One thing to remember is that you do NOT want to let the meat sit with the bicarb for more than 30 minutes because it can go too far and make your meat mushy. If you plan to marinate the meat for an hour up to overnight then separate that from the bicarb step.
That's good to know. I've absolutely let my beef or chicken sit in the baking soda laden marinade for... quite some time, really- overnight, for sure... with no ill effects. Do you happen to know what factors can contribute to the meat getting too mushy? Because if I don't find out now, I know it's only a matter of time before I'll find out the hard way. hah
@@camren29agree. Also the direction how you cut with it against the grain also the cut on the animal. I marinate mine regularly for 1 hr plus when I make beer and broccoli all the time.
@@Banthisyoutube Propylene glycol is a common feed additive found in anti-freeze. It's safe to consume. Food dyes have proven safe for decades with no evidence showing health effects. Yeah and oxygen was used in the atomic bombs. Scary stuff better not breathe it. What's your point? Never really understood why people, mainly in Europe usually, have this visceral reaction to commonplace cooking and baking additives that have proven safe and highly useful for hundreds of years. I blame ignorance because it is always people that never seem to know what they actually eat or how its made that seem to spout the dumbest arguments about food and "chemicals" in it. It's often based on bullshit scare tactics too from companies that are aiming to influence people. You know, like with absinthe, which does NOT cause you to go insane, but companies wanted to make it seem evil, so they paid a quack doctor to write a bullshit study on it that caused it to get banned for years. Later, found to be bullshit and was unbanned. Lots of instances like that in history.
@@Banthisyoutube The point is I see the argument a LOT that baking soda is this evil thing. It is hardly a common sentiment. My apologies if that was not your point. I just really hate when people misinform people. "Oh, shit, don't microwave water! It will explode! Highly dangerous! Buy a kettle! Huh? You microwave water all the time? Well, it takes specific conditions, needs to be highly pure, and...." That kind of shit.
@@tygonmastermy mom had to prove my dad that microwave water wasn't carcinogenic (read it somewhere) by boiling water for a month and giving that to half our plants and tap half... Well you can imagine my dad was not the brightest. Nothing happened ofc. People are very paranoid. I know people here in Finland who are scared of baking soda and others who eat lyefish (NaOH infused fish) there is people for every boat.
Fresh ginger makes all the difference! And fresh garlic if the dish calls for it. I'm so white but I make my own Thai food now, Kimchi, and am branching out to other Asian regions. I make a mean Chicken Tikka Masala by now too lol. I'm American and don't so much like traditional Thanksgiving here because of the bloody history of it. But we celebrate in my house, but instead of turkey and stuffing, I choose a different country or region and make dishes from there every thanksgiving. (Italy, Guatemala, India, Thailand, China are the last 5 years we've done.) That way family and friends can still pig out but we're not perpetuating a history steeped in anti-Native culture. Nothing against people who make turkey, this just works for our family.
@@Scrumdumn thanks dude. I highly recommend people do this. America is such a melting pot. Everyone struggled here to make a new life. Literally almost every country in the world can be represented here in the States. So I try to do that with our pigging out holiday lol
marinating in an alkaline solution (like bicarb) is for tenderizing meat (usually only done with beef). Velveting is having a starch, and in many recipies also some eggwhite in the marinade. This forms a "crispy-ish" layer when passing through oil (sort of a quick deepfry which is used for more or less all meats before stirfrying), this out layer turns silky when you apply your stirfry sause, and also causes the sause to adhere to the meat.
I always velvet meat before stir frying. However, the bicarb must be rinsed off before marinating and/or cooking. If you don't, the meat develops a nasty salty, metallic taste.
i use a mix of salt, cornflour and egg white to velvet chicken, thought its best to deep frey then add to wock once mostly cooked. makes an awesome chinese curry
I've been cooking beef like this for a while and one extra thing I do is make sure to rinse and massage the meat strips in really cold water for a few minutes. It helps with texture and removes any irony taste left from the blood.
@acvn-hg9gy I tried this on some round steak i cut up into thin slices for lo mein, It totally works. I let it sit for 20 min. I would let it sit for 30 to 40 min next time tho.
My mom and grandma used to do this too! Baking soda helps to caramelize onions really fast. Just add a teeny tiny bit and Boom! Within 5 minutes you'll have perfectly caramelized onions
I have used the very same method for many years now,, but after about 10-15 minutes I rinse the meat with cold water so that there is no chance it will change/effect the taste of my dish.
As an asian, I can confirm that all of his asian dishes are authentic. The color of the wok, the way he holds his chopsticks, the brand of the sesame oil... As Uncle Roger would say, "Fuiyoh!"
@@dusternalyeah all those Asian grandmas are eating food slathered in sesame oil and I’ve heard they’re dropping dead as early as 95! Clearly we need to stop this epidemic
No real Asian would mix themselves in with other Asians and especially not food wise. If you are from Laos, you have just as much knowledge about Korean food like a Swedish person would have. Also: You are American-Asian, which means you are an Asian looking American lol
I’ve never heard of the term ‘velveting’ but I do use this technique for my stir fry and it always works. I can never manage to cut room temp meat soo thin tho 😢 I always have to freeze it. Still waiting on the Cantonese family style dinner for Heun Wah please chef!
I work at a restaurant and usually the meat is half frozen when it’s cut. If you put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes depending on size it should work.
If you can't budget in a whetstone or some other form of sharpener (neither can I, lol), there's a neat trick to sharpening your knives in a similar way: You've just use the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug or a bowl that has that exposed ceramic roughness to it that wasn't glazed over. Flip it upside down onto a flat surface and slowly run your blade's cutting surface along it at a 45 degree angle and you can use that to sharpen both sides of your knives! Also make sure to wipe the carbon dust off your knife when you're done. I'd recommend looking up a tutorial for your 1st time doing it, for safety's sake! 😃 Something to note: I've never tried it with a serrated knife though and it doesn't sound like the wisest idea, so probably avoid mug sharpening those lol. It's no replacement for the real thing, but it works in a pinch!
Bicarbonate and starch + egg white serves different purposes in chinese cuisine. Most of the time, unlike western dish, we want a softer, silkier, less flossy, more delicate meat texture in Chinese dish. Bicarbonate has the action in breaking down the protein in the meat and gives the meat a less tender, less chewy texture. Usually will be use with leaner cut and less expensive cut of meat. This is what people would do in more local restaurant as using bicarbonate in a very small amount would lower the cost of the dish. Using too much biicarbonate will make the meat mushy, and have a very disticnt flavor which taste bad. In some more pricy restaurant, chefs may use fresh pinapple juice to give a similar effect on the meat as the enzyme in the juice may help to break down the protein in meat. For the starch and egg white, the purpose is for locking in the moiture of the meat to give a juicier and smoother texture to the meat. You can use them with bicarboante in marinating the meat. But if you are using nice cut of meat like fillet mignon／ribeye for stir fry, most likely you would not need any bicarbonate to soften the meat. Chef Wang is a chef in nice restaurant, what he is using is very nice cut of meat, that is why he does not use any bicarbonate.
I'm a cooking fan of you.. can you pls cook "ginataang manok" (chicken in coconut milk) Ingredients: Chicken Coconut milk Potato Carrots Red & green bell peppers Bay leaf Whole pepper corn Salt Ginger Black pepper
This technique is regularly used and very effective in tenderising meat however I believe velveting refers to marinating in egg white and corn starch before quickly blanching, usually in oil or occasionally in water. This leaves a smooth 'velvety' texture on the outside of the meat.
I first learned this trick from a Kenji López-Alt video and it is one that is really not talked about or written about enough. This works like nothing else.
"Velveting" has always been done with egg white & corn starch. I've never heard of using baking soda. I'll have to give the baking soda a try. Thank you for the tip
I heard it from some TH-cam dude but I call it making the beef thirsty. You also add a splash of water in some applications and the meat comes out sooo moist and tender.
I’ve learned from my friend’s grandma to always put sugar first in your meat. The reason is because sugar is bigger, chemically-wise. So it takes longer to get absorbed in the meat. So, if you’re going to make marinades, put sugar in the meat first, then additional sugar in your marinade as well, if you like it more sweet. I find this very helpful when I’m cooking galbi.
@@EndoftheBeginning17, that is simply not true, friendo 😅 The measurement "teaspoon" is 5ml (or 5cc) and is roughly the size of a spherical dime (10¢ CAD) or a spherical penny, I suppose 🤔 A measured "tablespoon" is 15ml (15cc) A cutlery tablespoon varies widely in size, but is closer to ⅔ of a golf ball in volume. Anyway, you can always season to taste afterwards, or as you go. And it's always best to start out with too little than too much, because you can always add but you can't take away 😊👍
My father-in-law who used to be a Chinese chef in one of the biggest hotels in Taipei City, used to use a technique involving cornstarch. You would make a slurry with cornstarch, and marinate the steak in it. Nothing came out more tender.
I’m a Chinese and my family never use bicarb soda to tenderise the meat. Instead, my grandparents use corn starch and egg white mixture (with a bit of Shaoxing wine and light soy). I bet my grandma doesn’t even know where to buy bicarb soda.😅
I do this all the time, while I don't marinate it long enough, it still works wonders. I use cornstarch instead of baking soda, much more readily available, at least for me
🤣 Love the reference! Tip: MSG triggers your umami taste receptors. But, natural glutamates are found in meat and mushrooms. I add Better Than Bullion to marinades and sauces to enhance the flavor more naturally.
and if you want it fried like from the chinsese, Cornstarch does the trick. After you marinated it, dry it with papertowels get Corn/Potatoe -Starch into a bowl put the meat in it shake it until everything is covered, put it in a hot pan with a bit more oil than usual.
I've "velveted" steak with rice wine and egg white in the past and let me tell you... that was the softest, tenderest steak I have ever had. Like cut it with your fork tender.
Although a lot of asian food uses a fruit based tenderiser, I think its a japanese pear but it has the same agents in it as pineapple, that breaks down the proteins. It just means you get the tenderising without the back ground odd saltiness from bicarb.
I don't prefer using baking soda to tenderize meat because it has a weird rubber texture and aftertaste. You can add some fresh pinnaple juice, then eggs white, corn starch, oil then deep fry the beef before stirfry.
So I’m a chef and I was having a hard time getting my toddler to eat meat because he didn’t like chewing (his jaw muscles weren’t use to it) so I started velveting everything and it solved the issue.
FYI Chinese dish doesn’t use sugars on that dish, it’s hosin sauce and soy sauce. That sugar is when Americans or UKer who doesn’t really know what is the real thing they use for the sauce other than soy sauce.
I was so happy to discover this technique. I learned about it a few years ago. Until then I had wondered what kind of animal the meat in Asian food came from. ;)
2x Asian Head chef here. You add baking soda, rice wine, msg, soy, I+G, and starch and egg whites, and you marinade it much longer. And you "pass" it through a pot of hot oil to cook it. More or less confete-ing it. Then add it to the dish at the end.
This is great technique that I've used alot. However, be mindful of the amount of baking soda ( tsp, per pound) or else you will absolutely ruin the meat. I usually rinse the meat afterwards to remove any residue. I season after. Jus fyi. Once I did this without knowing and the meat was super gross cuz I used way too much. I just sprinkled on and yuck.
Use rump steak, cut across grain, add shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, cornflour, oil. Let it rest for 1 hour. Bicarb is good for cheaper cuts.
This works amazingly. I haven’t bought ribeye or ny strip in a couple years bc of price, but you can do this to cheaper cuts and although they are not as tasty, they can get darn close for much cheaper.
I am confused after reading comments. Do you let the meat sit in water and baking soda for 30 minutes rinse it with water and then marinate it again in soy sauce, corn starch and egg whites for 30 more minutes or...?
You have to rinse off the bicarb, it tastes awful if you leave it. Also you can't marinate with bicarb for that long, it loses all texture and when rinsed, still tastes weird. Another good use for bicarb: reducing the acid in tomato sauce. If you find your tomato sauce is too sharp and acidic, just add a pinch of bicarb.
This is also why sometimes, when you eat beef from a Chinese, the roof of your mouth can be coated with slightly gummy film. Because the chefs have been a little heavy on the bi carb.
I never get stir fry out because they use crap cuts of meat. I always use sirloin at home and I dont need to put baking soda in it.I cut it in thin strips, season it and let it rest covered at room temp for 30mins and it got in the pan with a bit of oil and butter and it melts in your mouth.
I always get mixed reactions on this though. People report (for the correct measurement used) a horrible taste where others say under the same Videos that it tastes great. Others say rinse the meat after and others don't. Idk what to think, it's giving olive oil for frying lol
Learned this on America's Test Kitchen years ago. They didn't call it "velveting" though. Good to know. Cooking shows educating people. Well done! (Well, medium rare)
Yu should really do the baking soda separate from marinade… cut thin pieces throw about a teaspoon or 2 or baking soda and splash of water(just enough to dissolve the soda) and let the beef soak in that for 30-45 mins then rinse it so you don’t taste that baking soda THEN marinade like normal n fry up in your wok… much better than just adding baking soda to beef with the marinade n tossing straight in the wok.
A bit of dissolved Potato starch or corn starch with a bit of water in the marinade is how I do the velveting. Coats the meat and doesn't lets the liquid and juices inside to evaporate.. and then = tenderness.
I use corn starch/flour to my marinades. It really keeps the meat nice and juicy.. And it even seems to cook more even, so it's easier to hit the perfect balance of charred but not dry
Those of you asking, Andy is talking about sodium bicarbonate which also know as baking soda.
thank you!
Thank you!
Aha, Thanks
I was wondering wtf is a sodium bicarbonate
@@sayanorasonicbaking soda for us North Americans
One thing to remember is that you do NOT want to let the meat sit with the bicarb for more than 30 minutes because it can go too far and make your meat mushy. If you plan to marinate the meat for an hour up to overnight then separate that from the bicarb step.
That's good to know. I've absolutely let my beef or chicken sit in the baking soda laden marinade for... quite some time, really- overnight, for sure... with no ill effects. Do you happen to know what factors can contribute to the meat getting too mushy? Because if I don't find out now, I know it's only a matter of time before I'll find out the hard way. hah
Not true salt brining to long makes meat mushy. Baking soda is more forgiving. You added something salty for sure if you're meat went mushy.
@camren29 Ooo... This is most helpful intel. Many thanks, sir.
@@camren29agree. Also the direction how you cut with it against the grain also the cut on the animal.
I marinate mine regularly for 1 hr plus when I make beer and broccoli all the time.
If your meat is mushy after 30 mins, you've added far too much bicarb
I feel so lucky to have this chef sharing tips. Thank you.
Not just the beef tips.
Me as well! Thanks chef
bi carb plus msg job done gweilo happy
Bicarbonate of soda, never. Make the meat taste very bad. Bromelain. Natural. Comes from pineapples.
good grief... 🙄
Best ever beef stir fry last night because of this! I have no need to eat out ever again! Haha 💗❤ keep bringing us the yum noms Andy! You’re awesome!
Hello, do you rinse off the baking soda? Not sure how that would taste.
No need to rinse, there's no taste @@susanolson3611
No, you don't rinse off the baking soda. You aren't using a lot and no you will not taste it. @@susanolson3611
@@susanolson3611uhh no 😂
Velveting meat is common knowledge
The ONLY CHEF I've ever seen explain this. Thank you
Baking soda will not do velveting, but tenderizing. You need starch, corn or potato starch to velvet.
You’re welcome
@@josefwang You are correct. I was waiting for the cornstarch to be added but the cook failed.
There are literally hundreds of videos about this on TH-cam that actually explains it correctly but I guess you meant white chef lol
@@michaelyang3910no, both yellow and white chefs do this. who do you think invented it?
Thanks Andy … you just answered a 60 year old mystery of what my mother was putting on her meat and it was bicarbonate of soda
And here I thought it was mom's love
@@Banthisyoutube Propylene glycol is a common feed additive found in anti-freeze. It's safe to consume. Food dyes have proven safe for decades with no evidence showing health effects. Yeah and oxygen was used in the atomic bombs. Scary stuff better not breathe it. What's your point? Never really understood why people, mainly in Europe usually, have this visceral reaction to commonplace cooking and baking additives that have proven safe and highly useful for hundreds of years. I blame ignorance because it is always people that never seem to know what they actually eat or how its made that seem to spout the dumbest arguments about food and "chemicals" in it.
It's often based on bullshit scare tactics too from companies that are aiming to influence people. You know, like with absinthe, which does NOT cause you to go insane, but companies wanted to make it seem evil, so they paid a quack doctor to write a bullshit study on it that caused it to get banned for years. Later, found to be bullshit and was unbanned. Lots of instances like that in history.
@@tygonmaster Oxygen in the atomic bombs? What are you talking about.
Europeans are scared of bicarb soda... yeesh
@@Banthisyoutube The point is I see the argument a LOT that baking soda is this evil thing. It is hardly a common sentiment. My apologies if that was not your point. I just really hate when people misinform people. "Oh, shit, don't microwave water! It will explode! Highly dangerous! Buy a kettle! Huh? You microwave water all the time? Well, it takes specific conditions, needs to be highly pure, and...." That kind of shit.
@@tygonmastermy mom had to prove my dad that microwave water wasn't carcinogenic (read it somewhere) by boiling water for a month and giving that to half our plants and tap half... Well you can imagine my dad was not the brightest. Nothing happened ofc.
People are very paranoid. I know people here in Finland who are scared of baking soda and others who eat lyefish (NaOH infused fish) there is people for every boat.
I've been doing this and my stir fry is now officially better than anywhere in town. Use fresh grated ginger too!
Fresh ginger makes all the difference! And fresh garlic if the dish calls for it. I'm so white but I make my own Thai food now, Kimchi, and am branching out to other Asian regions. I make a mean Chicken Tikka Masala by now too lol. I'm American and don't so much like traditional Thanksgiving here because of the bloody history of it. But we celebrate in my house, but instead of turkey and stuffing, I choose a different country or region and make dishes from there every thanksgiving. (Italy, Guatemala, India, Thailand, China are the last 5 years we've done.) That way family and friends can still pig out but we're not perpetuating a history steeped in anti-Native culture. Nothing against people who make turkey, this just works for our family.
@@WhyWouldYou821as an american, respect
@@Scrumdumn thanks dude. I highly recommend people do this. America is such a melting pot. Everyone struggled here to make a new life. Literally almost every country in the world can be represented here in the States. So I try to do that with our pigging out holiday lol
@@Scrumdumn”aS aN amEriCan rEspEct” , I cringed so hard reading your comment 🫠 😂it’s not that hard to cook bro …
@@Ligma.. Uhhh...
marinating in an alkaline solution (like bicarb) is for tenderizing meat (usually only done with beef). Velveting is having a starch, and in many recipies also some eggwhite in the marinade. This forms a "crispy-ish" layer when passing through oil (sort of a quick deepfry which is used for more or less all meats before stirfrying), this out layer turns silky when you apply your stirfry sause, and also causes the sause to adhere to the meat.
Thank you! It's not correct to call this method "velveting"
Sauce
Thank you. This is not velveting.
I've heard both referred to as velvetting many times
@@rebeccavance551 multi-lingual
I always velvet meat before stir frying. However, the bicarb must be rinsed off before marinating and/or cooking. If you don't, the meat develops a nasty salty, metallic taste.
No please rince I've tried this before many times and the pure baking soda always makes it taste shit. When I wash it off afterwards it's fine
True. Rinse it first.
Agreed ! and we call it Bi carb soada
i use a mix of salt, cornflour and egg white to velvet chicken, thought its best to deep frey then add to wock once mostly cooked. makes an awesome chinese curry
@@nerdydrew6818 You gotta rinse that crap off its chemical that breaks down the tendons in the meat and tastes gritty if not washed properly !
Everyone can tell youre a beautiful person Andy. Thanks for being amazing and sharing your awesomeness with the world.
I've been cooking beef like this for a while and one extra thing I do is make sure to rinse and massage the meat strips in really cold water for a few minutes. It helps with texture and removes any irony taste left from the blood.
That’s what I was wondering. I’ve other people do the same by not rinsing after marinating to remove that soda flavor❤
Stupid question: wash the meat before or after marinating w baking soda?
@@windbreaker57 Before, if you do it after it just rinses out the marinade.
If your meat tastes like iron, you are eating the wrong meat... possibly that garbage from Billgate called "beyond meat"
I've made the mistake of not washing it off. The after after taste isn't pleasant.
I have seriously wondered this most of my life. I'm trying this one. Thanks😂
save money and do it the traditional way: poach the meat before stir-frying.
@@Jane-oz7ppsave money? A pack of bakibg soda is less than a euro and about 120g here. With that price its about saving time not money
Give us a update!
@acvn-hg9gy I tried this on some round steak i cut up into thin slices for lo mein, It totally works. I let it sit for 20 min. I would let it sit for 30 to 40 min next time tho.
Right. 🤯
My mom and grandma used to do this too! Baking soda helps to caramelize onions really fast. Just add a teeny tiny bit and Boom! Within 5 minutes you'll have perfectly caramelized onions
I have used the very same method for many years now,, but after about 10-15 minutes I rinse the meat with cold water so that there is no chance it will change/effect the taste of my dish.
As an asian, I can confirm that all of his asian dishes are authentic. The color of the wok, the way he holds his chopsticks, the brand of the sesame oil...
As Uncle Roger would say, "Fuiyoh!"
FUIYOH!!!!!!!
As a beautiful Polack, I also confirm his technique will tenderize steak for Chinese food.
that sesame seed oil is killin you..
@@dusternalyeah all those Asian grandmas are eating food slathered in sesame oil and I’ve heard they’re dropping dead as early as 95! Clearly we need to stop this epidemic
No real Asian would mix themselves in with other Asians and especially not food wise. If you are from Laos, you have just as much knowledge about Korean food like a Swedish person would have. Also: You are American-Asian, which means you are an Asian looking American lol
I’ve never heard of the term ‘velveting’ but I do use this technique for my stir fry and it always works. I can never manage to cut room temp meat soo thin tho 😢 I always have to freeze it.
Still waiting on the Cantonese family style dinner for Heun Wah please chef!
Well ig the chef is using one hell of a sharp knife
@@neerajnongmaithem392 true, maybe OP got the skill just not the necessary tool
Definitely a knife issue. Get yourself a steel or and stone and sharpen what you have, otherwise, invest in a good quality knife. 😊
I work at a restaurant and usually the meat is half frozen when it’s cut. If you put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes depending on size it should work.
If you can't budget in a whetstone or some other form of sharpener (neither can I, lol), there's a neat trick to sharpening your knives in a similar way:
You've just use the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug or a bowl that has that exposed ceramic roughness to it that wasn't glazed over. Flip it upside down onto a flat surface and slowly run your blade's cutting surface along it at a 45 degree angle and you can use that to sharpen both sides of your knives!
Also make sure to wipe the carbon dust off your knife when you're done.
I'd recommend looking up a tutorial for your 1st time doing it, for safety's sake! 😃
Something to note: I've never tried it with a serrated knife though and it doesn't sound like the wisest idea, so probably avoid mug sharpening those lol.
It's no replacement for the real thing, but it works in a pinch!
From Chef Wang-Gang, i always see him using corn starch and egg whites, for his velveting and he is, without a doubt, a true master of cooking.
Both methods work. I think the egg whites and corn starch is more traditional, plus it's less salty.
Also: chef wang-gang is a fuckin *god* lol
The bicard soda is a recent technique for quicker cooking. Both methods are interchangeable
coz egg white and starch also helps to lock in juices from the meat. but yeah, my idol chef wang is built different. a true master indeed
Yeah,I have heard of that technique as well, the bicarb I haven't heard of using,but will try it.
Bicarbonate and starch + egg white serves different purposes in chinese cuisine. Most of the time, unlike western dish, we want a softer, silkier, less flossy, more delicate meat texture in Chinese dish. Bicarbonate has the action in breaking down the protein in the meat and gives the meat a less tender, less chewy texture. Usually will be use with leaner cut and less expensive cut of meat. This is what people would do in more local restaurant as using bicarbonate in a very small amount would lower the cost of the dish. Using too much biicarbonate will make the meat mushy, and have a very disticnt flavor which taste bad. In some more pricy restaurant, chefs may use fresh pinapple juice to give a similar effect on the meat as the enzyme in the juice may help to break down the protein in meat.
For the starch and egg white, the purpose is for locking in the moiture of the meat to give a juicier and smoother texture to the meat. You can use them with bicarboante in marinating the meat. But if you are using nice cut of meat like fillet mignon／ribeye for stir fry, most likely you would not need any bicarbonate to soften the meat. Chef Wang is a chef in nice restaurant, what he is using is very nice cut of meat, that is why he does not use any bicarbonate.
**tucks this away in the brain**
Thank you! 😁
I'm a cooking fan of you.. can you pls cook "ginataang manok" (chicken in coconut milk)
Ingredients:
Chicken
Coconut milk
Potato
Carrots
Red & green bell peppers
Bay leaf
Whole pepper corn
Salt
Ginger
Black pepper
This technique is regularly used and very effective in tenderising meat however I believe velveting refers to marinating in egg white and corn starch before quickly blanching, usually in oil or occasionally in water. This leaves a smooth 'velvety' texture on the outside of the meat.
Yes. It's the mix of baking soda, starch and egg white that does the velveting. Also salt. I'm surprised Andy didn't know that
what he is doing would for sure work but its not velveting
@@tdb517 No, baking soda is a different step. And egg white is unnecessary for either process.
@@JohnSmith-oe5kx egg white coats the meat and prevents moisture to go away
You are not wrong. Using sodium bicarb to tenderize is not colloquially known as "velveting"
I love your recipes! Us British (I’m British-American), make great chefs. You are a stand out,
This also works when cooking dry beans, it also takes away some of the gasiness.
Bicarbonate of soda = baking soda = sodium bicarbonate.
I first learned this trick from a Kenji López-Alt video and it is one that is really not talked about or written about enough. This works like nothing else.
I think Andy really has a soft spot for Asian food. I understand cause the stuff is great❤
Your cookbook will gonna be immaculate
"Velveting" has always been done with egg white & corn starch. I've never heard of using baking soda. I'll have to give the baking soda a try. Thank you for the tip
I agree, I've always used corn starch too.
I use both. Works great
I've learned in culinary school and they use corn starch and egg white, never have I heard of using bicarb soda.
I’m a Chinese home cook. No egg white in the velveting step. But always cornstarch
Have you tried it? And the result is?
I love watching you use a spoon! Suddenly everyone seems to only be able to mix with their hands.
i dont even eat meat but this makes a lot of sense! if you're cooking chickpeas from dry adding bicarb of soda to the water softens them up a lot too
Velveting is adding the corn starch gravy. The bi carb soda is just tenderising.
Thank you so much for this info. I will do this from now on! My wife loves beef chow mein.
I heard it from some TH-cam dude but I call it making the beef thirsty. You also add a splash of water in some applications and the meat comes out sooo moist and tender.
That wok is so well seasoned it’s a work of art!
I’ve learned from my friend’s grandma to always put sugar first in your meat. The reason is because sugar is bigger, chemically-wise. So it takes longer to get absorbed in the meat. So, if you’re going to make marinades, put sugar in the meat first, then additional sugar in your marinade as well, if you like it more sweet. I find this very helpful when I’m cooking galbi.
I use it with chicken breast all the time. It doesn't only become more tender, but it also becomes juicier and it doesn't let out water at all!
I was about to ask if it works on chicken as well. Thank you.
@@MyrrdinWylltEmrys You're welcome! It does, absolutely! It fries more evenly as well!
@@MyrrdinWylltEmrys Yes it works, especially well with chicken breast which can be easily overcooked and dry.
combined with cornstarch it works wonders for keeping thin slices of chicken breast super moist
@@dingus42 Wow, that sounds awesome, I'm gonna try it, thank you!
"that's about a teaspoon..."
* proceeds to put a tablespoon in * 😂
Fun fact: If you measure a conventional tablespoon, it happens to usually be the same as a measured teaspoon.
@@EndoftheBeginning17, that is simply not true, friendo 😅
The measurement "teaspoon" is 5ml (or 5cc) and is roughly the size of a spherical dime (10¢ CAD) or a spherical penny, I suppose 🤔
A measured "tablespoon" is 15ml (15cc)
A cutlery tablespoon varies widely in size, but is closer to ⅔ of a golf ball in volume.
Anyway, you can always season to taste afterwards, or as you go.
And it's always best to start out with too little than too much, because you can always add but you can't take away 😊👍
@@MrNigsWhittington, 😂👌
I totally agree
@@MrNigsWhittington, I know all these and more, but your commentary is...
😘👌 * chef kiss *
😂
I've found baking powder and corn flour works better,just bicarb can give the meat a strong off smell
I've always wanted to learn this. Thank you!
Such a fantastic method. You can use cornflour and a couple of tablespoons of water as well🙏🏽
I don't think that tenderizes the meat though. It's for thickening the sauce.
nope wrong
@@UberAV -Who's wrong?
@@mainemermaid6596 NOT U
It's about damn time an Australian explained to us how to make Chinese food
Wash your mouth out! He’s kiwi!
My father-in-law who used to be a Chinese chef in one of the biggest hotels in Taipei City, used to use a technique involving cornstarch. You would make a slurry with cornstarch, and marinate the steak in it. Nothing came out more tender.
Wow ..... this guy mastered his art so cool Andy
I’m a Chinese and my family never use bicarb soda to tenderise the meat. Instead, my grandparents use corn starch and egg white mixture (with a bit of Shaoxing wine and light soy). I bet my grandma doesn’t even know where to buy bicarb soda.😅
Thanks for the tip....but we have other people (maybe not chinese) saying this is an authentic/legit way also.
Both work fine and are used in Chinese cooking. Corn starch won't leave a metallic taste though
We have always used corn starch as well though not Asian, never knew bicarb soda was a thing 😅
I do this all the time, while I don't marinate it long enough, it still works wonders.
I use cornstarch instead of baking soda, much more readily available, at least for me
Tried this method today for the first time to make a beef & broccoli bowl, it was really tender and my mother and sister loved it. 😋
“Where MSG???!!!” HAIYAA…….
Uncle Roger (2023)
🤣 Love the reference!
Tip: MSG triggers your umami taste receptors. But, natural glutamates are found in meat and mushrooms. I add Better Than Bullion to marinades and sauces to enhance the flavor more naturally.
stop
Bicarb soda is baking soda for those who don't know
Thanks!
and if you want it fried like from the chinsese, Cornstarch does the trick. After you marinated it, dry it with papertowels get Corn/Potatoe -Starch into a bowl put the meat in it shake it until everything is covered, put it in a hot pan with a bit more oil than usual.
Love love love your vids. You make me want to have someone other than myself cook for me. Thanks!!!
Love your videos boss, they're so easy to follow.
They also use either rice starch and or rice flour to healthy coat the meat and retain some of the marinade on top of the velveting technique
Tried this the other day. Worked BEAUTIFULLY.
I would love more technical content like this as a fellow chef. My brigade love this channel.
No. Actually, baking soda is for temderizing. The velveting technique requires the addition of potato or corn starch.
You can also use a little corn starch to get a nice little coating of that marinade to stick on the meat when it's seared.
I've "velveted" steak with rice wine and egg white in the past and let me tell you... that was the softest, tenderest steak I have ever had. Like cut it with your fork tender.
Baking soda also works with old dry beans. All you have to do is boil the beans as normal with a bit of the baking soda.
You can also use soda water, or tonic water, or anything carbonated. Less sugar the better
Although a lot of asian food uses a fruit based tenderiser, I think its a japanese pear but it has the same agents in it as pineapple, that breaks down the proteins. It just means you get the tenderising without the back ground odd saltiness from bicarb.
I don't prefer using baking soda to tenderize meat because it has a weird rubber texture and aftertaste. You can add some fresh pinnaple juice, then eggs white, corn starch, oil then deep fry the beef before stirfry.
So I’m a chef and I was having a hard time getting my toddler to eat meat because he didn’t like chewing (his jaw muscles weren’t use to it) so I started velveting everything and it solved the issue.
Amazing advice, my first time hearing about that! Thank you
Doing this for tomorrow's supper. Thank you for new ideas!!!!
FYI Chinese dish doesn’t use sugars on that dish, it’s hosin sauce and soy sauce. That sugar is when Americans or UKer who doesn’t really know what is the real thing they use for the sauce other than soy sauce.
I was so happy to discover this technique. I learned about it a few years ago. Until then I had wondered what kind of animal the meat in Asian food came from. ;)
2x Asian Head chef here.
You add baking soda, rice wine, msg, soy, I+G, and starch and egg whites, and you marinade it much longer. And you "pass" it through a pot of hot oil to cook it. More or less confete-ing it. Then add it to the dish at the end.
I like doing a corn starch coating on my beef stirfry too because it turns makes a nice crispy texture. Could I do a corn starch baking soda mixture?
Thanks for the Bi-carb tip but the sugar you can keep. I use Bi-carb for hundreds of things but I never thought of putting in meat.
This is great technique that I've used alot. However, be mindful of the amount of baking soda ( tsp, per pound) or else you will absolutely ruin the meat. I usually rinse the meat afterwards to remove any residue. I season after. Jus fyi. Once I did this without knowing and the meat was super gross cuz I used way too much. I just sprinkled on and yuck.
Use rump steak, cut across grain, add shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, cornflour, oil. Let it rest for 1 hour. Bicarb is good for cheaper cuts.
This works amazingly. I haven’t bought ribeye or ny strip in a couple years bc of price, but you can do this to cheaper cuts and although they are not as tasty, they can get darn close for much cheaper.
Flour also makes meat more tender. We use it in our chicken dishes.
Even better: Starch, MSG, soy sauce, soda (bicarbonate). Mix it and let the meat rest over night or at least for 1-2 hours.
I am confused after reading comments. Do you let the meat sit in water and baking soda for 30 minutes rinse it with water and then marinate it again in soy sauce, corn starch and egg whites for 30 more minutes or...?
You have to rinse off the bicarb, it tastes awful if you leave it. Also you can't marinate with bicarb for that long, it loses all texture and when rinsed, still tastes weird.
Another good use for bicarb: reducing the acid in tomato sauce. If you find your tomato sauce is too sharp and acidic, just add a pinch of bicarb.
This is also why sometimes, when you eat beef from a Chinese, the roof of your mouth can be coated with slightly gummy film. Because the chefs have been a little heavy on the bi carb.
Cheers for the awesome yet fast and simple tip. So many people would drag this out to an hour long video.
I never get stir fry out because they use crap cuts of meat. I always use sirloin at home and I dont need to put baking soda in it.I cut it in thin strips, season it and let it rest covered at room temp for 30mins and it got in the pan with a bit of oil and butter and it melts in your mouth.
other chefs that taught this technique said rinsing was needed. even with just about a teaspoon of the baking soda.
Personally, I velvet the meat and then wash it once before marinating. I find it tastes a little bitter if i dont.
I heard about it - bicarb seems to be multi-purpose.
Will definitely try it with the cheapest beef I can find.
I always get mixed reactions on this though. People report (for the correct measurement used) a horrible taste where others say under the same Videos that it tastes great. Others say rinse the meat after and others don't. Idk what to think, it's giving olive oil for frying lol
Always love and appreciate your tips Chef!! Thank you
Cut the meat slices against the grain to make it less chewy. It breaks up more easily when you chew.
OMG thank you, my husband is always making stirfries and I dread the tough leathery meat.
Is that a TSP or Tblsp your using, great tip Thanks.
This trick, and adding Shaohsing Wine to the sauce changed my game up forever.
Excellent tip for us amateur gourmands thank you chef
Learned this on America's Test Kitchen years ago. They didn't call it "velveting" though. Good to know. Cooking shows educating people. Well done! (Well, medium rare)
that's pretty interesting :D I should try making some stirfry at some point. I love it, but have never made it myself.
Uncle Andy dropping knowledge, as always
that wok is so gorgeous!
My entire childhood I thought the chicken was 'different' because it was cat. Finally, the truth!
Yu should really do the baking soda separate from marinade… cut thin pieces throw about a teaspoon or 2 or baking soda and splash of water(just enough to dissolve the soda) and let the beef soak in that for 30-45 mins then rinse it so you don’t taste that baking soda THEN marinade like normal n fry up in your wok… much better than just adding baking soda to beef with the marinade n tossing straight in the wok.
This works amazing and I can't believe I cooked my whole life w/out this hack.
I was taught many years ago that velveting was marinating your meat with cornstarch, milk and soy sauce. Also thickens your sauce
Basically it’s an alkali, which is similar to papain enzyme, to break down the proteins into smaller fragments called peptide and amino acids.
A bit of dissolved Potato starch or corn starch with a bit of water in the marinade is how I do the velveting. Coats the meat and doesn't lets the liquid and juices inside to evaporate.. and then = tenderness.
I use corn starch/flour to my marinades.
It really keeps the meat nice and juicy..
And it even seems to cook more even, so it's easier to hit the perfect balance of charred but not dry
Actually you can also use a bit of lye water too, not muchif you don't have Baking Soda, cause it's the alkaline that works...