Freshness Is Key for Yukhoe and Yuk Sashimi (Meat Chunks)
Freshness Is Key for Yukhoe and Yuk Sashimi (Meat Chunks)
"Forgive me. The sword has already chosen its master—who am I to interfere? A blade's role changes depending on the hand that holds it, does it not? Even a sword that has slain countless lives can become a blade that saves them, depending on who wields it."
Having composed himself, Lancelot launched into a discourse on the philosophy of the sword.
"What surprised me was that I never imagined such a fine sword would be used for butchering meat. Perhaps there is no need to kill anyone after all. I had forgotten you had resigned your knighthood. A knight strong enough to bring down a Tuu single-handed—your blade is your path, and so..."
Zzz.
Ah, I dozed off for a second.
Lancelot's seemingly interminable introductory lecture on swordsmanship was mercifully cut short by Viscount Britten.
"My thanks. The moment I heard a Tuu had appeared on Conwell Mountain, I came running, afraid I might be too late. Thanks to you, the matter was resolved without a single casualty. How can I ever repay this debt...?"
"Not at all, my lord. Running a business in your territory is already a favor you've granted me. It is I who should be repaying you."
Standard lip service.
In truth, it was flattery with a solid kernel of honesty.
If the Viscount had refused to let me open my restaurant, I could've been kicked out at any time.
Even a rural lord is a king within his own domain.
Whether he wanted to enlist me as a knight or simply add another armed man to his territory, it was the Viscount's permission that let me open shop.
"Ha ha, you are far too modest. If not for you, Sir Knight, many would have been injured."
"Sir Heimer and the young lord had the men well in hand. Even without me, the damage would have been minimal."
"Truly humble. A model knight."
"You flatter me."
"But are you sure just taking the meat is sufficient compensation?"
"Absolutely."
A wild Tuu was a rare ingredient outside of mating season.
Simply obtaining such a precious material was reward enough.
When I considered the dishes I could make from two entire cartfuls of Tuu meat, the compensation was already more than generous.
I couldn't possibly process all that meat by myself.
Some customers came out of curiosity, but aside from noble gourmands, the common folk firmly believed Tuu meat was inedible.
I wasn't sure I could sell it all.
'If it doesn't sell, I'll just freeze it and offload it to the Golden Wagon.'
Kobi and Camilla, who had already tasted the meat, would know its true worth.
But turning such precious Tuu meat straight into frozen stock? Nothing would be a bigger waste.
'Everyone needs to know that taste.'
The Viscount spoke.
"If you ever need my family's assistance, do not hesitate to ask. I will repay the debt I owe you."
"Understood."
"Oh, and might I purchase some of that Tuu meat?"
"For your own consumption, or for resale?"
The Viscount leaned in and lowered his voice.
"I've heard Tuu bones are excellent for... a man's vigor. Is that true?"
Ahh.
"I see what you're saying, my lord. Come by the restaurant, and I'll prepare a special dish for you."
"Then may I come now, while I have the chance?"
"Weren't you headed to the city on business?"
Viscount Britten let out a sigh.
"It's already fallen through. The merchant company I went to negotiate with for our territory's trade goods told me they're no longer buying our wares. I went all that way, and I got flatly turned away."
So that was why he'd returned much sooner than expected.
"In that case, I'll have to console you with some good food."
"Thank you. I've been wanting to visit ever since Liana recommended it, and now I'll finally get the chance. A chance to catch my breath would be welcome."
We loaded all the butchered and deboned meat onto the carts and set off on horseback.
Cooking, or anything else—I had to get it back to the restaurant before I could do a damn thing.
There wasn't much I could do out here with no tools.
"Let's hurry. I've got cooking to do."
There was only one reason to rush.
We'd just butchered a freshly slaughtered cow today—shouldn't I be enjoying a beef omakase?
Meat gets tastier the fresher it is.
The flavor changes entirely depending on how fresh the meat is when you eat it.
"Heimer, you must learn this as well. In the end, a sword's purpose depends on how it is used. One must be able to adapt..."
Lancelot had already shifted his lecturing to Heimer, expounding on his pedagogical theories.
Heimer nodded, eyes sparkling as if committed to memorizing every word.
"I will take it to heart, Commander!"
We hauled the Tuu meat back to the viscount's territory.
***
"You mean come back tomorrow?"
"Yes. Preparing a dish using the beef bones will take about a day. Besides, today isn't a business day."
"What sort of dish...? Does cooking bones always take that long?"
I nodded.
They do have beef bone dishes here, too.
In my old world, there's a bone dish called marrow—roasted after splitting the bone in half.
A dish made by splitting a beef bone and roasting it whole, famous for its deep flavor.
Or so I hear—some wealthy nobles in the capital enjoy it as a delicacy.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to make that dish.
The beef bone cuisine common in this world isn't my specialty.
What I'm planning is sagol-guk—simmering those bones until the broth turns rich and deep.
"We have our own recipe at the restaurant."
"Hmm... And here I was hoping to eat right away."
Viscount Britten eyed the Tuu meat on the cart with a wistful smack of his lips.
"If you wish to enjoy Tuu meat immediately, there is another way."
"What way?"
"There's something called mungtigi. You slice the rump of a freshly slaughtered cow and eat it as is..."
Mungtigi—named after cutting the beef round into thick, chunky slices.
A dish famous for the fresh taste only just-slaughtered beef can deliver.
Usually, you make yukhoe and yuksashimi from the round, but if you slice a freshly butchered one thicker than yuksashimi, it becomes mungtigi.
In truth, it's a regional dialect word from Daegu for freshly sliced yuksashimi.
The flavor is on an entirely different level from the yuksashimi you'd get at an ordinary raw beef house.
'Although really, it's mostly the difference in meat freshness.'
Anyway, the difference in dimension is real.
Thinking back, Daegu had so many great restaurants.
Mungtigi, makchang, Chinese-style bibimbap, daltteok—on and on.
Ah, shit. My mouth's watering just thinking about it.
"Eating raw Tuu meat, you mean?"
"That's right."
At that, the Viscount closed his mouth.
He looked uncomfortable.
"N-no, that's fine. I was thinking more for the knights and soldiers."
It was only natural—Tuu meat was so tough that even well-cooked was avoided, let alone raw.
"Are you sure? You'll regret it."
"N-no, it's fine. Ha ha ha."
Many nobles were averse to eating raw meat.
And not just nobles—plenty of commoners also preferred their meat cooked by some means.
They called it barbaric or whatever.
Not knowing this taste is the real barbarism.
Yukhoe is so damn good.
Along with live octopus, it's my favorite K-sushi.
Surprisingly, yukhoe is a uniquely Korean dish that dates quite far back.
China generally cooked most ingredients, and Japan historically ate more fish than meat.
If Japan has sushi, Korea has yukhoe—that's the parallel.
I pity the Viscount for not knowing this flavor.
That said, I'm not going to force him.
Forcing food on someone isn't gentlemanly.
"Understood. Then I'll treat you to a dish using the beef bones."
"I wonder if I can wait until tomorrow."
"Waiting for a dish is part of the gastronomic experience, you might say."
"You're right. The wait is part of the cuisine. Very well. I shall visit tomorrow. And I'll cover the cost of feeding the soldiers who worked hard, so give them their fill."
"Understood."
The knights erupted into cheers at the lord's declaration that he'd foot the bill.
Even the soldiers, trying not to show it, had the corners of their mouths twitching upward.
Tuu meat might be infamous for its toughness, but it was a high-end ingredient.
When would they ever get a chance to try it otherwise?
Heh.
A lord who looks after his people—the best.
Thank you, boss—no, my lord.
Our Knight Restaurant will provide the finest service.
The Viscount headed back to the castle with twenty guards.
I took the Sword of the Lake and sliced the Tuu round that hadn't yet been moved to the restaurant into thick cuts.
Shouldn't I test the freshness before serving it to others?
The sliced round clung to the Sword of the Lake, so sticky with freshness it practically adhered to the blade.
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
Shame I didn't have any sesame oil on hand.
There was sesame oil in the restaurant, but I couldn't wait until I got there.
I trimmed the sinew off with the tip of the blade right then and there, leaving only the vivid red raw meat gleaming like rubies.
"You're actually eating that?"
Every eye turned toward me.
And I popped a piece of just-sliced, fresh mungtigi into my mouth.
"Mmm~! That's it!"
The fresh meat chewed with a chewy, springy texture, bouncy and resilient.
The texture was more elastic than ordinary beef, clinging to my teeth.
Not a trace of gaminess or off-putting odor.
The meat's fat fragrance settled into every corner of my mouth.
The flavor of the Tuu was so deep that even after swallowing, the aroma lingered, holding its presence.
"Mind-blowing."
Mind-blowing.
The knights and soldiers who had been moving the meat under Lancelot's command stared at me blank-faced as I ate the mungtigi.
"To eat that tough Tuu meat raw without a moment's hesitation — you truly are a knight through and through."
"Sir Heimer, I have once again been deeply moved by Sir Lucas today."
And somewhere along the way, the misunderstandings just kept piling up.
"I-I was moved too! Just as I heard from both knights — you're the knight among knights!"
At the sound of a young boy's voice, I turned my head to find a lad with the same light-brown hair as Viscount Britten, eyes shining as he stared at me.
Though he did look slightly intimidated by the sight of someone eating raw meat.
Now it made sense why the soldiers and knights had stayed behind.
The young lord.
The future ruler of the viscountcy, the one who'd handled the initial response well alongside Heimer.
The young lord of House Britten — Henry Britten.
"I greet the young lord."
"No need for formalities."
"But why did you stay behind instead of going with the Viscount?"
"I volunteered to remain. I wanted to taste the Tuu meat."
"Is that so?"
The boy gave a vigorous nod.
"Then come on — help the knights haul the meat."
"Wha— what?"
"The faster we finish, the sooner we eat, don't you think?"
In labor, no man stands above another. That's the rule.
"Fine!"
The boy dashed off, patter-patter-patter, right into the cluster of knights carrying meat.
I had a rough idea why Henry had stayed.
I'd felt his eyes on me ever since we brought down the Tuu.
I'd been doing my best to ignore it, but I hadn't expected him to stay behind so openly.
'Still, it's nice having the soldiers and knights to put to work.'
If I had to cook a victory feast regardless, I might as well minimize my own workload.
While Commander Lancelot and the knights loaded the meat into the cold storage, I pulled out the leg and tail I'd need for tomorrow's meal for the lord and set to work with the Sword of the Lake — hacking and slicing every piece into manageable cuts before dropping them into water to soak.
The aftertaste of the mungtigi still clung to my mouth, lingering all the way through until I'd finished butchering every last bone.
Deep. So deep.
"What would work best for a Tuu omakase menu...?"
First, yukhoe and mungtigi.
But yukhoe leans more toward a drinking snack than a proper meal, so...
"Should I throw in some charcoal grilling as well?"
Not bad.
The flavor varies completely by cut, so even without some elaborate spread, it'd still be a lavish meal.
Fresh-slaughtered Tuu yukhoe, and freshly grilled Tuu meat.
K-sushi and K-barbecue?
No matter how I looked at it, this was the GOAT of menu selections.
Ah, there you are again. The GOAT.
"Commander Lancelot, could you give me a hand?"
"What do you need?"
Lancelot and the knights, having finished hauling the meat, gathered around me with expectant faces.
"While I'm prepping the bones, would you get these things ready for me?"
He glanced over the list and swallowed.
"I'll take the lads and handle it right away."
Getting everything ready on my own was going to take a while, so I'd gladly accept the help.
"Are we eating in the back courtyard again today?"
"The knights and I will eat out back."
"Much appreciated. Another precious experience awaits, it seems."
"Just don't eat three pieces at once this time. This is precious meat."
"Cough — o-of course. I've already received your proper instruction on that. I won't make the same mistake twice."
Lancelot hurried out.
I retrieved the meat from the cold storage and took up the Sword of the Lake — no, the Butcher's Sword.
Having sent the knights off on errands, I laid the meat destined for the grill onto the cutting board and sliced through it at speed.
Chuck to ribeye, then tenderloin and striploin. The tail-end strip followed, then the hanging tender, the skirt, the brisket end, and even the ribs.
The blade carved muscle from fat in swift strokes, separating every cut.
The Butcher's Sword, through and through.
The edge was singing.
Now I understood why people say you should always use a good knife.
I stripped off excess fat and silver skin, sliced through sinew.
No wasted motion.
A high-difficulty dissection performance that only a man seven years into his career as a Cook Knight could pull off.
Not that anyone was watching — they were all too busy.
The cuts I'd portioned out were all ones that needed no fancy technique — just throw them on the fire and you'd taste their full texture and flavor.
Beef that delivered deep flavor with nothing but a sprinkle of salt or a dip in seasoned oil once grilled over charcoal.
"Goddamn, look at that marbling."
White fat bloomed like snowflakes between the ribbons of red lean meat.
It was a work of art rendered in flesh.
Tuu meat — specifically, Tuu meat deboned using mana — had no gaminess, no off-odor whatsoever. It was complete on its own.
The most deeply flavored of all meats, yet notorious for its toughness — which split opinions sharply.
A brutish cut that some claimed was only fitting for a knight to chew through.
But what if the toughness were taken out of the equation?
Then the meat alone would stand as the highest delicacy. Obviously.
What more needed to be said?
That alone decided it.
By the time I'd finished slicing enough grilling meat for sixty people, Lancelot came back in.
"All finished, I see."
"You finished earlier than I expected."
"Everyone's itching to get started. Whether that's because you ate that raw meat earlier, or because they're about to eat expensive meat — well, I can't say."
Lancelot looked over the mountain of freshly butchered meat and asked,
"Is it always this much? I'd heard that even though Tuu are huge, the usable cuts are few."
"Ah, of course. It'll be delicious."
"I'm looking forward to it myself. I once ate Tuu a long time ago, and I still haven't forgotten the taste."
"Is that so?"
"It is. So I'm quite aware of what it means that you ate that meat raw."
Lancelot nodded.
"As a knight yourself, you must know — eating that tough Tuu meat is already a knightly act in itself, is it not? And to eat it raw — that already shows you've grasped the deepest essence of chivalry..."
While Lancelot waxed poetic about knightly ideals, I took the separated cuts and portioned them into manageable sizes.
Splaaash!
At the sound of water, I glanced over to see Heimer and the knights washing greens they'd picked from the back courtyard.
Maybe they'd picked it up by watching me make bulbaek — they were doing a decent job of it.
"I heard from Commander Lancelot! They say the meat eaten in the back courtyard is that delicious!"
Henry, who'd followed Heimer in, hollered.
His face was packed full of anticipation.
The excitement over a new food seemed to far outweigh any guilt about eating Tuu meat before his father did.
If the Viscount found out, he'd probably sob about having raised his son all wrong.
"You told him all of that?"
At my words, Lancelot averted his eyes.
"Cough — well, I also wrote it in the review..."
"I've already read everything you've written, actually."
"Wha — what?! And you said that while knowing?"
His reaction was satisfyingly crisp.
Worth the teasing.
"C-cough, my apologies."
"No need to apologize. Praise for the food is praise for the cook, after all."
I picked up the meat and headed to the table in the back courtyard.
"By the way, did you get the charcoal going properly?"
"Yes, I did. But why did you ask us to light that? It's not even cold outside."
"We'll be grilling the meat over it."
"Over charcoal?"
"Yes. Back home, we call it charcoal-grilled meat."
The knights' eyes went round and bright.
A whole constellation of anticipation.
But first —
"Everyone, have a try of this."
I passed around the mungtigi I'd already finished prepping.
The knights took one look at the raw meat — so fresh it clung stubbornly to the plate, showing no intention of letting go — and their lips pressed into tight lines.
Well, well, look at these people.
"Can't a knight even eat this much?"
"I'm much more interested in this so-called charcoal-grilled meat, myself..."
"I-I'd also prefer it cooked, if possible..."
Tch.
Knights, and yet so squeamish.
It was just a physiological aversion.
When the rump cut is perfectly fine to eat raw.
The kids in the Imperial Princess's knight order had given me exactly this reaction, hadn't they?
After they ate it, they changed their tune a bit — but at first, they'd all looked at me like I was some kind of monster.
People who saw blood every day on the battlefield — why were they so timid about this?
Commander Lancelot, you at least will show some courage, won't you?
"There is someone here who ought to eat before I do, is there not?"
Lancelot pointed at Henry.
"You mean me?"
"Yes. How could I eat first when the one we serve is present? Did you not stay behind to experience chivalry yourself? Please, give it a try. The taste will not be unpleasant."
Not strictly a wrong statement.
"Cough, very well. At times like this, I, as the young lord, must set the example."
Youngest of them all, Henry thrust his fork into a ruby-glinting piece of mungtigi and lifted it.
The young lord, as expected.
"You dip it into this sauce."
I pushed forward a sauce I'd made by mixing garlic, chili powder, ssamjang, and sesame oil.
I knew the authentic seasoning back where I came from was slightly different, but there was no way to pin down every detail — so this was a custom blend, made to come as close as possible.
"Th-then, here goes."
With a trembling hand, Henry dipped the mungtigi into the sauce, shut his eyes tight, and took a bite of the raw sliced beef.
Chew, chew.
Everyone's attention converged on Henry's mouth —
"Ohhh!!!! Wha— whaa?"
"Young lord, what's wrong?!"
"How does it taste?"
"Tell us!"
At Henry's extravagant reaction, everyone held their breath and waited.
"Tuu meat has always been this tender? It's just melting in my mouth!"
The rump — no, the yuksashimi — was melting in his mouth.