NOVEL NEXT Chapter 92.1
A Refreshing Cold Shabu-Shabu Salad
It had been a bit warm recently. Perhaps the season was edging into summer. That’s what Yuuri was thinking. The four seasons in this world weren’t as clear-cut as in Japan. Still, there were climate fluctuations throughout the year, and the area where the royal capital Draheln was located had a temperate climate. However, since it was less humid than Japan, Yuuri found the warmth fairly comfortable.
That said, some of the others seemed to find the heat bothersome, and those who were usually light eaters had reduced their intake a bit. Of course, as adventurers, they knew well the foolishness of skipping meals. But even so, having a reduced appetite was just one of those things that couldn’t be helped. Yuuri, too, would likely lose his appetite in the sweltering heat and want something simple, like cold noodles. He wasn’t much of a meat eater to begin with.
And so, for today’s lunch, Yuuri decided on a light but nutritionally balanced menu that included both meat and vegetables. The menu was cold shabu-shabu salad. Boiled and cooled meat served with salad, dressed in ponzu. That’s it.
What? Lazy? No, no, it’s a wonderful menu where everyone can eat both meat and vegetables. They could adjust the amount of bread they ate individually. Also, Yuuri prepared some cold fruit for dessert. Cold fruit is especially delightful on a hot day.
“I guess the meat will be orc meat, right?”
It was a personal preference, but to Yuuri, cold shabu-shabu meant pork. While shabu-shabu generally meant beef, for some reason, cold shabu-shabu equaled pork for her. He didn’t quite know why; maybe it was just how he grew up eating it. It couldn’t be helped…though he did sometimes use pork for shabu-shabu as well.
Yuuri took a chunk of orc meat out of the fridge and began slicing it to shabu-shabu thickness. Today’s lunch members were Yakk, who was on kitchen duty, Tifaana on guard duty, Camille, who was doing some independent training at the hideout, as well as Hermine and Aroru. They were all relatively light eaters.
Yakk and Camille did eat a fair amount, but they were still children with undeveloped bodies. Compared to other boys, they didn’t eat as much. Urgus, whose physique was almost adult-sized, ate quite a lot. And Magg, though small, ate surprisingly large portions. Compared to them, Yakk and Camille were normal, fitting for their age.
Yuuri, deciding to slice enough orc meat for everyone while Yakk was out studying, swiftly sliced the meat. It wasn’t so much the knife’s sharpness as it was Yuuri’s skill at work. In no time, a mound of neatly sliced meat, like the ones sold in packaged packs, had formed.
“Yuuri, sorry! I’m late!”
“Welcome back, Yakk. Where’s Camille?”
“He was talking to Aroru.”
“Those two get along pretty well, don’t they?”
“Yeah, pretty well.”
Just as Yuuri finished slicing the meat, Yakk came running in. He carefully washed his hands with soap to prepare for cooking. With the meat ready, the next thing they needed was a lot of hot water. Making cold shabu-shabu required boiling the meat, after all. Yuuri prepared a large pot and started heating water.
“Yuuri, what are you making today?”
“Today’s menu is cold shabu-shabu salad.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s orc meat boiled and placed on top of a salad, eaten with ponzu for a light taste.”
“Ah, because it’s hot?”
“Yep.”
Yakk, perceptive as he was, caught on to why Yuuri had chosen such a light and healthy dish. He thought it was very like Yuuri to consider the others’ waning appetites due to the heat. Yakk knew that Yuuri always cooked with the hope that everyone would enjoy their food…though, honestly, about 80% of it was probably because he wanted to enjoy it himself.
Once the water in the pot started to boil, Yuuri added some sake and salt. Adding sake and salt wasn’t just to flavor the water but was also due to Yuuri’s thrifty nature—he planned to use the broth for soup later. The orc meat would likely release some flavor into the water, and it felt wasteful to discard that. Considering today’s small lunch group, Yuuri didn’t expect the water to get too murky.
What? Thrifty? No, it’s housewife wisdom to avoid waste. Probably.
After adding the sake and salt, Yuuri turned off the heat. If the meat was cooked in boiling water, it might become tough, just like pork. Assuming that orc meat had a similar texture, Yuuri decided to let the water cool slightly.
“Aren’t you going to boil it?”
“If you cook it in boiling water, I heard the lean part gets tough, so I’m letting it cool a bit.”
“Huh. Wait, didn’t you say before that throwing meat into boiling water reduces the scum?”
“Yeah, that’s true too. But I can skim off the scum anyway. It’s more important for the meat to taste good, right?”
Yuuri’s smile made Yakk agree; deliciousness was indeed paramount. Delicious food was justice—it was an ingrained belief. After all, everyone wants a tasty meal.
With that, Yuuri started putting slices of orc meat into the slightly cooled water. Gently stirring them with chopsticks, he watched the red meat gradually turn white. Since pork-like meats aren’t safe to eat raw, he ensured the meat was fully cooked. This was essential.
Once cooked, the meat was placed in room-temperature water. Yuuri used to chill it in ice water, but he realized the fat would harden, affecting the flavor. So, he briefly dipped it in room-temperature water before quickly removing it to prevent it from becoming waterlogged. He then placed the meat on a sieve to drain.
While cooking the meat for each person, Yuuri carefully skimmed off the scum. Leaving any residue would affect the flavor, so he alternated between lifting the meat and skimming the broth. Such meticulous attention couldn’t be skipped. Probably.
“So, the meat’s done. What’s next?”
“Could you cut the vegetables for the salad? I’ll make the soup with this.”
“Got it.”
Yakk and Yuuri had taken turns cooking the meat, allowing Yakk to learn the right level of doneness. With that task done, they divided the remaining work. Yuuri, checking the flavor of the well-skimmed broth, added thinly sliced onions and carrots. Seasoning was simple—salt, pepper, a bit of bouillon powder, and soy sauce. With the umami of the orc meat infused, the soup looked promisingly tasty even with minimal seasoning.
Yakk’s salad consisted of torn lettuce, shredded cabbage, and thinly sliced daikon and carrots, along with a few salad-friendly herbs like fennel. He also added tomato wedges for color. Each salad portion was plated individually, on slightly large dishes. With no other side dishes, Yuuri hoped everyone would try their best to finish it.