Chapter 4: Who is Michael Jordan?

My heart was pounding.

The only reason I could win the World Meat Design Competition was thanks to this ability.

While others relied on machines to analyze, I could tell just by touching.

“Father, I think we should sell this samgyeopsal first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Why? Does it not look good?”

“It’s just… I have a feeling.”

Father picked up the meat.

“Hm… now that you mention it, the color’s a bit off. You’ve got a good eye.”

I touched the beef round for bulgogi as well.

[Taste Profile]

Meat Aroma Strength: ★★★☆☆

Fat Flavor: ★★☆☆☆

Juiciness: ★★★★☆

Tenderness: ★★☆☆☆

Nutty Flavor: ★★★☆☆

[Optimal Cooking Values]

Recommended Cooking Temp: 165℃

Optimal Cooking Time: 1 minute 30 seconds (per side)

Expected Shrinkage: 22%

Final Texture Score: 71/100

‘Whoa! This is even more detailed than in 2157!’

Back then, I didn’t think my ability was all that special.

After all, the hologram scanner was more accurate anyway.

“Father, would the round be better for hot pot?”

“The round in a hot pot?”

“Yes, I think if you boil it for a long time, it’ll become tender.”

Father touched the meat.

“You’re right. It’s definitely a bit tough. Good idea.”

Finally, I picked up the Korean beef short ribs.

[History Tracking]

Feed Type: 80% grain, 20% roughage

Stress Index: Very Low

Exercise Amount: Little

Antibiotic Residue: None detected

[Notes]

Uniform Marbling Distribution (Top Grade)

Meat Elasticity: 92/100

Aging State: Perfect (120 hours dry-aged)

Special Recommendation

‘This is legendary!’

“Father, these ribs are amazing!”

“Of course! That’s the premium stuff. Reserved for our VIP customer tomorrow.”

I found it fascinating as I organized all the meat.

‘My body is Jung Junho, but my ability is Kim Junho’s.’

‘No, it’s even more upgraded, isn’t it?’

In 2157, machines did all the work anyway…

But here?

“Father, do we have any equipment to measure the meat’s condition?”

As I was organizing the ribs, I got curious.

“Equipment? What equipment?”

“You know… like a marbling tester, pH meter, or meat analyzer.”

Father looked at me, dumbfounded.

“Did you watch some kind of sci-fi movie? Where would we get that?”

“Then how do you check the meat’s condition precisely…?”

“With this!”

Father pointed to his eyes.

“With your eyes?”

“Of course! These eyes have 30 years of experience. More accurate than any machine.”

Father lifted the ribs.

“Look. The marbling distribution, the color, the elasticity… You can tell by looking and feeling with your hands.”

“But objective data…”

“Data?”

Father scoffed.

“Junho, think about it. If such high-tech equipment existed—?”

“Yes?”

“Why would people grade meat? Machines would do it all.”

“Oh… Right.”

“If machines do everything, why even have butcher shops? People could just buy pre-packaged stuff at the mart.”

Father set the ribs down as he spoke.

“We don’t just sell meat. We pick out good meat, recommend it for the customer, and sell trust.”

“You’re right…”

“But if machines do it all? Then we wouldn’t be needed.”

He was right.

‘Wait, that means…’

I was secretly elated.

‘I’m the only meat scanner in this era!’

No nano-scanners from 132 years later.

No AI analysis system.

No molecular-level measuring devices.

Only human eyes, hands, and experience.

‘Oh, this is a perfect blue ocean!’

“Father, you’re right. People are more important than machines.”

“See, now you get it?”

Father looked satisfied.

“It’s even more so for our regulars. Customers trust the meat that Boss Jung picks out for them.”

“That’s true!”

‘But what if that boss is an ultra-precision scanner from the future?’

I nodded seriously on the outside, but cheered inwardly.

The ultimate cheat character of 2025.

That’s me, Kim Junho—no, Jung Junho.

As I locked up the shop, I couldn’t help but smile.

What kind of meat would I meet tomorrow?

My fingers were already itching in anticipation.

*****

I locked up and stepped outside.

The cold night air filled my lungs.

‘Heh… No one has any idea.’

In this 2025 without machines.

That my fingertips are the most advanced meat scanner.

“Junho, you worked hard today.”

Father said as he lowered the shutter.

“I didn’t really do much.”

“You improved a lot in just two days. Come on, let’s go have a drink of soju.”

“I’m fine, really…”

“What are you talking about? You have to have a drink with your dad. You used to be the kid who drank shots alone at home.”

‘Ack! Jung Junho…’

Even though it wasn’t my doing, I had no excuse.

I ended up following Father, almost dragged along.

But the place he went into was…

[Original Korean Beef Yukhoe – 30 Years’ Tradition]

“Huh? Yukhoe? After smelling meat all day, we’re having it again?”

“This place is special. Just come in.”

As soon as we entered, a burly man rushed over.

“Hey, welcome!”

“Brother, this is my son.”

“Your son? Hey, Jung Junho! You’re finally helping at your dad’s butcher shop!”

I shook his hand before I knew it.

This guy’s grip was honestly gorilla-level.

“He’s my dad’s friend of 30 years. The owner here.”

“Oh, hello.”

“Sit, sit. Since Junho’s here today, it’s on me! I’ll give you something special.”

As soon as we sat down, the man disappeared into the kitchen.

“Father, what cut do you use for yukhoe?”

I was curious about the yukhoe of 2025.

“Usually round or rump. Even from the rump, the parts with less fat and finer grain are better, like knuckle or silverside. The parts that get sweeter the more you chew.”

“You don’t use the whole rump?”

“The rump is the thigh, so it’s a big area. Some parts have lots of fascia, others are more gristly. It’s okay if you prep it well, but it’s tricky for beginners.”

“Ahh…”

Just then, the man came out with a plate.

“Here you go, freshly sliced yukhoe.”

The bright red yukhoe was stacked like a cone, topped with an egg yolk like a crown.

‘Huh?’

The moment the plate landed on the table…

[Freshness: 91/100 | Time Since Slaughter: 50 hours]

[Muscle Fiber Cut: Irregular | Temperature: 2.5℃ (supercooled)]

‘Freshness is good, but the muscle grain isn’t consistent. And the temperature… Isn’t it too cold?’

“Junho, this guy is the Michael Jordan of the yukhoe world. Ask him anything you want.”

“You flatter me… I’m just a guy who knows how to wield a knife.”

‘Michael Jordan? What’s that about?’

“Uh… I see. Uncle, how do you pick meat for yukhoe? Isn’t freshly slaughtered meat supposed to be the best?”

The man waved his right index finger.

“Tsk tsk! That’s an amateur’s idea.”

“Huh?”

“Right after slaughter, the muscles get stiff because they’re shocked, like, ‘Did I just die?’ It’s called rigor mortis.”

That was a fun analogy.

“So if you leave it for a day or two, the meat relaxes as it realizes, ‘Oh, I really am dead.’ That’s when yukhoe tastes the best!”

‘So even meat needs time to adjust, huh.’

“And one more thing…”

The man leaned in and whispered secretly.

“The blood, the blood!”

“The blood?”

“If there’s blood left, it smells fishy. That’s why for yukhoe, we do a bit of blood removal.”

I picked up a piece with my chopsticks.

The moment the yukhoe touched my chopsticks, more detailed information flowed in.

[Blood Residue: 0.3% | Myoglobin Level: Normal]

[Expected Off-flavor: Minimal | Iron Content: 4.2mg/100g]

‘Oh, he managed the blood really well!’

In 2157 meat, there wasn’t any blood to begin with.

Cultured meat is made by growing stem cells taken from animals.

They harvest a tiny sample from a live cow or pig, then grow it into meat chunks in a nutrient medium.

Red color?

That’s solved with myoglobin-mimicking protein.

They even perfectly recreated the iron flavor that gives blood its taste.

Many people misunderstand, but the red liquid that comes out of meat isn’t really blood, it’s mostly myoglobin.

It’s a protein in muscle cells mixed with water, and in cultured meat, they add it separately to give color and flavor.

‘That’s actually a lot cleaner.’

No need to drain blood, no worries about off-flavors. It didn’t spoil quickly either.

Without blood, bacteria had less to spread with, so it rotted much slower.

‘But…’

Looking at the yukhoe before me, I felt oddly drawn to it.

The imperfect marbling, the uneven colors here and there.

It wasn’t perfect, yet it looked delicious.

“Hey, stop daydreaming and eat!”

“Ah! Yes, uncle.”

“And what’s with uncle? Call me Uncle Seongjin.”

“Yes! Uncle.”

I put a piece in my mouth.

‘Wow…!!’

A much stronger iron taste than in 2157.

It was rough, but tasted real.

[Cut Analysis: 65% round, 35% knuckle]

[Aging Time: 50 hours (proper)]

[Stress Hormone: Low – High-quality animal]

“Do you mix round and knuckle?”

Uncle Seongjin paused with his chopsticks.

“Oh? Wow… How’d you know? This kid is a Janggeumi. Dae Jang Geum.”

“Oh… I just thought there were two textures. One soft, one chewy?”

I improvised quickly.

“Ho, you’ve got a pretty sensitive palate.”

Uncle explained with admiration.

“That’s right. The round is from the cow’s butt. Because it doesn’t get much exercise, it’s tender.”

He drew a cow with his hands as he explained.

“Here, on top of the rump. Not much fat, tender, the best base for yukhoe.”

“What about the knuckle?”

“The knuckle is from the hind leg. It’s attached lengthwise next to the round, like a cylinder—hence the name. Only about 3kg per cow.”

Uncle pointed to his own hip.

“Since the knuckle’s on the inside of the leg, it’s not as worked as shank muscle, but it’s still a leg muscle so it’s a bit firm. So it’s fine-grained but also chewy.”

Father chimed in.

“If you use only knuckle, it’s too tough. Only round, and it’s bland. That’s why you mix them.”

“The ratio matters too, right?”

“Of course! Round 7, knuckle 3—that’s our shop’s golden ratio.”

Uncle said proudly.

“The round gives a soft texture, and the knuckle adds a fun chew.”

I took another piece, focusing.

I could really feel the two different textures.

“But the colors look different too?”

“Oh, you noticed that? Round is light red, knuckle is a deeper red.”

Uncle Seongjin was impressed.

“This kid’s got real talent. He even notices color. Round is paler, knuckle is a bit darker since it’s a more exercised muscle. Plus, round is finely and evenly grained, knuckle’s a bit rougher.”

Father poured soju and added,

“Back in the day, knuckle was only used for jangjorim, but nowadays it’s used for yukhoe too.”

“Why’s that?”

“If you prep it right, the chewy texture is amazing. But knife work is key.”

Uncle gestured toward the kitchen.

“For knuckle, you have to slice thinly against the grain. Otherwise, it’s tough.”

I cautiously ate another piece.

The iron taste was strong, but addicting.

‘In 2157, how hard did we work to recreate this taste…’

Adding artificial hemoglobin, mixing in iron supplements.

Even so, we could never match this wild, raw flavor.

“And there’s another yukhoe secret.”

Uncle’s eyes sparkled.

“Temperature! If it’s too cold, the flavor hides; too warm, and it tastes bloody!”

“So what’s the right temperature?”

“5~8℃! That’s the golden range. Near 0℃, your tongue gets numb and you can’t taste anything. Over 10℃, the bloody smell rises.”

‘Just as I thought! 2.5℃ is too cold.’

“And slicing’s important. You have to cut against the grain…”

Uncle gestured with his hands.

Father poured soju, laughing.

“Our Junho’s got a lot of interest, huh?”

“Must be that meat genius DNA!”

Uncle gave me a thumbs up.

“I’ll give you another tip. Sesame oil is a must for yukhoe…”

“For the flavor, right?”

“Exactly! Sesame oil smooths out the iron taste. It’s science, science!”

‘Wow, our ancestors were amazing.’

The soju glasses made the rounds.

I sipped slowly.

Father and Uncle knocked back shots.

“Hey! You call yourself a man drinking like that?”

“Uh… I’m not good with alcohol…”

“Huh? Jung Junho can’t drink? The Junho I heard about…”

Father quickly intervened.

“He quit drinking now. Since working at the butcher shop.”

“Oh! Really? That’s professional, professional!”

Thankfully, the topic moved on.

As I ate the yukhoe, I thought.

Meat from 132 years ago—imperfect.

But the imperfection gave it a special taste.

‘Not bad at all.’

No, maybe it’s even better.

Because it’s not perfect, it tastes more human somehow.

“Alright! Cheers!”

Our three glasses clinked together.

“Junho, how is it? The yukhoe’s good, right?”

“Yes, it’s really delicious.”

I meant it.

Real meat from 132 years ago.

Maybe dangerous, primitive, and unsanitary…

But it had its own unique flavor.

“Next time, try our shop’s tripe and other offal. Those are a real treat.”

“Yes!”

“Great, since you’re so interested in meat, I’ll do something special…”

Uncle suddenly stood up.

His eyes sparkled.

“I’ll show you how yuk sashimi is sliced.”

“Ohh!”

‘Slicing yuk sashimi!’