We’ve numerous beef recipes in our archives right here at The Woks of Life, so we needed to point out everybody methods to put together beef for stir-fry together with the step-by-step course of for velveting beef for Chinese language cooking. We’ll advocate our favourite cuts of beef to make use of and present you methods to correctly minimize and marinate beef similar to it’s carried out in Chinese language eating places.We all the time give vital particulars in all of our recipes, together with preparation and cooking, however I assumed it was time to write down a publish targeted on making ready beef correctly for the wok!
Table of Contents
What Minimize of Beef is Finest for Stir-fry?
Flank steak is by far the most well-liked minimize of meat utilized by Chinese language eating places in all of their stir-fry dishes. It additionally occurs to be probably the most really useful minimize of beef we use in our stir-fry recipes.Flank steak is flavorful, fairly priced, and available. With its intense beefy taste, all it’s worthwhile to do is be sure you slice and marinate it correctly to make an important stir-fry. For $6.99 to $8.99 a pound, it gained’t break the financial institution both.
Boneless beef chuck steak is a extra economical selection for beef stir fries. We like utilizing beef chuck steak for stewing and braising due to the additional fats that comes with this minimize of meat, however it could actually additionally work properly for stir-fries.At $4.99 to $5.99 per pound, chuck steak can be extra economical than flank steak. You should buy a big piece, slice it, divide it into parts for a number of stir-fries, and freeze it!
A little bit extra trimming and care is required to organize the meat chuck steak for stir fry. Minimize alongside the fats traces and take away the thick membrane to get some neat chunks of beef for slicing. Use a very good chef’s knife and as all the time, watch out when working with sharp knives!
How you can Minimize Beef For Stir-fry
If utilizing flank steak, trim off any white muscle membranes, and minimize your flank steak alongside the grain lengthwise into 2 to 2 1/2 inch strips.
It’s straightforward to establish the lengthy grains of muscle fiber in flank steak. When slicing the flank steak into small items, slice in opposition to the grain (perpendicular to the lengthy traces of muscle).
Make every slice 1/4″ thick-each piece will probably be tender and bite-sized.
Now your beef is prepared for marinating!
If utilizing boneless beef chuck, take a look at our directions for methods to slice it under. If not, skip right down to the following part.
You may see the grain and the slice a bit clearer on this picture, however you’ll be able to think about that the tender beef will be troublesome to deal with and slice.A chef’s secret to slicing beef shortly is to freeze the meat partially for 30 to 60 minutes till it’s agency. This makes slicing a lot simpler and quicker, because the agency beef doesn’t slide below your knife and across the chopping board. Partially frozen meat additionally means that you can be extra exact in chopping to your required thickness.
How you can Minimize Beef for Lo Mein & Different Noodle Dishes
If utilizing beef for noodle dishes or dishes like Beef and Pepper Stir Fry, an additional step to slice beef into skinny strips (julienne) is required.
In Chinese language stir-fry cooking, the best way substances are minimize ought to be in line with one another. Rectangular slices of beef are used for stir-fries with greens like beef and broccoli or beef and tofu. Lengthy strands of noodles like you’ve got in Beef Lo Mein require beef to be minimize into comparable lengthy skinny strips.Beef fried rice requires small chunks of meat to go along with the small grains of rice. Make sense?
How Chinese language Eating places Tenderize Beef
It’s time to share some Chinese language restaurant secrets and techniques on methods to tenderize beef. Tenderizing your beef is step one of the standard technique of velveting beef practiced by just about all Chinese language cooks.Chinese language restaurant cooks take some additional steps in making ready beef for his or her stir-fry dishes.Step one is so as to add a very good quantity of baking soda to the beef-about 1 rounded teaspoon per pound of beef.
Subsequent, add 3 tablespoons water till the meat is simply lined, and therapeutic massage the meat so the baking soda and water is uniformly distributed. Put aside for 1-2 hours. This step tenderizes (baking soda) and hydrates (water) the meat.Subsequent, the meat should be rinsed completely below working water to rid it of any extra baking soda, or you’ll style it within the dish.
Use your arms to fire up the meat through the rinsing course of.
As soon as the water runs clear, drain the meat completely in a colander and switch it to a bowl for the marinating course of (particulars in subsequent part).
Shortcut to Tenderize Beef at Residence
If the method utilized by Chinese language eating places to tenderize beef described above sounds a bit concerned and a trouble, you’ll be able to nonetheless tenderize beef utilizing an at-home shortcut. Baking soda is a strong ingredient for tenderizing beef, but when an excessive amount of is added, it could actually add an off-taste to the meat which is why beef is rinsed off after including bigger quantities of baking soda to the meat.The answer is so as to add a smaller quantity of baking and improve the marinating time. Including 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon (for more durable cuts) of baking soda and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the meat and mixing and dealing it into the meat earlier than marinating may also do a superb job tenderizing! Enhance the marinating time on your beef a minimum of quarter-hour. I may also say that including water to the meat is a private selection. I really feel there are deserves to having a moist hydrated beef or a drier beef for stir fry dishes.
How you can Marinate Beef for Stir-fry
Marinating beef on your stir-fry is a vital 2nd step of velveting that ought to by no means be skipped. The marinade isn’t as a lot about soaking the meat in numerous liquid or including a bunch of various flavorings like you might be used to.It’s about giving the meat an additional juicy texture. Have you ever ever tried to make a stir-fry at house, however the meat comes out dry and in no way like what you’ve been served in Asian eating places? Grasp this marinating method, and also you’ll efficiently put together Chinese language stir-fry dishes at house.After the meat has been tenderized:1. Add oyster sauce and/or soy sauce to present your beef an additional taste increase. Add about 2 teaspoons of every per pound of beef.
2. Add cornstarch and oil to present the meat a velvety texture. Add about 2 teaspoons of every per pound of beef. The cornstarch and oil offers the meat its velvety clean texture sealing in juices and defending the meat through the searing or cooking. Including Shaoxing wine (2 teaspoons per pound) additionally provides taste however is completely non-compulsory for these of you who’re strict about alcohol consumption.
3. Combine every part collectively and set it apart to marinate for 15-Half-hour whilst you’re making ready your different substances.
What’s Chinese language Velveting?
Velveting is a course of utilized in conventional Chinese language cooking to organize meats for stir-frying. Chinese language velveting methods differ, relying upon the minimize and sort of meat used for the dish, and in addition contain tenderizing, marinating and totally different cooking strategies.By the method of velveting, meats retain their moisture and tackle a tender and velvety texture that may be a signature high quality of Chinese language delicacies. The velveting of beef might be commonest, since beef advantages greater than different meats from this cooking method.
How you can Velvet Beef for Stir Fry
Velveting beef begins with the steps we’ve got defined above (involving tenderizing the meat after which marinating it with seasonings, oil and cornstarch).The tenderizing step makes any beef tender and moist, whereas marinating the meat offers it extra umami taste and that velvety coating you expertise when consuming at Chinese language eating places. Pictured under is the marinated beef earlier than cooking.
The final step of velveting is cooking, which actually relies upon upon the dish you might be cooking and the result you’re searching for.The standard technique for velveting beef is to cross the meat by scorching oil (primarily deep frying) which is actually known as zǒu yóu (走油) in Mandarin or “jau yau” in Cantonese.Generally, we favor to sear the meat in a scorching wok, since having a wok stuffed with oil at house is solely not sensible. That mentioned, we predict searing beef imparts extra taste than the jau yau deep frying technique.Some recipes, together with soups, will solely require cooking the meat in water as the ultimate step.
And that’s it! Tell us within the feedback in case you have any questions!
