Wang Fan had already started preparing the ingredients.

The lamb kidneys were premium, and when Wang Fan was selecting them in the System Mall, it specifically highlighted the origin, with special recommendation for the lamb meat and kidneys from Dongying.

Located in the center of the Lu Dong Peninsula, Dongying is one of the major grassland mutton production bases in the country. Just like Ningxia, it also has vast areas of saline-alkali land, and both places were formed due to the Yellow River, so saying they share the same origin isn't too far-fetched.

The grass that grows on the saline-alkali land can effectively neutralize the fatty acids and stearic acid in lamb meat, making the meat incredibly delicious with no gamey smell.

On the sandy plains, the grass is soft and the lambs are fat; jade-like fat, paired with wine, is just right.

Dongying lamb meat, if not the best, at least if it claims itself to be third, few places would dare claim first or second.

"High-end ingredients often only need the simplest cooking methods."

Chewing over these words from the recipe, Wang Fan began handling the lamb kidneys.

He didn't buy many lamb kidneys, only a total of 8. Honestly, these small things are a bit expensive, eighteen yuan each, and he was afraid of wasting them if he bought too many.

He cut each lamb kidney open in the middle; there was a small white part in the dark red kidney, which is the odor gland. Some people remove it, some don't; Wang Fan, using these naturally odorless saline-alkali plain lamb kidneys, naturally wouldn't do anything unnecessary to remove it.

All 8 lamb kidneys were sliced, and using two metal skewers, he fixed them, with two kidney slices per skewer, making just eight skewers in total.

Reducing the grill's temperature a bit, Wang Fan placed the lamb kidneys with the fat side down, and then directly sprinkled some salt on them.

Before long, the lamb kidneys began sizzling, and the rich aroma, much stronger than regular lamb skewers, quickly followed.

Li Wei took a deep breath and praised, "You must have lamb from our Great Lu Dong to have that aroma; the barbecue in Beijing has no meat aroma at all. If I closed my eyes, I'd think someone was grilling overnight urine."

Feng Haoyu looked disgusted: "Can't you talk without being so gross? I'm waiting to eat something delicious, is it appropriate to say things like that?"

Li Wei snorted: "I didn't lie, did I? Just tell me if it's true."

Feng Haoyu thought about it and couldn't argue.

He Chenhui chimed in at this point: "I actually know what that situation is, but before I say it, let me ask you, have you ever tasted the overnight urine you're talking about?"

Uh…

Li Wei suddenly looked a bit embarrassed: "This… this… it's just that I really wanted to try it…"

He Chenhui chuckled: "No worries, it's not some particularly advanced technology, having it isn't an issue. How much did you pay for those lamb kidneys?"

Li Wei thought for a moment and said, "They're big skewers, the kind with one kidney per skewer, generally costing about 15 to 20 yuan each."

He Chenhui looked at Wang Fan: "Boss Wang, how much are your kidneys?"

Wang Fan glanced at him: "I only have two, I'm not selling mine."

"Pfft…"

Li Wei and Feng Haoyu burst out laughing at Wang Fan's answer, and He Chenhui looked a bit awkward: "I meant how much did you pay for the kidneys you're grilling."

"Oh, eighteen each."

"???"

Li Wei and Feng Haoyu looked puzzled, glancing between Wang Fan and He Chenhui.

"What do you mean? Are prices in Beijing cheaper than here? We're a major sheep-producing province, it's not like those barbecue stall owners are doing charity work, losing money for fame?"

He Chenhui chuckled mischievously: "How could that be? Ever heard of technology and cunning tactics? What they actually do is cut open pork kidneys, wrap them in a layer of lamb tail fat, freeze them for a couple of hours, then slice and grill them. Add some cumin and chili powder, and you wouldn't taste the difference."

"What the heck? Really?"

Li Wei and Feng Haoyu looked at He Chenhui in shock: "They can do such a tricky thing?"

He Chenhui nodded: "Otherwise, think about it, an eighteen-yuan ingredient, plus seasonings, rent, labor costs, how could they sell it for just twenty yuan? How do they make a profit? The cost of that tech-made stuff is only three yuan, and you can't taste the difference, it's harmless to your body… If you don't believe me, ask Boss Wang how much he sells his kidneys for?"

They turned to Wang Fan, who said: "Thirty yuan for a skewer."

After speaking, he picked up some cumin and sprinkled it evenly over the kidneys.

At this point, the kidneys were no longer dark red but had turned a light golden color, with the outer fat still oozing oil, the "sizzling" sound making their hearts itch.

Wang Fan didn't use much cumin, unlike others who apply layers upon layers; he just used a thin layer to enhance the freshness.

However, he did rebut He Chenhui a bit: "Indeed, what you said does happen, but what I bought is fresh, so it's more expensive. Some frozen ones have a wholesale price of about ten yuan, selling for twenty still makes money. Some split one kidney into four slices to sell two servings, it's not always about technology and cunning tactics. There are fewer unscrupulous owners, and more conscientious ones do exist."

This made Li Wei and Feng Haoyu feel a bit better, and He Chenhui also looked enlightened.

Wang Fan flipped the kidneys over, the cut side up, sprinkled another layer of cumin, then started poking at the kidneys with a skewer.

As the oil dripped down through the poked holes, the aroma became richer and richer.

Seeing the color start to turn golden brown, he sprinkled a small amount of chili powder over it.

Li Wei, Feng Haoyu, and the others kept their eyes fixed on the lamb kidneys, as the small oil bubbles bursting seemed to explode in their hearts as well.

With one hand, Wang Fan held four skewers, patting them to remove excess seasoning, and the lamb kidneys were perfectly grilled.

Including Wang Fan, there were four people, so each could have two skewers, avoiding any need to fight over them.

Since it was his first time grilling, Wang Fan also had to taste how it turned out.

Bringing it close to his nose, he sniffed it; aside from the aroma of cumin and chili, there was only the rich, fresh aroma of lamb, without any unpleasant gamey smell. He was thoroughly satisfied with this; lamb's deliciousness doesn't come from that gamey smell.

"Crunch…"

With a bite, a crisp sound was audible, a unique crisp texture from the high-temperature grill, and a charred aroma spread in his mouth.

Wang Fan hadn't used much cumin or chili, and these two acted like green leaves setting off flowers, thoroughly highlighting the lamb's unique fresh aroma.

Teeth broke through the crispy outer layer, reaching the tender, slightly bouncy meat inside, providing a uniquely fine texture as it was chewed.

Salt was sprinkled from the start; dissolved salt, mixed with oil, had penetrated the inside of the kidneys, adding a subtle base flavor to each bite without feeling greasy.

Overall, Wang Fan was very satisfied with his first attempt at grilled lamb kidneys.

As expected, with my innate culinary genius!

Hmm? Wang Fan was taken aback, why am I starting to speak in inverted sentences too? Is it that contagious?

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