Heath looked at the slab of pork fat before him and sank into thought. Pork fat was undeniably a very special ingredient. In certain bygone years, it had been the cherished ideal of countless people. Back then, being able to eat until your mouth glistened with grease was a way of describing how well-off a family was. But that no longer held true. As times changed, people began demanding more from their diets, and fatty meat became synonymous with unhealthy food. Still, that did not mean it was no longer a fine ingredient.
Although many people instinctively shuddered at the sight of fatty meat, imagining that greasy sensation filling their mouths, it was actually quite good. It simply demanded more culinary skill.
These days, pork fat was generally used to render lard, and the cracklings scooped out afterward could be eaten. That was the most basic preparation, but Heath did not intend to take that shortcut. He had a better method in mind, though he needed to check the quality of this slab of pork fat first.
This time, Heath planned to make a dish called Pocket Meat. This unusual dish, however, had very demanding requirements for its fat. Generally speaking, only the very best slab of fat on a pig, pure white without any other coloration, rich but not greasy, made the best Pocket Meat.
The slab this customer had brought was indeed of excellent quality. Heath nodded in satisfaction. He had nothing to fault about it; it was perfectly suited to making Pocket Meat. Making delicious Pocket Meat, however, also demanded a great deal of the chef.
Pocket Meat, as its name suggested, involved holding the slab of pork fat and making a cut right through its center. The cut could not be too deep or pierce through