Shokugeki no Soma : The Russo-Japanese God's Tongue

Chapter 10: The Meat Sonata (Part 3)

Kyuzo put the block of her secret beef onto the split and hooked it with electronic pods and gas pipes. Megumi was confused, "Anzur-san, what do you think Kumisu-san is doing?" "You see the pods? They are connecting to a laptop, this is used to collect dates of temperatures from the beef." As explained, she spotted two huge gas tanks. "And the tanks?" "You will see." While Kyuzo was settled up, Ikumi tried to taunt her again but she stayed calm and start the split roast.

"Despite you are doing a split roast, the meat won't cook on time as just at the end of the contest." However, she didn't speak a voice, Ikumi was out of patience. "Tsk, come on just say something will you? Are you a kind of bird which doesn't sing?" Kyuzo held a glass jar and turned to her, "I don't say anything as my don will soon be telling an eloquent tale. There is a rule in the kitchen, (put her finger in front of her lips) You don't make a noise to disturb other chefs. It's common knowledge that any chef who talks too much in the kitchen can't be trusted to have actual skills." With these words, Ikumi was really pissed, "A-Are you mocking me?!" Then, while Kyuzo opened the glass jar, a strong aroma flown into the air and Ikumi was attracted by that smell. She almost lost her balance as her body was twitching by the smell, "What is she tries to pull?!" Without hesitation, she returned to her post.

While split roasting, Kyuzo was done cooking with the side ingredients as she focused on the laptop. Then suddenly, she jumped and open the valve of the tanks, a huge amount of nitrogen gas pumped into the meat and so the steel cow's nose buffing with the gas, the audience was astonished. "Oh my, Kyuzo-sama's beast is 'angry'." "She must try to balance the heat inside the meat so she pumps in the gas." "That is a revolutionary method to traditional split." As time almost close to the end, both of the contestants were filling up their dish and finally, the bell struck, the end of the shokugeki.

Now the moment of all audience was waiting, the judging time. Urara continued, "Now it's the time to judge. Mito-san's dish will go first." Ikumi presented she dish to the three judges, "Mine's a "Rôti" Don made with A5 wagyu beef!" Then Urara explained, "Rôti is French for "roast", it's often used to denote dishes cooked in the oven." One of the judges, Kuraki Shigeno, President of the traditional Japanese restaurant, Kuraki, examined the dish, "The sliced meat is like a rose, and I am honoured to see such beautiful don." As she tasted the first spoon, the juiciness of the A5 beef poured into her mouth, "It's so delicious and paralyzing!" Bito Yoshiki, the Balck Wagyu Critic blessed, "This it is! This profound umami is the A5's true strength and this meat... when the heat is applied perpendicular to the grain of the meat, heat spreads evenly and more juices are released which the best chefs take even the grain of the meat into account!" On the other hand, Okamoto Katsuori, TV Producer of Prime Gourmet explained, "And note what's beneath the "petals", the garlic rice sauteed in beef fat and buttered in exquisite! I could ear three bowls of this rice alone!" Ikumi was happy to hear such expectation. Do you get it now, transfer student? This is the pleasure of meat, she thought. Erina was smiling too as she watched Ikumi did her best job to satisfied her. 

"Let's have the judges evaluate Mifune-san's dish next!" Urara went to Kyuzo as she holding a tray of three covered bowls, "And what would you call your don?" Kyuzo replied, "Thank you for the reminder, this is called the Sunday-Special Roast Beef Don." She put the bowls in front of the judges and opened the lids, hot steams rosed into the air and three freshly ordered dons were ready to serve. "Please have a taste." She walked back two steps and Bito was impressed, "Well, it looks more promising than I'd initially thought as a traditional British Roast Beef Dinner." "Guess we'll give it a try," Okamoto picked up his chopsticks which Kyuzo provided and put a small mouth of rice and the beef, so did Bito and Kuraki. Ikumi thought, "Hmph, there's no way that meat could turn into anything decent..." But to her surprised, the judges are shoving the bowl in hunger, Kyuzo smiled. "This-This is impossible! Why?! I can't... I can't stop eating!" Kuraki cried but continue to eat, "The meat is most tender, but it's the..." "The sauce!" Bito explained as he still eating, "She has specialised the minced onion sauce with gravy! It is the most excellent for the appetite! But what is it?!" Okamoto was more hunger than a horse, "This full-bodied flavour must be from the red wine she added to the pan with the collected juices from the beef was done split roasting." Bito was full in joy as he tasted the sauce, "She deglazed the pan with it, then sauteed the onion in the sauce, but the sauce is the most special!" "This thickened with potato starch, which creaminess of the sauce coating the meat with and rice is irresistible!" Okamoto explained then Kuraki continued, "Not to mention, the flavours are rounded off with a little burnt of gravy and soy sauce. She leveraged the burnt soy sauce to deepen the flavour in the balance!" Kyuzo's supports were cheering in the audience as Ikumi was frowning, "Tsk! In the end, the sauce is just sauce... it's got nothing on my premium meat!"