Cheat day

How to Communicate (2)

The participant I’m most interested in is contestant number 4, Sadaemun.

He spent about 20 minutes preparing but didn’t start cooking until then.

Moreover, he was casually observing what the other contestants were doing, appearing relaxed, so the host, Woo Wang-seon, approached him first.

“Sadaemun, 20 minutes have passed, and you haven’t made any progress. Is there a particular reason for that?”

“Yes. I may be starting slowly, but I will finish first,” Sadaemun replied confidently.

Despite his confidence, he was closely watching the progress of the other participants, clearly intending to be the first to receive a judging.

But whether he can actually achieve that remains to be seen.

“Alright, I’m looking forward to seeing what dish you’ll present,” Woo Wang-seon said before moving to contestant number 6, Yuk Hye-rin, who was busy frying chicken until it was golden brown in a frying pan.

“Chicken, right? What dish are you making?”

“Steamed chicken,” she replied.

“Ah, steamed chicken sounds good. But don’t you usually grill the chicken when making steamed chicken?”

When Woo Wang-seon asked, Park Jeong-ah answered.

“Grilling the meat turns its surface brown. This is called the Maillard reaction, and it maximizes the umami flavor. If you then braise it with soy sauce and other ingredients, the umami intensifies.”

“Yes, and I’m using the traditional soy sauce my grandmother made at home,” Yuk Hye-rin added.

“Wow! I’m looking forward to the taste of homemade soy sauce. Did you grow those peppers yourself?”

“No, I got those from E-Mart today.”

Everyone, including the contestants and judges, laughed heartily.

“Oh! Sadaemun has started moving!”

Jwa Wang-taek shouted.

When I shifted my gaze, I saw Sadaemun using a torch to scorch the surface of the pork belly.

“What is he doing?”

“That’s to remove the hair from the pig’s skin. He’s clearly being attentive to both aesthetics and hygiene,” Judge Oh Mi-kyung remarked.

Sadaemun cut the hairless pork belly into thick slices and packed them tightly in a frying pan coated with cooking oil.

His hands were incredibly quick.

While the pork belly was cooking, he pulled out a small jar from under the counter, surprising everyone in the studio with his professionalism.

“Sadaemun has taken out a jar. What could that be?”

“I think it might be doenjang (fermented soybean paste),” Judge Ham Seok-ho speculated, and everyone watched with interest as Sadaemun used a wooden spatula to scoop a generous amount from the jar.

It looked a bit redder than regular doenjang.

“It’s ssamjang (dipping sauce)!”

“Is it ssamjang? Is that right?”

“Yes,” Sadaemun confirmed, adding mirin, cheongju (rice wine), and monosodium glutamate to the ssamjang he poured into a large bowl.

He diced Cheongyang peppers and onions, then crushed some garlic with the side of his knife.

After drizzling sesame oil three times, he began mixing the seasoning.

“Wow. Even from here, the smell is amazing.”

“Ssamjang contains salty, sweet, and umami flavors. Adding MSG, onions, peppers, garlic, and sesame oil will definitely make the umami explode,” a judge commented.

Having quickly made the seasoning, Sadaemun didn’t forget to keep an eye on the pork belly cooking in the pan.

As it turned golden, he discarded all but one-third of the oil from the frying pan and poured the sauce he made into it.

“Wow. What is this?”

“This is Jeju pork belly ssamjang jorim (braised pork belly with dipping sauce).”

“I’ve never seen ssamjang jorim before, but this sounds delicious. I’m really looking forward to it,” Woo Wang-seon added, and I couldn’t help but agree.

I’m so curious about what it tastes like; it seems like something I would definitely enjoy.

“Judging from the last round, you’re currently in first place. What dish did you prepare?”

“I prepared nurungji (scorched rice) and a stew,” Ju Ji-seung replied.

“Is the stew doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew)? Does nurungji also contain sauce?”

“Of course. You can look forward to it,” Ju Ji-seung said confidently, twitching his now bushy eyebrows.

I briefly wondered why his eyebrows had grown in but his hair hadn’t before turning my attention to the other contestants.

My mouth was watering.

***

“Time’s up! I’ll finish cooking!”

After what felt like an eternity, it was finally time to taste the dishes.

The first participant to present their dish was Sadaemun, who had boasted about his dish earlier.

“The first judging will be by contestant number 4, Sadaemun. As you said, you completed your dish in less than 20 minutes. Please introduce your dish.”

“I braised Jeju black pork belly with a ssamjang base. It’s great as a side dish for rice or a snack with drinks,” Sadaemun said as he served the ssamjang-braised pork belly.

Instant rice and a drink, a distilled liquor made from apples called Chusa40 from Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do, were also prepared.

I was slightly worried because it had an alcohol content of 40%.

I picked up a piece and ate it as is.

“Ah.”

Judge Ham Seok-ho had said during cooking that the umami would explode, and he was right.

The chewy texture of the meat combined with the ssamjang-based seasoning assaulted my taste buds delightfully.

Eating it over white rice made me feel incredibly happy.

The sauce wrapped around the rice grains, and chewing it together with the meat created an abundant meal.

I had tried soy sauce-braised pork belly before, but why hadn’t I thought of using ssamjang for braising until now?

If it tastes this good, I have to try the liquor that was recommended alongside it.

As I raised my glass, the matured apple aroma wafted up and filled my senses, almost intoxicating me.

Taking a sip cleared my mouth, which had become sticky from the greasy meat dish.

Then, adding a piece of the ssamjang-braised pork belly brought back the initial thrill I felt when I first tasted it.

“Banchan judge, you have an incredible expression on your face. How does it taste?”

“I’ve had plenty of soy sauce braised dishes, so I was a bit skeptical about ssamjang braising.”

“Right?”

“Soy sauce braising is like domestic pork, while ssamjang braising is like wild boar. I found myself frozen in front of a massive wild boar. And what happened? As I reached out to calm it, it came closer and licked my hand. It even offered me its paw. That’s what it feels like.”

“What are you talking about?”

Haime chuckled, teasing him.

“No, Haime. It’s like when you meet a stray cat on the street. If it rubs its head against your leg and rolls over, don’t you feel happy?”

“I do.”

“That’s exactly how I feel! It’s so pretty, so delicious. No, it’s more than just delicious. Anyway, I’m done judging, so don’t talk to me.”

When he wrote down a score of 10, Sadaemun, the panel, and the host chuckled softly.

The ssamjang-braised dish Sadaemun presented received positive feedback from the other judges and the panel.

Ham Seok-ho gave it a score of 9, stating it paired well with the drink, while Park Jeong-ah awarded a 10, praising the great taste of the ssamjang and its ease of preparation at home.

For two judges to give a score of 10 to the first contestant is quite significant, causing the expressions of the other participants to grow increasingly tense.

Judge Oh Mi-kyung gave it an 8 for being too salty, and Lee Chan-seok simply remarked that it was good before giving it a score of 9.

“Sadaemun, you scored a total of 95 points. You’re now a contender for the fifth round right from the start.”

Next up was contestant number 6, Yuk Hye-rin.

She presented a traditional steamed chicken dish, which received a score of 9 from both Ham Seok-ho and Oh Mi-kyung. However, I and Park Jeong-ah felt it could use a bit more seasoning, giving it scores of 8 and 7, respectively.

It was now Lee Chan-seok’s turn.

“Yuk Hye-rin, was there a reason you didn’t add glass noodles?”

“Oh, yes. I thought it would get too salty if left for too long, so I left it out,” she replied, showing some nervousness.

“That was a wise decision. The quality of the soy sauce seems good, and the dish tasted good. However, the flavor was a bit monotonous. If you had added peppers or mixed in other seasonings, it would have been richer in flavor. Well done,” Lee Chan-seok scored it an 8.

Perhaps feeling something from last week’s events, he didn’t seem to be putting on any airs today.

“Yuk Hye-rin, you’ve scored 83 points, putting you in second place. Let’s move on to the next participant.”

Ju Ji-seung stepped forward.

“What dish did you prepare today?”

Zwa Wang-taek asked.

Given that the cooking time was 60 minutes, everyone knew he was preparing a soybean paste stew and nurungji (scorched rice).

However, because Ju Ji-seung always seems to have a twist in store, there were expectations that he might present something more.

“I made red bean paste stew and red bean paste nurungji,” he said.

“Huh?”

It was such an unfamiliar term that no one understood it, not even Woo Wang-seon or Zwa Wang-taek.

When they asked again in surprise, Ju Ji-seung enunciated clearly.

“I made stew and nurungji using red bean paste.”

“So, red bean paste? That’s intriguing. A soybean paste stew made with red beans?”

“Not soybean paste, but red bean paste,” Haime corrected Zwa Wang-taek.

“Ham Seok-ho, what is red bean paste?”

“Typically, pastes are made in the fall to store through the long winter. If there’s a poor harvest and no soybeans, the red beans, which can thrive in relatively harsh conditions, would be left.”

“Ah.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

“To prevent the people from starving, the Joseon court researched how to make paste from red beans, resulting in red bean paste,” Ham Seok-ho explained, showing his vast knowledge of Korean cuisine.

“Red bean paste. I’m really looking forward to this, as I’ve never heard of it before.”

Ju Ji-seung served the red bean paste stew and nurungji to the judges and panelists.

I was curious about what a stew made with red bean paste would taste like, so I picked up a spoon first.

When I scooped some stew, I could indeed see red beans instead of soybeans.

After taking a couple of bites, I began to discern the differences between it and soybean paste stew.

To be honest, soybean paste stew encompasses a wide range of variations, so there’s no clear-cut flavor for it.

However, when compared, the red bean paste stew seemed a bit clearer and had a subtle sweetness.

“Oh.”

“It’s soybean paste stew, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it clearer?”

It seemed that people’s perceptions of flavor depended on the type of soybean paste stew they were accustomed to.

While the panelists exchanged various opinions, I took a bite of the nurungji.

It was beef sirloin.

It was sliced thinner than other nurungji, with very fine incisions made in the meat, showcasing impressive knife skills.

As a result, the seasoning penetrated well, and the flavor was unique.

“You seasoned the nurungji with red bean paste too,” Judge Park Jeong-ah remarked first.

Ju Ji-seung nodded.

Compared to the nurungji seasoned with soy sauce, this one was milder in flavor but had a wholesome, slightly sweet taste, making it easy to eat.

Just as I was about to take another taste of the stew, Lee Chan-seok submitted his score.

4 points.

The recording studio suddenly felt as if it had frozen.

“Disappointing, Ju Ji-seung.”

Lee Chan-seok began his critique.

“I had high hopes since you brought a unique red bean paste. However, I don’t sense much thought behind how to use the red bean paste.”

Ju Ji-seung calmly gazed at Lee Chan-seok.

“The previous two contestants utilized popular pastes like ssamjang and soy sauce, and it was clear they made an effort to enhance the flavor. But what is this red bean paste stew? Can you explain how it differs from soybean paste stew?”