“Hmm…”
I bought some time by pretending to observe the meat for a moment.
The pale color, the inelastic texture, and the excessive moisture — these were signs of rapid growth, something I had seen firsthand at a Mega Meat specialized farm.
As I moved the top two strips of pork belly aside, the strip hidden underneath brushed against my fingertips.
‘This is… sow meat!’
The strip on the bottom was definitely from a sow. Fortunately, Jin-woo Choi had bought a pack that was mixed with sow meat. It was the luck of the draw. The situation couldn’t be better.
He watched me with an expectant expression.
“This meat… well…”
I placed the meat back on the plate and intentionally wore an ambiguous expression.
“It’s a bit complicated. Let’s look at the other ones first and come back to this for an evaluation later.”
“No, why? Is there something special about it?”
“No, it’s just that… how should I put it… I think I’ll have a lot to say about this one.”
With a pleasant smile, I shifted my gaze to the other plates.
“Shall we continue with the others first?”
Jin-woo seemed a bit disappointed and hesitated, but he continued the broadcast. The camera lingered on the third plate for a moment before following me to the others.
“Look at this meat. The fat is slightly discolored and yellowish, isn’t it?”
“Oh, is that a problem?”
“There’s a chance the temperature management was unstable. Yellowing fat is a sign that oxidation has begun. When the refrigerator temperature fluctuates, the fat melts and solidifies repeatedly, making the color dull. If left for too long, it starts to smell like old oil. It’s still edible, but it’s not in good condition.”
I picked up the eighth plate.
“The shape of the fat is also important. You have to look for an even distribution. It’s not good when the fat is concentrated on one side or covers the meat in a single thick layer like this.”
“I see pork belly like this sometimes. I’m sure the viewers have seen it too. Why exactly is this bad?”
“Meat like this has a poor texture even after grilling. It looks like it would be savory because of all the fat, but in reality, it just releases a lot of grease while the inherent flavor of the lean meat remains weak. When you chew it, it feels rubbery rather than savory.”
On the other hand, the meat on the twelfth plate was completely different.
“Look at this meat. The fat is distributed appropriately and evenly between the layers, right?”
Jin-woo marveled as he filmed both plates alternately.
“Wow, there’s definitely a difference. I think even I could tell them apart at this level.”
“Yes, if you know a few things, you can distinguish most meats.”
“So, have we learned everything about choosing good meat now?”
“No, now we have to touch it.”
“Oh, you can tell just by touching it?”
“Fresh meat should spring back immediately when pressed. Look at this.”
I demonstrated by lightly pressing the meat on the first plate with my finger. The indentation remained sunken in.
“Oh? The mark is still there.”
“Exactly. This means the juices have already leaked out.”
This time, I pressed the meat on the twelfth plate, which was in good condition.
“What about this meat? When I press it and let go…”
“Wow! It came right back up!”
“See how it bounces back with elasticity? That’s a characteristic of fresh meat.”
“I see. So, what’s the final step?”
“Finally, you have to smell it. This method is a bit harder to distinguish.”
I brought the first piece of meat close to my nose.
“Fresh pork belly should only have a faint, distinct meat scent. But this meat…”
Jin-woo asked while watching with a tense expression, “How is it?”
“It has a slightly sour smell. I think the storage conditions were a bit lacking.”
The broadcast proceeded naturally as I explained the basic methods of choosing meat one by one. From color differentiation and fat distribution to elasticity tests and scent checks… it was a time to provide viewers with practical information they could actually use.
However, I was inwardly waiting for the next stage. Everything until now had been a warm-up, so to speak. After completing a full circuit of all fifteen plates and finishing the basic explanations, I looked directly at the camera with a relaxed smile.
“Now, I’ve told you the general ways to choose meat.”
“Yes, that was really useful information. But there’s something even more special left, isn’t there?”
“That’s right. Now, let’s start the real highlight of today.”
I paused and slowly looked over the fifteen plates.
“I’m going to guess what kind of meat each plate holds.”
“Oh, I’m really curious about this! What criteria will you use to judge?”
“I’ll go deeper than just the appearance…”
I scanned the plates again with a meaningful look. My gaze lingered on the third plate. My body was itching to reveal it, but it wasn’t time yet. The lead actor should appear only when the atmosphere reaches its peak.
“First, shall we find the meats that aren’t so common?”
I slowly looked around the plates and began to pick out the special ones among the supporting actors.
“Here, look at this plate. This meat… is Black Pork.”
“Huh? Really? How can you tell?”
“The color is different to begin with. It has a much deeper reddish-brown hue than regular pork. And look at the fat. Black Pork fat is firmer and has a slight ivory tint.”
I already knew all the information through my ability. However, I had to explain it using characteristics that others could observe. That way, it becomes a skill rather than a magic trick.
If one is an expert, the explanation must sound plausible first. Whether it’s right or wrong is a secondary issue — though I would obviously be right.
“And this fifteenth plate… it’s Iberico.”
“Iberico?”
“Iberico has a unique marbling pattern. The fat is distributed much more finely than in regular pork, and the meat itself is soft. You can definitely feel the difference when you touch it.”
I explained while lightly pressing the meat.
“And this ninth plate here…”
Jin-woo leaned forward with an expectant look. “What is it?”
“It’s Canadian barley-fed pork. I heard it’s been getting popular lately.”
“How do you distinguish barley-fed pork?”
“Yes, pigs fed with barley have a different meat quality than those fed with regular feed. The fat is a bit more savory, and the smell is especially different.”
I explained as I brought the meat close to my nose.
“It has less of the characteristic pork odor than regular meat. It’s as if the sweetness of the barley is infused into the meat.”
Jin-woo also stuck his nose out and sniffed.
“I honestly can’t tell the difference in the smell…”
I smiled and nodded.
“Don’t be too disappointed. Ordinary people don’t usually notice such subtle differences. I didn’t know at first either.”
“Then how did you learn to tell them apart?”
“I started to feel the difference as I encountered various types of meat. It’s like becoming a wine sommelier. At first, they all look similar, but as experience builds, the subtle differences start to become visible.”
This wasn’t a lie. Jin-woo looked relieved.
“That’s a relief. I thought I was the only one who couldn’t feel it. Anyway, you’re truly amazing. To think you can even tell by the feed…”
I smiled naturally. The atmosphere was now ripe enough.
“But wait a moment, Jin-woo.”
I pointed to the fifth plate again. It was the meat I had previously explained was frozen and then thawed due to its pale color.
“This pork belly on the fifth plate is imported frozen meat that was thawed… Did you know it was thawed meat when you bought it?”
He tilted his head.
“No, I think I just bought it because they said it was regular pork belly. Wait a minute.”
He signaled to the staff.
“Can we check the packaging for this meat? The fifth one.”
A staff member found the packaging corresponding to the fifth plate from the ones they had prepared.
“Uh… that’s strange. It says ‘Domestic Pork’ here.”
Jin-woo showed the packaging to the camera. The words ‘Domestic Pork’ were clearly written on it.
“Jin-woo, this is a false indication of origin.”
Jin-woo asked with a flustered expression, “Really? But… one needs clear evidence to report it…”
“Jin-woo. Then, check the three types of meat I just mentioned first.”
Jin-woo began to rummage through the filming materials with the staff. The staff found the corresponding packaging and showed it.
“Oh… it really says Jeju Black Pork!”
He looked at the camera with a surprised expression.
“What about the Iberico?”
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