The Only Technique You Need For The Most Tender Stir-Fried Meat

Did you know that velvet doesn't just refer to the luxury fabric? It's actually a cooking technique that will transform your stir-fried meats. Velveting is why stir-fried dishes at Chinese restaurants taste so much better than the ones you make at home, but never fear! Once you master this meat prep technique, you'll be able to whip up stir-fried dishes like kung pao chicken or beef and broccoli so succulent you'll swear you ordered takeout.

There are a few ways to velvet meat before stir-frying, but the basic idea is to marinate your protein (typically chicken, beef, or pork) with starch and oil, which gives the surface of the meat a velvety texture, and then lock in moisture by cooking it in oil or boiling it in water. Sounds simple enough, but to find out exactly why this technique is so crucial in Chinese cuisine and how to properly employ it, Chowhound spoke with Kenny Leung, the executive chef of YAO (@yaorestaurant on Instagram) in New York City.

"Velveting the meat helps to retain the natural juice and flavor and also keeps the meat moist and tender," Leung says. "When the seasoning and flavors are locked in through velveting, the outcome is near perfection."

Velveting ensures you don't dry out your meat when exposing it to very high heat, and the first step is choosing the ingredients for your marinade. Chef Kenny Leung says he usually uses cornstarch for velveting. Cornstarch has a ton of unexpected uses in the kitchen, and when combined with oil in a marinade, it forms a silky, protective coating that seals in moisture.

Some chefs also use alkaline ingredients like egg white or baking soda to tenderize their meat. Water is also typically added to marinades for extra moisture, while ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine can give your protein a flavor boost. However, Leung cautions, "For your best results in the kitchen, it's really important to not over season your dish while the meat is velveting."

Once your meat has marinated for about half an hour, the next step is to pre-cook it by either deep frying it, searing it in a hot wok, or blanching it in water. The idea is to cook your meat just until it's opaque and about 80% done, then finish it off in the stir-fry. This process assures your meat retains a perfectly smooth, tender texture. Note that your methods may vary slightly depending on the type of protein you use. For instance, some chefs skip the alkaline ingredient in their chicken marinades, but say it's crucial to tenderize beef with baking soda since it tends to be tougher.