How to Velvet Beef for Stir-fry

4.96 from 114 votes

How to Velvet Beef for Stir-fry

Learn how to velvet beef for stir-fry like Chinese chefs. Choose the right cut, slice it, tenderize it, marinate it, and cook it like a pro!

Prep Time1 30

Total Time1 30

Course: Beef

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Bill

Ingredients

1 pound beef flank steak or chuck steak (sliced against the grain)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup water 1/4 cup (60 ml) per pound
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons oyster sauce or soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Shaoxing Wine (Optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add baking soda and water to the sliced beef and massage with hands until most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 1-2 hours.
Rinse the beef thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Drain.
Add oil, oyster sauce/soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (optional), and cornstarch to the beef. Set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes, and then your beef is ready to use.

Video

Notes

Short-Cut Method for Tenderizing Beef: Add 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon (for tougher cuts) of baking soda and 2-3 tablespoons of water to the beef. Add remaining marinade ingredients. Mix, and marinate for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

How to Velvet Beef for Stir-fry by The Woks of Life. Recipe URL: https://body-goals.fit/prepare-beef-for-stir-fry/%3C/em%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cscript%3Ewindow.wprm_recipes = {"recipe-25966":{"type":"food","name":"How to Velvet Beef for Stir-fry","slug":"wprm-how-to-velvet-beef-for-stir-fry","image_url":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/slicing-marinating-beef-5.jpg","rating":{"count":114,"total":565,"average":4.96,"type":{"comment":114,"no_comment":0,"user":0},"user":0},"ingredients":[{"uid":0,"amount":"1","unit":"pound","name":"beef flank steak or chuck steak","notes":"(sliced against the grain)","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"450","unit":"g","unit_id":5264}},"unit_id":5275,"id":411,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1","unit":"pound","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"pound","unitParsed":"pound"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"450","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":1,"amount":"1","unit":"teaspoon","name":"baking soda","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"unit_id":5268,"id":264,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1","unit":"teaspoon","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"teaspoon","unitParsed":"teaspoon"}}},{"uid":2,"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","name":"water","notes":"1\/4 cup (60 ml) per pound","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"60","unit":"ml","unit_id":5271}},"unit_id":5269,"id":332,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"60","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":3,"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","name":"vegetable oil","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"unit_id":5273,"id":278,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","unitParsed":"teaspoons"}}},{"uid":4,"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","name":"oyster sauce or soy sauce","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"unit_id":5273,"id":3472,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","unitParsed":"teaspoons"}}},{"uid":5,"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","name":"cornstarch","notes":"","link":{"url":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/rice-grains-and-flours\/#cornstarch","nofollow":"default"},"unit_id":5273,"id":267,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","unitParsed":"teaspoons"}}},{"uid":6,"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","name":"Shaoxing Wine","notes":"(Optional)","link":{"url":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/shaoxing-wine-the-key-to-authentic-chinese-cooking\/","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"","unit":""}},"unit_id":5273,"id":272,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","timestamp":1774165926000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"teaspoons","unitParsed":"teaspoons"}}}],"originalServings":"4","originalServingsParsed":4,"currentServings":"4","currentServingsParsed":4,"currentServingsFormatted":"4","currentServingsMultiplier":1,"originalSystem":1,"currentSystem":1,"unitSystems":[1,2],"originalAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0},"currentAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0}}}