Very quickly, several chunks of lean meat were cut by Cao Guixiang into pieces so small that it was hard to tell them apart.
The speed amazed the people around her.
The village chief’s second son-in-law was shocked, thinking his role as the meat cutter was compromised, quickly asking the person beside him, "Is she also selling handmade beef balls?!"
"Where is her shop? Her skills look much better than Sister Wang’s."
Cao Guixiang didn’t idle; cutting the meat chunks into small pieces was only the first step in making the meat filling. The real difficulty was chopping the pieces into a semi-minced state.
This step was similar in concept to the rough chopping required for Crab Meat Meatballs, except that meatballs aimed to mince the strands and chunks using a large, rough knife.
But the meat filling for Four Happiness dumplings doesn’t need to be so rough; it needs to be chopped almost into mince, and then finely chopped again.
Cao Guixiang said she didn’t know how to make Four Happiness dumplings, but that wasn’t evident when she was chopping the meat.
The meat she chopped was so standard, like she’d been secretly making Four Happiness dumplings for years at home.
Cao Guixiang even managed to chat with Qin Huai.
"Master Qin, I heard from Qin Zhishu that your pastry skills were self-taught from recipes," said Cao Guixiang.
"Sort of. I bought a Snack Encyclopedia at a flea market in elementary school and learned many snacks from that book initially."
"However, I was also guided by many masters in Gusu. Master Huang Shengli of Huang Ji Restaurant and Master Zheng Da taught me a lot, and I learned Four Happiness dumplings from Master Zheng."
Cao Guixiang nodded, thinking this made sense. First relying on one’s own talent to explore the way, then experiencing rapid growth under the guidance of renowned masters; otherwise, self-learning alone seemed a bit too extraordinary.
Even more extraordinary than she was back in the day.
"So, who is your master?"
"I don’t have a master," Qin Huai replied. "Master Huang and Master Zheng are like half-masters, but I haven’t formally apprenticed under anyone."
Qin Huai spoke, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Actually, I know Master Zheng would like to call me his disciple, but I just don’t have the inclination. I always feel..."
"Missing that apprentice-master connection?" Cao Guixiang laughed, seeing Qin Huai smile and took that as confirmation. "That’s normal. I don’t know if chefs still take apprentices the way they did back then. When I apprenticed, a master was like half a parent, sometimes even more important than one’s biological parents."
"It’s all about connection. Both accepting apprentices and apprentices themselves need that connection. If it’s not there, just let it go. Forced connections are never sweet; if all else fails, being a named disciple is good too."
As they spoke, Cao Guixiang finished chopping the meat filling.
She placed the knife down, "You can divide it into portions and try a few times."
"I do have a master, but no disciples. It’s not that I’m deliberately withholding how long to soak or how to soak; it’s just that I honestly don’t know how this method is used for pastry snacks."
"I’ve never taught disciples, nor do I know how to teach; you have to try it while I watch."
Qin Huai took the basin, "You’re already teaching well."
From the previous demonstration of knife skills, Qin Huai had already concluded in his heart that Cao Guixiang’s cooking skills were possibly higher than Huang Shengli’s.
Huang Shengli could not manage to chop such fitting meat filling for snacks while chatting casually with others using such vague descriptions.
Qin Huai looked at the meat filling in the basin, feeling like he was seeing the filling of his dreams!
Who understands this feeling? He seemed to have fallen in love at first sight with a basin of meat filling.
Such beautiful meat filling, such a pleasing color, such delicate knife skills, and such intricate textures.
Who would have thought that a seemingly ordinary, slightly chubby elderly lady could possess such excellent knife skills?
These knife skills must be of Master Level!
No, it might even be beyond Master Level, though Qin Huai himself was too inexperienced to know what could be beyond Master Level.
If we follow Cao Guixiang’s advice to divide the meat filling into portions and start soaking starch water.
Soaking in starch water is a rather vague instruction.
Initially, Qin Huai thought that soaking in starch water meant not only soaking but also involved techniques like kneading the meat filling in the starch water to let it absorb the starch water fully.
Turns out it was just pure soaking.
Just giving the meat filling a bath in starch water.
Out of caution, Qin Huai first lightly soaked the first portion for 5 minutes to see the effect.
Then he saw no effect.
Qin Huai looked at Cao Guixiang, who still said nothing, and soaked it a second time.
It was also soaked for 5 minutes.
No noticeable effect.
Seeing Cao Guixiang still silent, Qin Huai could only begin mixing the filling without understanding anything.
The filling for Four Happiness dumplings is straightforward because it doesn’t require excessive seasonings; it aims for a simple, original pork flavor, seeking the most unadulterated taste.
Qin Huai started mixing the filling, stirring.
This meat filling... why is it so obedient?
In Zheng Da’s words, this meat filling suddenly has soul?
During mixing, it cooperated so smoothly, and the texture felt better while kneading.
This means when it’s finally mixed, wrapped into dumplings, cooked, and eaten, the texture will be smoother and more appetizing.
Could soaking twice in starch water be this magical?