Name: The SECRET to Tender Beef: Velveting Beef
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 200g Topside, rump or tenderloin, sliced thinly against the grain; 1/4 tsp Baking soda; 2-3 tbs Water; 2 tbs Cornstarch; 1 tsp Chicken bouillon powder; 1/4 tsp Dark soy sauce; 1 tsp Yumyum aka MSG; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 1/2 tsp White pepper; 1 tbsp Cooking oil; 1 tsp Sesame oil; 1 tsp Cooking wine

The SECRET to Tender Beef: Velveting Beef

Published December 22, 2023 by Vincent Yeow Lim. This Post mayContain Affiliate Links. Leave a Comment

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Have you wondered why Chinese restaurant beef is so much more tender than your home-cooked stir fries? Well, the secret is in the velveting of your beef.

Table of Contents

What is velveting?

Velveting is a traditional Chinese cooking process that is used to prepare meats for cooking, typically for stir-fries, but the process is also used for blanching and deep-frying.

Velveting results in tender and smooth beef even when using lower-quality cuts. Not only does the process change the texture of the beef it also helps the meat retain more moisture, creating a juicier cut of meat.

What cut of beef should I use?

Typically lower-quality cuts of beef are used the most common being top-side, rump, or flank steak. Top-side is the primary choice in most Chinese restaurants.

In more high-end restaurants tenderloin is the cut of choice. Tenderloin is also known as eye fillet or fillet mignon. These cuts of meat don’t need to be velveted for as long as they are already quite tender.

How to cut the beef for tenderizing

Depending on the cut of beef you’re using the way you slice the beef will be slightly different. However, the one top to keep in mind is to cut against the grain.

The “grain” is the strands of muscle that run through the beef, cutting against the grain means you are cutting those muscle strands into shorter pieces that are much more tender when cooked.

If you are using a large cut of meat first cut larger pieces of meat along the grain, like the image below. Then cut the long strips into thin strips against the grain.

If you cut the strips of beef against the grain you won’t be able to see the individual strands of muscle in the slices of beef. The beef slices should look like the top piece of beef in the image below.

Tips for cutting beef

Freeze your beef slightly: This helps the beef be slightly firmer and easier to slice into thin pieces
Remove any membranes: These membranes will cook up to become chewy, so you should cut off as much as you can
Slice on a slight angle against the grain: Slicing the beef on a slight angle will help you achieve thinner and wider strips

How to make velveted beef

Cut your beef into strips against the grain and place it in a bowl with the baking soda, water, and cornstarch. Mix with your hands until well combined and the water has been mostly absorbed.

Add the seasonings to the velveted beef and mix until well combined. Then, cover with cling wrap and let it rest overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.

Cooking velveted beef

There are a couple of methods for cooking velveted beef, however, the most common method is deep frying aka oil velveting. This method is typically used when cooking stir-fries, but other methods include :

Pan-fried in a skillet or wok
Blanched in water or cooked in a broth
Coated in a batter to be deep-fried

Mongolian beef served on a sizzling plate

The difference with velveting beef

Velveting makes a huge difference to the beef when cooked, not only does it enhance the texture and juiciness of the beef it also changes the way that it cooks. Below you can see when velveted beef is flash-fried it takes on a darker more caramelized color with softer beef.

When plain beef strips are fried they are a lot more grey and the individual muscle strands are much more prominent. This muscle strands are an indication of how chewy the beef will be.

comparison of beef strips cooked with different methods

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