Seoul Kitchen: Chapter 14 (Patreon)

Lunch Rush Carnitas

With the last bag of bagel sold, the morning rush finally ended. After shooing away the stragglers and closing down shop temporarily, he now had some breathing room. He still had the whole day ahead of him after all and he didn’t have Maine’s crew to help him this around around. Taking his well earned rest, he pondered on what he’ll be cooking up next.

As he was the cook, cashier and manager all wrapped in one package, he really didn’t have the luxury to make more dishes. His goal of just making dishes as request was a fun idea but he didn’t have time. He was just one man after all. He should probably fix that but that was a problem for future him to solve.

For the upcoming Lunch Rush, he needed something filling and tasty. He needed something that anyone would take comfort in and he might have something in mind; Carnitas. It was cheap, simple and easy to prepare. It also allowed him to have three dish in one if he could make some tortillas.

Rolling his shoulders, he then grabbed himself a Coke bottle out of thin air and started cooking. The main star of today’s dish was pork and lard. It would have been preferable to get boneless pork shoulders but he felt that it didn’t have enough flavor. It was the meat near the bones that was the tastiest.

Chopping enough meat to make an entire pig, he then seasoned them generously with salt and some spices before tossing them in the pot of boiling lard. It was quite jarring tossing several chunks of dark animal fat but it wouldn’t be Carnitas if it wasn’t Lard. To add some texture, it wasn’t just the normal cuts but also the cheeks, face, tail and ears of the pork.

With more fat getting rendered out, it was time to add another key ingredient; Coca Cola. Grabbing a coke bottle out of thin air, he cracked it opened and poured it in the large pot of inexpensive pork cuts.  “Damn shame they don’t sell these anymore,” He whispered as he emptied the bottle before making himself another one to drink.

It was quite strange to no longer see Coca Cola or Pepsi for that matter but he chalked it of to the corporate wars or maybe it was the wars in central america. Who knew releasing some bio plague that wiped out a lot of plants used for drugs would also impact Coca Cola?

Snorting in amusement, he turned his attention back to the dish at hand. With the added cola, the dish had its infusion of much needed sweetness to round out the taste. Along with a fresh  orange, peel and all squeezed before being tossed in the path, it was shaping up. Making sure to added some extra spices, he just let it cooked in the low heat as he kicked back and relaxed.

-x-x-x-

It took him quite a bit of time to cook it as well as get a whole mountain of flour tortilla ready but just as lunch started, he was ready. He made sure to give the dish a taste test, savoring the shredded pork as it just melted in his mouth. Sweet, savory and most important of all, crispy with that well browned texture from the lard; His dollar carnitas was ready for the masses.

“Bless your heart mijo,” An eldery latina thanked him, shaking his hand as he awkwardly received it with a strained smile across his face.

“I’m just a guy selling food, no need to thank me here ma’am,” He replied, rubbing the back of his head. It was simply just that after all, he was just a guy with a food stand; Nothing more, nothing less. Still, it warmed his heart that his efforts was getting appreciated.

After a few more blessing and some rude comments from the line, he was finally freed to serve the next one in line. Without looking up, he asked, “Welcome to Seoul Kitchen, today’s special is dollar carnitas. For an extra dollar, you can get a drink as well as extra tortillas on your plate. We also serve them in burrito’s and burgers if you like.”

“Huh, a place in Night City that’s not costing you an arm and a leg, who would have thunk,” The southern twang of a womans voice replied.

Not everything in Night City is shit you know,” packing it with onions and hot sauce, he continued, “Sometimes you just have to look hard enough to find something worth while,” Rebecca’s smile flashed across his mind, making him smile in turn. Her energy was just infectious and he felt like he could take on the world with her encouragement.

“Definitely words to live by,” the woman agreed, “Anywho, I’ll have myself half a dozen of those scrumptious looking carnitas on a bun and can you add some hot sauce on that, peaches? Also, mind if I have one of those cola bottle? Never thought I’d get to see one sold in the wild,” She then added as she pointed over at the half finish bottle of coke he had from cooking.

For a moment he paused, his brow scrunching up as a something tickled the back of his head, a memory that he couldn’t quite grasp before he shrugged it off. “Half a dozen Carnitas Burger and a bottle of coke coming right up!” he chuckled, amused at just how much the woman ordered. There was just something about the appetite of people here that just put everyone across the vast ocean to shame.

“W-wait now hold on a minute, I didn’t order that!” The woman blustered.

“Didn’t you order half a dozen burgers and a cola?” He asked as he slowly reached for his tongs.

“Yeah but not that one! The one you said at the end,” She whispered furiously, making him frown. Probably seeing his confusion, she then got a little bit closer as she whispered angrily, “Do I look like some druggy to you?”

He blinked before laughing, “Ohhh, that,” shaking his head as he grabbed a generous amount of pulled pork for each burger, he then said, “That’s just what they used to call the drink back in the days you know, mostly cause the main ingredient comes from the same plant used to make that.”

“Wouldn’t that be you know?” She replied, “Addicting as hell?”

“Oh no, not at all,” He assured her as he turned around to reached inside his fridge, making sure that no prying eyes would get to see him pull out of nowhere, “Don’t worry though, they removed that thing from that ingredient so no danger of getting high or addicted,” He then explained to her, “If it was, this would have been taken off the market years ago.”

It was technically off the market as no one produces them anymore but eh, she didn’t need to know. Finishing her order, he wrapped them all up before handing them over, “That’ll be 7 eddies!”

“Here you go,” She paid him and the money in his wallet started going up and up till it was several thousands too much.

“H-hey, you over paid…” He panicked as he looked up, only to stop dead on his track as a familiar woman greeted him. He couldn’t mistake that stetson hat and that tall, well built figure, “Wait! You’re that girl from the bar!”

“Glad you still remember me Peach Boy cause I definitely remember you,” She replied with an easy going grin across her face, “Definitely made yourself quite the apology but you put me in a debt so I had to fix that.”

Well now, his lunch rush certainly became a bit more interesting.