Chapter 43
“Master, what task are you talking about?” The System asked in scepticism .
“I am going to enter the training grounds . Should there be a task that if I managed to learn how to cook the juicy hamburger, I should have a reward?” Michael explained .
“Right now, there are no tasks to be complete . Please decide what you want to do . ” The System replied .
“No rewards? Then I am not going to the training grounds . ” Michael showed a nonchalant expression .
“After the experience bag is opened, the training grounds will disappear within 24 hours . You decide . ” The System also acted nonchalantly .
“Aiya, this System’s artificial intelligence can improve?” Michael frowned . For once, he was outcla.s.sed by the System . Is the System’s way of fighting back?
Looking at the countdown timer to the training grounds, Michael gave up . He opened the door to the training grounds . Just like the last time, he was magically transported into it in a bright flash of light . When he reopened his eyes, he was already on the training grounds .
Michael looked around and discovered a large circular oven in the room . The exterior of the oven is silver in colour and it is an electric oven . It looks like a traditional roasting oven, but it is much simpler to use .
“In this way, I can bake 15 buns in one shot . This is much more convenient and faster than cooking fried rice . ” Michael opened the oven and took a look at it . He was very pleased with this oven .
Next to the oven, there is a seasoning box . Michael opened the box and discovered that it contains bergamot, cinnamon, aniseed etc . All the seasonings that are used to make a juicy hamburger .
There are several bags of flour in the cupboard, and there trays of pork belly in the fridge . Oh, and there are some pork bones .
“All right, it is time for me to master the cooking of these hamburgers . ” Michael washed his hands and took out the pork bellies . He washed them and cut them into 15 cm long 10 cm tall pieces . Then he placed them into a large mixing bowl and added the seasonings .
Usually, in the real world, he needs to season it for 1 day . But within the training grounds, he need not wait that long . All he needs to do is to wait for 5 minutes, and the pork will be seasoned . He placed the pork into a large bowl, add more spices and seasonings, and cooked it . Then he removed any foam and cooked it for another two hours . In this way, the juicy pork is ready .
While the pork is being stewed, Michael begins to form a dough with the flour .
After practising the fried rice for more than 10,000 times, Michael’s knife skills are good enough to handle most of the tasks in the kitchen . However, kneading the dough requires a different set of skills . It is not just a matter of skills, it also requires high physical activities .
Although the system will recharge his stamina every hour, kneading the dough still depreciate his stamina repeatedly .
Every 10 minutes or so, he must take a rest before continuing . Right now his const.i.tution is too weak, and he does not have the strength to continuously knead the dough .
By his estimate, he needs an hour to knead the dough .
After kneading the dough, he left it alone for half an hour . Finally, the round dough is ready . He pulled the dough and stretched it into a long string, and added some oil, pepper, and salt . After that, he shaped into a bun . Using a rolling pin, he flattened the dough, and cut out the circular shape of the buns .
After turning on the oven, he waited for the oven to turn hot before adding the buns to the grill . This will heat up the buns . When the oven indicated that the buns are ready, he had created 16 buns in one shot .
Michael took out the buns and examined them . This is his first attempted, and the shape is not ideal . Also, there were some cracks in the buns . This bunch is a failure .
The pork belly is almost ready by now . Michael lifted the lid, and the aromatic smell of the pork belly drifted out . The browned colour pork belly looks very tasty . But there were a few pieces of pork belly that were overburnt . He needs to be more careful .
When he recalled his critique of the Xi’An hamburger, and his requirements for a good hamburger, he felt a headache coming up . Now that he had to meet his impossibly high standards, this task is a pain in the a.s.s .
As expected, Karma is a b.i.t.c.h . What goes around come back to bite him in the a.s.s, and he does not like it .
Michael had no idea when can he meets the standards that he had set .
In the next few months in the training grounds, Michael continuously cooked the juicy hamburger . With each failure and new experiment, he learnt from his failures and improved on the subsequent burgers .
Having experienced the loneliness in the training grounds before, he was used to this harsh environment, and continuously improve with each subsequent batch he makes .
When the countdown clock displayed the 335th day, Michael finally took out a perfect batch of white colour steam buns from the oven . With a gentle cut with his knife, there is opening . He took out a piece of the pork and minced it . Then he inserted it into the opening . Add a spoonful of sauce, and viola, the hamburger is finally completed!
“System, this time it should meet the expectations?” Michael asked in antic.i.p.ation .
| Criteria | Meet Expectations? |
| Meat – it must be tender and chewy, but not greasy . | Meet Expectations |
| Bun – the skin should be soft and middle part should be empty . The shape should be like an iron ring . | Meet Expectations |
| Taste – one bite of the soft tender hamburger should overflow the mouth with the meat juice . | Meet Expectations |
| Final verdict | Task Completed |
Successfully mastered how to cook a juicy hamburger . Rewards:
• Unlocked: Ability to purchase all ingredients needed to make the dish ‘Juicy Hamburger .
• Unlocked: All kitchen equipment, tools and utensils need to cook the dish ‘Juicy Hamburger’ . |
“Perfect . ” Michael bit the juicy hamburger after the system had evaluated it . The bun is very soft and tender, and taste especially good when combined with the meat juices . The fatty part of the pork combines well with the lean meat, making it juicy yet not greasy . One mouthful, and the flavour of the dish immediately teased and excite the taste buds when the juice flowed out .
Michael could not help closing his eyes in delight as he savoured the taste . This taste is simply astounding!
After he had swallowed the bun, he suddenly opened his eyes and found himself in the bedroom . He moved his mouth to chew, and there was no taste . Grr . . . . . !!
When he recalled the taste of the hamburger, he found it hard to sleep . Michael quietly turned on the bedside light, and discovered that it is midnight .
This time, he had used about 30 days in the training room . Most of the time was spent on perfecting the dough . Therefore, in the real world, he had only spent 2 hours .
He woke up and woke his shoes and changed into his chef uniform . Then he turned off the light and made his way downstairs .
As expected, there is a new stove in the kitchen, and all the ingredients are already in the fridge and cupboard .
Michael wore the ap.r.o.n and took out two slabs of pork belly . He washed them and placed them in a large mixing bowl, and begin to season it .
In the real world, the system will not help him to fast forward the time it takes to season the pork . One night may be a short time to season, but it should be usable by the morning . He could make a juicy hamburger breakfast for Amy .
As soon as he thought of the scene of Amy enjoying the hamburger steak, Michael’s face lit up with a smile .