"This is what you wanted."
Su Wei sheathed the cleaned knife back into its scabbard at his waist with a crisp "click".
"As for the other cuts, the foreleg meat is too tough and can only be stewed or made into sausages. The hind leg meat has more fat and is suitable for smoking. But this thing..."
He opened the meat bun and pointed to the two tenderloins.
"This is the only part of the bear that can be cooked to a medium-rare steak texture. Don't mess it up."
The surrounding apprentices were dumbfounded.
The sous chef blushed deeply.
He looked at the perfectly prepared tenderloin and the perfectly separated shoulder meat, then at the broken designer knife in his hand, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
This is a case of dimensional reduction attack.
Laurent ignored his subordinates' embarrassment.
He held out his hand, without wearing gloves.
I gently pressed my fingertips on the dark red strip of meat.
Cold, yet full of elasticity.
The texture was incredibly delicate, not at all like a part from a 450-kilogram beast, but more like a piece of top-grade black Angus filament.
But that faint, wild scent constantly reminded him of where this piece of meat came from.
"Perfect."
Laurent closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and seemed to smell the scent of money and fame.
"Both the rough way it was cut and the quality of the meat itself... exceeded my expectations."
He opened his eyes, his deep blue eyes gleaming with shrewdness and determination.
Laurent turned around, took a clean gauze from the freezer next to him, and carefully wrapped the pork tenderloin.
The movements were as gentle as if they were handling a newborn baby.
After doing all this, he looked at Su Wei.
" Su Wei, this is more than just a transaction."
Laurent picked up the tenderloin wrapped in gauze, his tone suddenly becoming serious.
"Tomorrow night, a distinguished guest from Seattle will be booking the entire second floor. He's an extremely picky old man who has eaten at Michelin all over the world and is thoroughly tired of those so-called 'fine dining' establishments."
He specifically requested one dish.
Laurent paused, a hint of challenge in his eyes.
"A dish that will make him remember Alaska and let him feel the true pulse of this land."
"I was originally planning to use their signature king crab tartare or reindeer steak. But now, seeing this..."
He patted the piece of bear meat.
I want to use it.
"However, while the meat of a male bear in its gluttonous phase is succulent, its wild and sour flavor is difficult to remove. Stewing it in traditional red wine would mask its inherent characteristics. Grilling or pan-frying, on the other hand, risks making it too dry."
Laurent took a step forward and looked directly into Su Wei's eyes.
"Since you know so much about its structure..."
What suggestions do you have for this piece of meat?
Chapter 165 A Song of Ice and Fire (Please subscribe!)
Facing Laurent's question.
[ Cooking Module LV3] was immediately activated in Su Wei's mind.
Numerous processing solutions, displayed in gold text, flooded the screen, all concerning high-protein, high-fiber, and high-acid meats.
French sous-vide, Japanese charcoal grilling, and Italian herb-based raw dishes.
Su Wei crossed these conventional plans off his mind one by one.
He looked into Laurent's blue eyes.
"Does your guest want an expensive dinner?"
"Or do you want to experience conquest?"
This sentence brought the busy kitchen to a standstill.
Pierre, the sous chef who had just severed the tendon and was about to use his knife, made his move.
He threw the broken knife forcefully into the stainless steel cleaning tank, making a piercing metallic clang.
"Conquer? This is a Michelin- recommended restaurant."
Pierre picked up a white towel and wiped the oil off his hands.
"Our guests require the ultimate balance and elegance, not a primitive lifestyle."
Several young apprentices stopped chopping vegetables and turned to look in their direction.
Laurent ignored the sous chef and stared at Su Wei.
His mind was racing, rapidly processing the deductions.
Charles, that major client in Seattle, controls the largest private bank in the Peninsula region.
His estate features Japanese Wagyu beef flown in by air, as well as blue lobsters from Brittany, France.
The old man was long tired of silver platters, white gloves, and the same old fancy sauces.
Charles came to Kodiak to seek the wild memories of his youth panning for gold in this wilderness.
Su Wei's use of the word "conquest" directly struck at Charles's core subconscious need.
This isn't about discussing menus at all; it's about precise psychological analysis.
If this can be achieved, then the theme of this banquet will be perfectly realized.
Otherwise, why would a wealthy person who can taste almost every delicacy in the world spend a fortune on a special Kodiak brown bear feast?
Was he just after a taste of bear meat?
Laurent's breathing became rapid.
"Go on."
Su Wei stretched out his finger and pointed at the whole bear tenderloin on the cutting board.
"The tenderloin represents the most essential vitality of this beast."
"During a gluttonous period, a male bear's blood is full of lactic acid and adrenaline; this is the source of its sour taste and its primal wildness."
Su Wei supported himself on the stainless steel countertop with one hand.
"To cover it up with complex Bordeaux red wine juice is an extremely foolish compromise."
"We need to refine this wildness into a hammer, to smash the armor protecting his taste buds."
"What he needs is not the weakness and refinement of the city, but savagery."
Pierre strode over, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Purify? Does that mean you'll just cut it open and let him eat it raw?"
Su Wei didn't look at Pierre, but simply made a gesture towards Laurent.
"Divided into two routes."
The concept is ice and fire.
"The first step is to quickly fry it on an extremely hot volcanic rock slab."
"No butter needed, just the bear's own thick back fat."
"A temperature of 300 degrees Celsius can cause a violent Maillard reaction on the surface within two seconds, locking the juice inside."
Laurent nodded repeatedly, his right hand unconsciously turning the Patek Philippe watch on his left wrist.
"The second course, ice."
Su Wei drew a virtual cutting line in mid-air with his finger.
"The other half of the tenderloin is cut into slices less than one millimeter thick."
"Cold-marinated with chilled spruce needles and wild blueberries native to Kodiak Island."
"Using high concentrations of fruit acids to soften thick muscle fibers."
"Let him taste that most original, fresh sweetness."
The only sound in the kitchen was the hum of the large exhaust fan.
Laurent suddenly turned around and slammed his hand on the control panel.
Pierre!
Laurent gave the order loudly.