Chapter 0004: Roasting Meat

The entire fish and large pieces of lamb are prepared in this manner. Looking at the hundred or so pounds of meat, seven or eight steel skewers are threaded through and placed over the already burning charcoal. Fortunately, the roasting oven made of iron sheets has grooves on both sides, allowing the skewers to be horizontally supported, which can be considered semi-fixed. By turning the steel skewers by hand, the heat can be evenly distributed.

Therefore, the size of that barbecue grill is quite substantial, no wonder it took several people to carry it back. Fortunately, it is made of stainless steel, which is not that heavy

As long as my son can rid himself of the previous feelings of despondency or confusion, and as long as his mood can return to the cheerful state it once was, selling barbecued meat is truly not an outrageous thing to do, especially for families like that of Ba Dacheng, which cannot be considered shameful.

At this moment, there were noticeably more people expressing their approval, but on the other side of the barbecue, it was evident that the skewers of meat were beginning to char on the outside, even giving off a slightly burnt smell. Ba Dacheng attempted to cover it up, repeatedly urging the person turning the skewers to slow down

Without saying much, just this large piece of meat alone, the outside is charred, but the inside is still raw right

Back from abroad, Buck truly returned with nothing, having even lost his last boot knife on the battlefield. Now, he grips two long boning knives, sharpening their edges against each other. His face shows no signs of the satisfaction of a successful scholar or the joy of a businessman opening a shop. In front of the crowd, he simply divides a half slab of pork along the ribs into large pieces, then tosses aside the knife and uses a skewer over half a meter long to pierce through it

Is this still barbecuing? It is completely just burning meat!

Only those small pieces of minced beef, spread out on the iron plate, are quickly divided into meatballs the size of a baby's fist using two bone knives and a Western-style knife, along with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and even broccoli skewered on a still long iron skewer. This indeed presents a colorful appearance, but the two bone knives are rather mediocre in quality, making Buck's originally graceful knife skills appear quite clumsy.

Buck remained expressionless, deeply focused, using a boning knife as a spatula to stir and heat a large pile of scraps. Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air. Liu Shufen wore a proud smile, surprisingly bringing over a fan to waft the scent around, saying: "Isn't it pleasant? Isn't it fragrant! The technique that Zhiming learned abroad..."

Thus, Ba Dacheng was genuinely happy, bringing his son to the workshop, and with his cane in hand, he skillfully introduced and greeted his colleagues: "I am making a barbecue grill; my son is skilled, so come and enjoy my son's skewers in the future"

If we were to compare the street barbecue skewers to this setup, it would be like the ratio of a skinny reindeer to a fat elephant, leaving everyone somewhat dumbfounded, wondering if this is even edible

This also made Ba Dacheng more certain that his son had been working hard outside for all these years

The entire bottle and package of seasonings were poured in, and when a packet of cumin powder was added, a gust of wind blew through, dispersing the pungent aroma, causing the children standing nearby to sneeze one after another, accompanied by much laughter, which further enhanced the atmosphere

This set of equipment indeed exceeds everyone's conventional impression of barbecue skewers. Even during the machine processing, there were doubts about whether Buck had made a mistake with the dimensions. It was only when Ba Dacheng confidently asserted that it was foreign sizing that everyone began to believe it.

Liu Shufen is the main force in procurement. Following the note written by her son, she brought a group of women to the market to purchase goods, transporting them back with a tricycle. If there are leftovers, she plans to sell them. This is her intention, simply to make her son happy, which in turn makes her happy.

It is a state-owned enterprise, and I do not find it unusual to use public equipment and materials during work hours to create something for oneself. After all, we are all professionals, skillfully cutting, trimming, rolling, folding, welding, stamping, and punching. It is all machining, and we made a fully metal barbecue rack according to a sketch drawn by Buck, and in the end, we proudly helped carry it home, taking only two hours

The old woman squatted by the water trough in the yard, turned on the faucet, and quickly scaled the fish and cleaned out the entrails. A large white catfish, measuring about sixty to seventy centimeters, lay arranged in its entirety on a plastic striped cloth.

Buck was not being polite; he casually waved to the uncles and aunts, extending his hand to turn the rod. He demonstrated a slow speed: "Just keep turning..." There were quite a few people reaching out, and only then did he free up his hand

This left everyone somewhat skeptical

The working class is, in fact, the most easily stirred to enthusiasm. Upon hearing the proposal from the usually taciturn Xiaoba who had just returned to the country, everyone erupted in applause. Some went to fetch beer, others lifted tables and chairs, while others sought out charcoal, calling friends and asking their wives to stop by after work to help with the meat. The warm and harmonious atmosphere made Buck feel as if he could open up a bit more, believing that engaging more with the outside world might be beneficial.

The iron plate for cutting things is nearly half a square foot in size, with edges that are half a palm high. It now resembles a shallow square box, and when lifted with both hands to the oven, it occupies a small portion of the space. This has now transformed into a square pot for preparing side dishes and seasonings, as depicted in the illustrations of the book.

Continuing to use a boning knife to chop a large pile of vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and cucumbers, one can clearly see his proficiency at this moment. A large heap of vegetables is first swiftly transformed into pieces, then two knives chop together, creating small mounds. His hands move rapidly, and the skillful glint of the knives, along with the occasional rotation of the blades on his fingers, surprisingly draws a round of applause.

The courtyard of the bustling dormitory was crowded with dozens to hundreds of workers' family members, eagerly watching as Baker roasted meat over charcoal, preparing to assist him as soon as he demonstrated the process

This tone made Buck feel that if Ba Dacheng knew that his true profession was killing and healing, he would probably recommend it with such pride. All he could do was call out to uncles and elder brothers, which attracted quite a few curious coworkers to gather around, who enthusiastically offered suggestions to help.

Buck specifically instructed not to slice or pull the meat, but to bring back the whole half piece directly. However, the capacity of the local market is limited, and since it is the afternoon closing time, there aren't that many ingredients available. The beef is only a little over ten jin, the pork is half a piece, and the lamb is less than half a piece. The fish is relatively abundant, but the larger farmed fish are harder to sell and are cheaper. Liu Shufen still has her own calculations; since her son requires a total of over 100 jin, she decided to buy fish in bulk

You can take it slow; the skewers are all roasting over the fire. Fortunately, the charcoal is not too intense, so it is not serious.

Isn't the starting point of parents also that simple?

Ba Dacheng is only happy for his son; he usually thinks twice even when cooking a dish of shredded pork in garlic sauce at work. Now, with hundreds of pounds of meat, he is completely unconcerned and even worries that his son might feel pressured. He invites the workers to sit down and drink first, and the tables and chairs brought out from each household are more than enough. However, no one listens to him; they are all curiously gathered in layers around to watch Ba Ke show off his skills.

What kind of barbecue did this little kid from the Ba family learn abroad? It seems rather unreliable

However, Buck scooped a large spoonful of water and poured it into the iron box, grabbed another iron lid to cover it for steaming, and casually took the palm fan from his mother's hand. He vigorously fanned at the air inlet by the oven, causing the flames to suddenly leap up fiercely, startling everyone around, who quickly stepped back in unison. A nearby mischievous child almost singed his eyebrows in the process!

The decision was made a bit late, and there wasn't enough time to procure tables and chairs, so the opening will have to be postponed until tomorrow. However, Buck still wants to put on a warm appearance to make his parents proud: "Come to the open space outside my house tonight, everyone! Let's have a barbecue and drink some beer!"

A metal skewer used for piercing meat is over 0.5 meters long