Pairs well with Chinese Velveting Technique for Meat Tenderizing
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Chinese Velveting Technique for Meat Tenderizing
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A detailed guide to the Chinese velveting technique, a method used to tenderize meat for stir-fries by marinating with specific ingredients and briefly shallow frying in oil to achieve a tender texture.
00:00:45 total
Serves 2
medium
Meat Main Course
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Ingredients
- meat (pork or deboned chicken) - 200 g (thinly sliced against the grain, about 3mm thick sheets)
- salt - 1/4 teaspoon (for tenderizing and flavor)
- sugar - 1/2 teaspoon (for flavor balance)
- white or black pepper - 1/8 teaspoon (for seasoning)
- light soy sauce (生抽) - 1/4 teaspoon (for flavor)
- dark soy sauce (老抽) - 1/4 teaspoon (for flavor and color)
- Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒) - 1/2 teaspoon (for flavor and tenderizing)
- egg white - 1/2 egg (for coating and tender texture)
- cornstarch - 2 teaspoons (for coating and to prevent overcooking)
- baking soda or sodium carbonate or kansui lye water or papain - see notes (choose one alkaline tenderizer; baking soda 1/4 tsp, sodium carbonate 1/8 tsp, kansui lye water 1/8 tsp, or papain powder 1/8 tsp)
- oil - about 1/2 tablespoon for coating, plus 1-2 cups for shallow frying (for shallow frying (pass through oil))
Instructions
- Slice Meat: Thinly slice the meat against the grain into approximately 3mm thick sheets. Optionally, slice further into small slivers or dice into half centimeter cubes.
- Prepare Marinade: In a bowl, combine salt, sugar, white or black pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, egg white, cornstarch, and one chosen alkaline tenderizer (baking soda, sodium carbonate, kansui lye water, or papain) with the sliced meat. Mix thoroughly to coat the meat evenly.
- Marinate: Let the meat marinate for a suitable time (not specified, typically 15-30 minutes) to allow tenderizing and flavor absorption.
- Shallow Fry (Pass Through Oil): Heat 1-2 cups of oil in a wok or skillet to about 150°C (oil should lightly bubble around chopsticks). Add the marinated meat and cook over high heat for 30-45 seconds until the meat looks visibly done. Remove with a spider or strainer to drain excess oil.
- Use in Stir Fry: Add the velveted meat to your stir fry dish as desired.
