Monday evening,
Gu Yingxue visited familiar butcher vendor to buy pork knuckles. Yesterday Gu Yingxue called him, and told him she will come to buy pork knuckles; So now only she can take them directly.
"Miss Gu, you are here?"
"Hello! Boss"
"Since you called yesterday, I kept away your order. This pork knuckles are very fresh and I already removed fine hairs in the skin too."
"Really, that's great!"
"Yesterday I forgot to tell you to remove hair. But now there is no need to worry!"
"Thank you boss! By the way, can I call at evening or night to pre order meat? And also if possible, can you deliver the order to my stall? Don't worry I will pay more."
"Oh my! That's great miss Gu; you can call me, I will definitely kept fresh meat for you."
"Then where is your stall, if it was in far, I can't help, but if it was nearby I can send it over."
"Ah! It was not far away. It was in food street next door."
"Ok then, I will send your order around this time to your stall."
"Ok! Thank you boss! Then I am going."
"Ok! Have a nice day!"
"You too boss!"
Gu Yingxue today ordered 50 pork knuckles, each weighing around 2 pounds. Total weighing around 20 kg.
After coming back to stall, she picked one up and carefully examined to ensure all are skinless. As butcher vendor said all the pork knuckles are very clean without any fine hair.
Then she rinsed eack pork knuckles with clean water before starting to make braised them.
First she added the pork knuckles into two large iron pots with ginger slices, few stalks of green onions, cooking wine and enough water to cover the pork knuckles. Then she let them boiled for a few minutes.
After they boiled, she removed the pork knuckles from the pot, rinsed them with cold water and let them rest.
Next she started to make braised liquid. For that she first heated oil in a larger pan, added ginger and stir-fried them until that became golden colour.
Then added garlic, shallots, dried chillies and stir-fried them also until it became aromatic. Then she added both light and dark soy sauces, cooking wine, white pepper, rock sugar, star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks into it.
After making sour sauce, she put the pork knuckles in the pots and filled it with enough water. Then added prepared sauce into it; covered the lid of both pots, let them braised under lower heat.
Meanwhile, she boiled 30 eggs to braised; even though it was not included in her task.
Pork knuckles braised for full 2 hours, occasionally Gu Yingxue stirred it to make them mixed well and removed the forms.
When pork knuckles almost ready, she added the boiled eggs into the pot to braised them too. Not only that, to thickening braised sauce, she added cornstarch dissolved water little bit by bit to the pot and stir it until it became thick enough.
To pair with braided pork knuckles, she steamed white rice, blanched bok choys and made stir-fry bok choy and cabbage and also prepared picked mustard.
Around 7 o'clock, Gu Yingxue opened her stall with new sign board.
[Xiaoxue's Braised Meat]
Today preparation was very easier than making steamed buns, so Gu Yingxue felt very energetic. She also hoped that she will be able to sold out.
After opening the stall, she focused on simmering the pork knuckles. Meanwhile many night street vendors began to appear on the West City Food Street - Night Market.
Everyone looked at Gu Yingxue's stall with curiosity.
"When did, braised meat stall appeared in night market?"
"I don't know? I wonder, are taste better than those branded one."
Many people chatted looking at Gu Yingxue's stall curiosity. Not only customer but also nearby vendors also looked at her stall wondering "who opened braised meat stall at here?"
While they whispering, the aroma of braised meat spread through the air making everyone'snose twitching.
Wen Sichen, university student of West City University A came to West City Food Street - Night Market with his roommates to celebrate end of exam.
When they entered the night market, they suddenly smell a rich spicy, savory and meaty aroma.
"Huh! What is that smell?"
"Hmm... So fragrance, whatever it is, it must be so delicious."
Ruan Xi took a deep breath to caught the smell.
Then four of them quickly followed the smell, and saw Gu Yingxue's stall.
"Hey! I think that smell coming from this stall."
"Wow! Lady boss is pretty!"
"Go, let's go, I don't know what she was selling."
Four of them quickly walked over and stopped infront of Gu Yingxue's stall.
Lin Si looked at the sign board of stall, then asked Gu Yingxue again.
"Boss, are you selling braised meat?"
Gu Yingxue looked at the today first customers and smiled.
"Yeah! Today we have braised pork knuckles and braised eggs."
"You can buy them individually or you can order dinner package."
Gu Yingxue pointed towards the menu board.
[Braised Pork Knuckles - 50 yuan per 500g or 70 yuan per each (with white rice)]
[Braised Egg - 10 yuan per each (with white rice)]
[Dinner Package - 50 yuan each (with white rice, 250g pork knuckles, 1 egg, stir-fry bok choy and cabbage, picked mustard greens)]
Four of them looked at the menu board that Gu Yingxue pointed.
"Wow! Dinner package is bit luxurious."
Chu Lin's immediately caught the sign of dinner package.
"Hmm... Even though it is bit expensive than other stalls, the fragrance of food telling me that price is worthy."
"Then what you all think? Are we going to try it?"
Four of them looked at each other, nodded simultaneously agreeing to Wen Sichen's suggestion.
Once all of them agreed, Wen Sichen ordered.
"Boss, give us 4 braised pork knuckles, 4 braised eggs, and 4 dinner packages."
"Ok! Wait a minute."
Gu Yingxue quickly open the lid of iron pot, take out 5 pork knuckles, removed the bones, cut them into pieces, placed 4 of them in takeout boxes with just white rice. And measure the other one, it was exactly 1kg.
So she quickly dived them into four parts make the dinner package takeout boxes with additional braised egg. Then she filled the other takeout box with 4 braised eggs. She even added disposable spoon and fork.
"Here, your order. Total 520 yuan."
"Thank you boss!"
"You are welcome, come again!"