How to tenderise beef (velveting beef)
Chinese restaurants tenderise economical cuts of beef so they are tender and juicy in stir fries. It's also done for chicken. There's a few methods - this baking soda way is the easiest, fastest and highly effective. Though I'm sharing this with beef stir fries in mind, don't just limit yourself to Asian food. This beef can be used for any recipe calling for strips of beef to be cooked quickly, like Beef Stroganoff. Do not use this method for whole steaks (read Note 4).
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 18 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 250 g / 8 oz stewing beef or other economical beef cuts ((Note 1))
- 3/4 tsp baking soda / bi-carbonate soda ((Note 2))
Instructions
- 1
Slice beef thinly against the grain. (Note 3)
- 2
Place in a bowl. Sprinkle over baking soda, toss with fingers to coat evenly.
- 3
Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. (See Note 1 for different cuts)
- 4
Rinse beef well with tap water. Shake off excess water, then use paper towels to blot away excess water (doesn't need to be 100% dry).
- 5
Proceed with recipe of choice. Beef can be marinated or seasoned before cooking, stir fried or deep fried, and it will be soft and tender, "velvet" like. Use for Stir Fries, Stir Fried Noodles, Beef Stroganoff and any other recipe calling for quick-cooked beef strips.