How to Make Beef “Velvet” – This is a method of tenderizing tougher/cheaper cuts of beef for use in stir-fries. I use baking soda for this quick method. The beef is tender and ready to eat in 30 minutes.
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Steak is so expensive these days!
While I love using a nice, tender, marbled piece of ribeye for a skillet, it’s not always practical or cost-effective (especially when you’ve got a bunch of hungry teenagers to feed as well).
So you can use a cheaper cut of beef/steak, e.g. B. Rump steak, while making sure it is soft and tender.
After all, no one wants a chewy stir fry!
The method is known as velvety or tenderize. There are several ways to make steaks velvety – which is common practice in Chinese restaurants. this is that simplest and most effective method I’ve found.
📋 Ingredients?
- beef steak – I use rump steak, cut into strips, against the grain. You can also use sizzler steak, pot roast, or ready-cut wok steak. Other cuts of beef to use that are more familiar outside of the UK are: Top Round, Bottom Round, Flank, Hanger, Rock, Chuck, Blade or Denver.
- baking soda
📺 Check out how to make it
For the full recipe with detailed steps, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Place the steak strips in a bowl
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda on top and rub into the meat with your hands.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Rinse the beef in cold water to remove the bicarb.
- Pat dry with paper towels and use according to your recipe.
👩🍳PRO TIP Once you’ve dried the beef, you can use a regular recipe—although it does involve marinating or breading the beef.
How does baking soda tenderize meat?
The bicarb has an alkaline effect and increases the pH value on the meat surface. This changes the way the proteins in the meat react when it is heated over high heat and prevents the meat from freezing and losing moisture.
The result is soft, juicy and tender meat. Here’s a close-up of a rump steak that I’ve made velvety and then fried as part of my Beef in black beans sauce recipe:
🍲 Recipes with tender beef
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Velvety beef
How to Make Beef “Velvet” – This is a method of tenderizing tougher/cheaper cuts of beef for use in stir-fries.
INSTRUCTIONS
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Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle with baking soda.
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Rub the baking soda into the beef, completely covering it.
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Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Rinse the beef thoroughly in cold water, drain and then pat dry with kitchen towels.
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Use according to your recipe.
✎ Notes
Use it like a quick cook beef strip recipe where you want the beef to be tender (not chewy). For the recipe, you can marinate and/or bread the beef after tenderizing if desired.
Nutritional information is a guide per serving (this recipe is for four people).
Nourishment
Calories: 208kcalProtein: 20GFat: 14GSaturated Fatty Acids: 6GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 7GCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 268mgVitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 7mgIron: 2mg
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