The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 122. Isezaki-san's Monster Meat Recipe

122. Isezaki-san’s Monster Meat Recipe

I had a feeling it would be a recipe using minced meat, but this time, the recipe Isezaki-san taught me was everyone’s favorite, including mine, hamburgers. It’s a classic recipe using minced meat.

And for the minced meat, we decided to use Great Boar. Although I also had Earth Rats in stock, Isezaki-san said, “Earth Rats have a texture similar to chicken, so it might turn out like chicken hamburgers. Let’s challenge ourselves with the familiar beef hamburgers using Great Boar, which is closer to beef.” 

While I tirelessly minced the meat, Isezaki-san minced onions and made side dishes like potato salad and glazed carrots.

I was impressed by how efficiently Isezaki-san moved around the cramped kitchen, multitasking with multiple tasks at once.

Although I’ve only witnessed scenes of poor motor skills from Isezaki-san recently, seeing her like this makes me realize that she is indeed talented.

After finishing mincing the meat, I put it in a bowl chilled with ice water, and Isezaki-san added onions, breadcrumbs, and various seasonings to flavor it.

I was worried that I wouldn’t remember all the cooking details by this point, but Isezaki-san had prepared a paper with the recipe written on it. This consideration was much appreciated.

Then I diligently kneaded the minced meat.

“Ugh, it’s quite gross, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but exclaim at the sensation of sticking my hands into the watery clay-like substance.

I think it would be better if it were actually clay, but in reality, I’m sticking my hands into meat. It’s an unfamiliar experience for someone like me who doesn’t usually cook to this extent.

“You can also use vinyl gloves, sir, but by kneading it directly, you can feel the moisture of the minced meat directly on your skin. Furthermore, your components— I mean, measuring the moisture content is important. Please keep kneading diligently.”

Isezaki-san said, not taking her eyes off my hands.

From her serious and slightly bloodshot eyes, I could sense that this task was indeed very important. What does she mean by “my components”? I couldn’t ask in this atmosphere.

From then on, I also kneaded the minced meat earnestly without complaining.

Isezaki-san, without blinking, murmured, “Knead, knead, knead…” intensely, which was a little scary.

—Eventually, the contents of the bowl were completely mixed, turning into a smooth and uniform meat mixture.

Next is the crucial step of shaping the hamburgers.

“Make sure to remove the air from the meat mixture. But don’t press too hard. Try doing it like this.”

Isezaki-san took the meat mixture and rhythmically tossed it from right hand to left hand, as if playing catch. And in no time, hamburgers were formed.

“We want to make the surface as smooth as possible. That way, we can trap the juices inside.”

Isezaki-san gently caressed the meat mixture.

Then, a smooth and well-formed hamburger mixture was quickly created. Its impressive appearance promised deliciousness even before cooking.

Now it’s my turn to try. However, even though I thought I was doing it the same way as Isezaki-san, I couldn’t get it quite right. No matter how I tossed or caressed it, it wouldn’t take a good shape.

“Sir, try being gentler and caress it as if wrapping it around. …Yes, that’s it, more gently and tenderly, as if the components are soaking in. And then, cram a pinch of forcefulness into the tenderness…! Haa, haa, sir, please embrace it so passionately that it breaks apart! Haa, haa, haa!”

Perhaps feeling tired from all the work, Isezaki-san’s breath was rough, and what she was saying was too abstract to understand. Her eyes were spinning. Is she okay?

However, perhaps her advice had some effect, as I was able to shape all the meat mixture into hamburgers in the end. And by the time we finished, Isezaki-san had returned to her usual self.

Finally, Isezaki-san and I divided the work and started grilling the hamburgers. The newly purchased magical stoves were a great help.

After a while, all the hamburgers were cooked. Since we made a lot, we obviously couldn’t finish them all this time.

We stored the leftovers in the “Storage Storage” so that we could eat them anytime. For now, I plan to have hamburgers sandwiched between slices of bread for breakfast tomorrow.

“――Sorry for the wait. Sir, well done,” Isezaki-san said as she placed freshly made hot hamburgers on the table and took a seat in the opposite chair. It was time for a slightly late lunch to begin.

The hamburgers I shaped were clearly unattractive. On the other hand, not a single one of Isezaki-san’s hamburgers had crumbled.

Since there were no issues with the cooking process, it was evident that the difference in quality was due to the shaping alone.

And Isezaki-san had placed the hamburgers I made on her side, while the ones she made were on my side.

“The ones I made are totally useless. You should eat yours by yourself,” I said, trying to exchange plates with Isezaki-san. However, she lifted her plate and rejected it.

“No, I can’t give away such treasures— I mean, sir, please eat my hamburgers.”

“No, it’s not right to make you eat something this awful.”

“No, eating well-made food is also part of learning. And it’s the duty of the one who taught when things didn’t go well! So, these are all mine. I absolutely won’t give them to you! If I don’t give them to you, I won’t…!”

From Isezaki-san, who lifted the plate even higher, I could feel an extraordinary determination. It seemed that her sense of responsibility had been ignited. In that case, I decided to do as she said.

“Okay, I understand. Sorry, but I’ll take them.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

With a wry smile at Isezaki-san, who repeatedly thanked me, I sank deeply into my chair.

“Well, let’s eat then… Bon appétit.”

“Bon appétit!”

We bowed to each other and were about to start eating when—”Ping pong,” the doorbell rang for the second time today. We froze in place.

Looking at each other, Isezaki-san was frozen with a fork in her hand. The tip of the fork was trembling.

“I’ll go check it out. You can start eating first,” I said.

“If that’s the case, don’t hesitate! Munch munch, sir’s… munch munch munch!”

As soon as I spoke, Isezaki-san started devouring the hamburgers with incredible force.

Although she is usually graceful, there was something intimidating about her now. It seems her words from the other day, “I want to sink my teeth into monster meat right now!” weren’t just words.

Feeling amused by her appearance, I went to the front door and opened it.

There stood the landlady, looking sharp as always in his rock-like black T-shirt and sunglasses.

“Hey there, Matsunaga-kun. Sorry for interrupting while you’re with Seina. I just need to talk to her for a moment. It’d be convenient if you were there too, so I came to disturb you. Can you let me in for a bit? I’ll leave soon,” she said.

“Sure, of course. Please come in,” I replied.

And so, I welcomed the landlady into the house.