever eaten, bar none!”

Lu Chuan smiled, waiting for He Jingrui to give a more detailed review.

But after a minute, he found He Jingrui still had his eyes closed, savoring the taste.

He couldn't resist, went up to He Jingrui, and slapped him on the back of his head.

The next moment, he felt the damp heat on his palm.

Lu Chuan immediately raised his hand in disgust, flicked off the sweat, and then ran to the yard to wash his hands thoroughly.

When he returned, he saw He Jingrui still savoring the taste, and rolled his eyes as he asked:

“Taste-tester, where’s your review?”

He Jingrui then remembered the “important task” he was still burdened with; he immediately opened his eyes, then scratched his head with an embarrassed look.

“Well, it was too delicious, and… spicy, mm, and, fragrant!”

Lu Chuan shook his head.

“You, sometimes you really leave me speechless!”

Seeing Lu Chuan’s dissatisfaction, He Jingrui immediately became anxious, fearing that there would be no more “taste-testing” opportunities next time.

He quickly racked his brain, trying to come up with more words, but found that no matter how he described this super incredibly spicy and delicious fatty intestine noodle dish, it didn't feel right.

He was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt a frantic itch.

“Forget it, forget it! I’ll do it myself!”

Lu Chuan looked helpless.

He wasn’t particularly good with spicy food.

But now, he had no choice but to brace himself.

After a busy session in the workstation, he brought out two more bowls of fatty intestine noodles.

He Jingrui saw them and thought Lu Chuan couldn’t bear to see him craving, so he had prepared another bowl for him.

He was immediately moved to tears, saying words of thanks and reaching out to take the noodles.

“A Chuan, you’re so kind, you made another bowl for me.”

But Lu Chuan glared at him.

“You wish! These two bowls of fatty intestine noodles have different spice levels, and they’re both for me.”

Upon hearing this, He Jingrui was instantly dumbfounded.

Lu Chuan couldn't be bothered with him; he guarded the two bowls of noodles in front of him and didn't rush to eat, but instead first observed the bowl with the lower spice level.

He saw the red broth was clear, the surface covered with a generous layer of green and red chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and bell peppers; only through the gaps could he vaguely see the juicy, glistening fatty intestine topping and the incredibly springy hand-rolled noodles beneath.

Just looking at it made Lu Chuan feel his eyes misting over, as if he would burst into tears from the spiciness any second.

He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

“This spice level has already been significantly reduced; even people who don’t eat spicy food can easily handle it, but with all these chilies, it doesn’t look like it’s only slightly spicy…”

Gulp.

Lu Chuan swallowed with difficulty, hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately chose to trust his craftsmanship. He bravely pushed aside the chilies, picked up a piece of fatty intestine with his chopsticks, and put it into his mouth.

The next moment, his eyes widened abruptly, and then he chewed with surprise and delight.

The crispy and springy fatty intestine, with a hint of charred aroma, crunched satisfyingly in his mouth.

During this, meat juices continuously burst out, and the unique, alluring fragrance of the fatty intestine, like a rose bud about to bloom, gradually unfurled with astonishing charm.

The more Lu Chuan chewed, the more he felt the pleasure of his taste buds being stimulated.

“Fragrant!”

“The more you chew, the more fragrant it gets!”

Lu Chuan racked his brain, trying to describe the deliciousness of the fatty intestine with words.

But after a while, he realized helplessly that, just like He Jingrui, he was at a loss for words.