ABT ### Chapter 153: Charred on the Outside

American barbecue is a fascinating style of cooking. The high-end restaurants aside, the way ordinary folks do it can seem quite unsophisticated.

They cut beef into pieces as big as shoe soles and slap them onto the grill.

They put whole chicken legs on the grill without seasoning them.

They cut cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes into pieces over an inch thick and slap them onto the grill.

After eight or nine minutes, when the outside changes color, they sandwich the pieces between bread slices with some sauce and eat them, regardless of whether they're fully cooked.

So, when the foreigners at the neighboring booth saw a young Chinese guy marinating beef with various spices from a small bucket, they immediately came over to take a look.

A bearded, burly man holding a can of beer approached and said something.

Li Fanyu was busy with his preparations and asked Cheng Ke, who was eager to join in, "What did he say?"

"He asked why you're using so many spices. He said the spices would ruin the natural flavor and taste of the ingredients."

Cheng Ke reached into the basin, grabbing a handful of meat and getting her hands all greasy.

Li Fanyu scoffed at the notion. "Hmph, you hillbilly, daring to question the secret technique passed down from my mother! You guys eat your meat so raw it's practically still bleeding. Your way of eating is no different from the primitive times!"

He grinned at the man and whispered to Cheng Ke through clenched teeth, "Tell this hillbilly that once it's done, I'll give him a piece to try."

Cheng Ke nodded and translated, leaving out the "hillbilly" part. Despite her occasional bouts of childishness, Cheng Ke was smart enough to know better.

Li Fanyu's method was actually how his mother grilled meat at home using an electric grill: first marinate the meat with salt, mix it evenly with an egg white, then add MSG and black pepper, and finally some onions.

But here, for convenience, he cut the meat into palm-sized pieces, each just right for one person, which looked quite generous.

Since there was no supermarket nearby, Cheng Ke had to walk a long way to find one. She could only carry about five kilograms of beef, a few chicken wings, and some seasonings.

The chicken wings were for herself. Americans typically don't care much for wings. Their food culture leans towards larger portions like chicken legs and breasts, similar to their preference for women with large busts. Just look at Kim Kardashian—her behind could crush someone.

While Li Fanyu's cooking skills weren't as good as his mother's, he had been exposed to her methods for years, even if he hadn't cooked much himself.

Next to them was a booth showcasing modified cars decorated with old car spokes. Li Fanyu had Cheng Ke go borrow some. Being sweet and cute, Cheng Ke easily charmed the two young men into giving her a dozen spokes without a word.

With everything ready and the charcoal hot enough, Li Fanyu began grilling. As the charcoal sizzled, a familiar aroma spread.

The bearded man was the first to catch the scent. A unique blend of black pepper, onions, and beef wafted into his nose.

The smell made him so hungry he put down his half-eaten hotdog and walked over. "Hey, friend! Are you trying to burn the meat? Beef is best when it's medium rare!"

Li Fanyu didn't respond verbally but used a spoke to pick up a piece of grilled meat and handed it to him. "Here, try it!"

The man gratefully accepted it, sniffing the meat. Oh my, what a special aroma—could this be the Chinese way?

He blew on it and took a bite.

Instantly, a burst of meat juice mixed with the mild heat of black pepper and the freshness of onions exploded in his mouth.

"Oh my God!" He covered his mouth to keep the rich juice from spilling out.

The tender and juicy beef rolled around on his tongue, making him reluctant to swallow it. Each chew brought his taste buds unprecedented joy.

OMG! Holy Mary! I, Miles Mason, have never had such delicious grilled meat!

With each chew, he marveled anew.

In a short time, he devoured the piece of meat.

Looking at the young man carefully grilling more meat, he suddenly felt embarrassed; compared to this, his own grilling methods were a waste of good ingredients!

Seeing Li Fanyu busy, he turned to Cheng Ke. "Excuse me, beautiful and lovely lady, may I have another piece?"

Cheng Ke, chewing on a piece of grilled meat herself, quickly went to get him another piece from the grill.

"Hey, hey, hey! Isn't this piece enough for you? We need to save some for the guests. We don't have much beef, and there's still the whole afternoon to go." Li Fanyu stopped her.

"It's not for me; it's for that guy." Cheng Ke quickly explained.

Li Fanyu looked up to see the bearded man smiling at him.

He shook his head with a laugh. "Didn't he say grilling like this ruins the original taste? Tell him we're low on supplies and need to save some for the media and tourists."

"Stingy," Cheng Ke muttered, translating Li Fanyu's words to the man apologetically.

"No, no, no! I take back what I said!" The man waved his hands frantically. But seeing the small amount of beef in Li Fanyu's bucket, he called to his companion.

After getting a piece for his friend to taste, the two quickly came to an agreement—to mooch!

They brought their own beef over, along with some tires from their booth, and sat down beside Li Fanyu, joining in. They ate and praised the food, with Cheng Ke translating.

The four of them chatted and ate, creating a warm, cross-cultural atmosphere.

People naturally gravitate towards lively spots. Seeing the fun at this booth, more curious onlookers came over. After tasting the grilled meat, they stuck around.

Soon, there were seven, eight, twelve... Before long, over thirty people had gathered around Li Fanyu's booth! For an outdoor booth, this was remarkable. The crowd's praise and requests for food quickly drew even more attention.

Thus, Li Fanyu's meticulously prepared auto booth naturally turned into a barbecue stand.

He never imagined that his first claim to fame at the North American International Auto Show would be his mother's secret grilled meat recipe, not his car.

But what surprised him even more was that this grilling skill brought him unexpected gains at the show.

Much like Premier Zhou's ping-pong diplomacy, Cheng Ke later dubbed this event "Charred on the Outside."

Yes, charred on the outside and tender on the inside.

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