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.
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
Note that bicarbonate will also accelerate the cooking of vegetables, so if you want to cook your potatoes in 20 min instead of 30, use a teaspoon of bicarbonate in the water, on the opposite if you use vinegar it will slow down cooking. You can also marinade with fresh pineapple as there's an enzyme that breaks down meat and makes it tender, that's especially good if you have an old animal which tends to be leathery.
Yes but pineapple is more specifically better for tenderizing pork chicken and fish not the fish really needs tenderizing it’s not especially good with beef at least that’s been my personal experience but for pork oh yeah baby that’s why when I cook a ham shank I injected liberally with pineapple juice
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.
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
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.
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
@@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.
I used to work at a fried chicken place that won best fried chicken in the state and we marinated the chicken in five gallon buckets with water and baking soda. The chicken was always very crunchy and juicy and seasoned perfectly. The ratio was 1/2 cup baking soda to two gallons of water then add your chicken and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to three days before breading with seasoned flour, shake off the excess when ready to cook. The moisture of the chicken and the baking soda makes a super crunchy, delicious chicken.
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.
He's not Australian, so he can't be a bogan chef. Also, "soya" isn't and incorrect pronunciation, both soya and soy are perfectly acceptable en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyabean
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.
@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
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 am not trying to be negative, also my Dad had a Chinese restaurant for 30+ years, but if you have a good cut of meat, there is no need for the baking soda "tenderizing". I feel like it makes the meat/chicken taste slimy (maybe it's the texture??? Or both???). Lovely explanation of baking soda technique.
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!
Corn starch is great to add to this marinade as well. I actually do something similar to this to my fried chicken now after learning this from a Chinese coworker years ago. Popeyes ain't got nothing on my fried chicken now.
Just take care, using corn starch will make it very crunchy to the point where it can be a deadly weapon when munching down, spoken with experience. Cut my gums several times cuz the corn-flour ratio was too high
It's hard to overstate the difference it makes to the meat... I've been cooking stir frys at home for decades and only learned about this technique about 6 months ago. First time I tried it on beef which is ALWAYS tough in a stir fry, I simply couldn't believe how transformative it was.
Little bit different effect, bicarb helps break down the proteins at a chemical level, cornstarch works really well in forming a coating which more or less seals in the moisture of your protein.
Cornstarch adds a little crisp to the outside almost like its breaded which is delicious but does not have the tenderizing effects of baking soda because it is not alkaline
@@asmerX100 it does but have to be careful with pineapple, if you leave the meat in there too long the enzymes of the pineapple break down the meat too much and gives almost a mushy texture
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
"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
@@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 😊👍
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...?
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.
This is a true game changer!!! I used it for my chicken breasts I was making into fried chicken strips and they were SO juicy and flavorful! I plan to rest my meat like this every time!
@@johnnysilverfoot i mean... its known thing in Asian cuisine, doesn't take much to make your meat more tender compared to basic marinade, especially if you gonna add sauce on the meat for extra flavours.
🤣 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.
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
Good start Andy, good start. But you forgot to also add some oyster sauce and some MSG. I'd also suggest to dissolve the bicarb soda (aka natron) in water and put the meat in it and let it soak for like 20min. Afterwards you should wash off the natron. If you don't (or just add too much natron) you'll fart a lot and get stomach cramps.
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’ve tried this technique several times but my critic, i mean my husband can always taste the baking soda and can’t eat it? Can you soak the meat in the baking soda then rinse it off or do you need to leave it on the meat? Ty
The last few times I tried this it tasted very bitter. Apparently I added too much baking soda. Any tips to find out how much baking soda is the right amount?
Oh man i always just do the beef then take it off and add it at the end so it doesnt overcook ... But i can just velvet it? Actually never heard of this before. Love your work mate ❤
This is fascinating, but not quite the method that I was taught. When you add the Carb Soda to tenderise the meat (break down the structural tissue fibres), you can also add a little water to make the meat more juicy after stir frying at high heat. Recipe I use often. 400g x meat sliced thin (across the grain) 2 x teaspoons Carb. Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) 2 x tablespoons Water ● Mix together, cover with Gladwrap & leave at room temp for about 15 minutes (FYI - Never leave meat in a tenderiser for too long as it can go putrid - especially using the Pineapple-based Bromelain Enzyme.) ● Rinse off Carb Soda residue & pat meat dry with paper towel. (Remember that Sodium Bicarbonate already is a Sodium salt, so you don't need to season the meat.) ● Add marinade (1 x tablespoon each of Cornflour, Ketjap Manis (+), Sweet Chilli Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Black Vinegar, Sesame Oil, 2 x Spring Onions (bias cut 5cm lengths), 4 cloves Garlic (sliced thin) & Ginger (3cm length sliced thin or microplaned) ● Remove from marinade (scraping off the excess on the side of the bowl). ● Get your wok properly HOT enough! ● Swirl a 1 Teaspoon each of Peanut & Sesame Oil into the wok (1 Teaspoon each is plenty in a well seasoned wok) ● Stir fry the meat in two batches & remove. Add sliced Onion, Carrots & Broccoli & fry for a couple of minutes & remove. (you can blanch the Broccoli in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water. Remove from water & drain excess.) ● Pour the marinade into the wok & cook for a minute until slightly reduced & thickened/glossy from the Cornflour. (I like it pretty thick, but you can add a little water, if you want.) ● Add meat & veg back into the wok, stir for a minute or two until it's all hot. ● Serve with Steamed Rice or Udon Noodles. (++) Alternately, you can add some (pre-warmed) Tteok-bokki or Hokkien Noodles to the wok when you add the meat & veg back to the sauce (though you may need to add a little water extra, as they're sponges). (+) - The Ketjap Manis (Indonesian Soy Sauce) already has lots of sugar, so you really don't need much extra. (++) - You can top the finished stir fry with whatever you want: Deep fried Shallots/Shrimp, a fried Egg, toasted nuts like Almonds/Peanuts/Cashews, Roasted Chickpeas/Edamame, Pickled Ginger, White/Black Sesame Seeds, etc.)
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 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 !
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... 🙄
Note that bicarbonate will also accelerate the cooking of vegetables, so if you want to cook your potatoes in 20 min instead of 30, use a teaspoon of bicarbonate in the water, on the opposite if you use vinegar it will slow down cooking.
You can also marinade with fresh pineapple as there's an enzyme that breaks down meat and makes it tender, that's especially good if you have an old animal which tends to be leathery.
Yes but pineapple is more specifically better for tenderizing pork chicken and fish not the fish really needs tenderizing it’s not especially good with beef at least that’s been my personal experience but for pork oh yeah baby that’s why when I cook a ham shank I injected liberally with pineapple juice
Papaya skin or fruit will also do the trick, you can even just put it on top of the meat while cooking and it'll work
*_'An old animal'??_* 🥺
The bicarbonate trick also works for beans and such stuff
You are supposed to peel the animal first. That will get rid of the leathery taste and texture. 😂
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 UA-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?
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
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
Everyone can tell youre a beautiful person Andy. Thanks for being amazing and sharing your awesomeness with the world.
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...
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.
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
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 used to work at a fried chicken place that won best fried chicken in the state and we marinated the chicken in five gallon buckets with water and baking soda. The chicken was always very crunchy and juicy and seasoned perfectly.
The ratio was 1/2 cup baking soda to two gallons of water then add your chicken and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to three days before breading with seasoned flour, shake off the excess when ready to cook. The moisture of the chicken and the baking soda makes a super crunchy, delicious chicken.
Saving this comment for myself. Good looking out King.
1515
So this messes with that theory that >30 minutes with the BS will start to make the meat mushy. Now I'm confused.
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.
You know he's an authentic bogan chef when he says 'soya'
Every person in Europe pronounce it like that.
He's not Australian, so he can't be a bogan chef. Also, "soya" isn't and incorrect pronunciation, both soya and soy are perfectly acceptable en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyabean
@@Helloyes451what is he if he’s not Australian? Is he from nz?
@@ooDirtyMickoo Yep. He lives in Aus and his wife's Australian, but he's a Kiwi
Kiwi for sure the "fredge" was a dead give away@@ooDirtyMickoo
If I wasn’t broke I’d buy your cookbook just to support you, the content you put out for free is amazing hope you get your rewards
shoplift it
@@nocomment4848they wouldn't be supporting him then
@@calebhughes5767 store already bought it 🤷♀️
@@calebhughes5767most stores give a certain percentage of cash back after a sale asuming they have a contract of some sort
@@swoogles- It's not "support" to steal something from a store, even if the store has already paid for the book.
I have asked this question for 40 years and you are the FIRST to answer it, and in a short none the less Thank you!
I thought you needed to rinse the baking soda off. Interesting.
@@noJnoP I hear it changes the taste a little, so you can rinse because the velveting process is over when you start to cook it.
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 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. 🤯
Do we need to wash the meat after using the baking soda?
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
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.
I am not trying to be negative, also my Dad had a Chinese restaurant for 30+ years, but if you have a good cut of meat, there is no need for the baking soda "tenderizing". I feel like it makes the meat/chicken taste slimy (maybe it's the texture??? Or both???). Lovely explanation of baking soda technique.
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!
Corn starch is great to add to this marinade as well. I actually do something similar to this to my fried chicken now after learning this from a Chinese coworker years ago. Popeyes ain't got nothing on my fried chicken now.
Tastes better than baking soda too or it has no taste where baking soda can leave a weird aftertaste
I also always use starch.
It adds this slightly guey layer to the stir fry.
I love it.
also prevents the meat from sticking to the pan (if you use stainless steel)
@@i_accept_all_cookiesso does uhhh oil and movement.. Y'know, stirring it? Like a uhhhhh... stir-fry?
Just take care, using corn starch will make it very crunchy to the point where it can be a deadly weapon when munching down, spoken with experience. Cut my gums several times cuz the corn-flour ratio was too high
That wok is so well seasoned it’s a work of art!
I tend to use honey as well especially on a time crunch due to honeys ability to break down protein chains making the meat so much more tender
Another way to velvet you meat in chinese cooking is to use egg white and corn starch :) great video as always
Yes, with some oil and a little water added in with it. When velveting beef this way, add a couple pinches of sodium bicarb to tenderize
I've always done cornstarch, baking soda, and egg whites. Then whatever seasoning you like.
I always wondered why my wife keeps small cans of these in the pantry. Now I know. Great ro know from expert top man Andy!
@@devonfitz5760❤
You also need egg white if using corn starch
It's hard to overstate the difference it makes to the meat... I've been cooking stir frys at home for decades and only learned about this technique about 6 months ago. First time I tried it on beef which is ALWAYS tough in a stir fry, I simply couldn't believe how transformative it was.
**tucks this away in the brain**
Thank you! 😁
My grandmother uses Cornstarch. Same effect!! I love that Chef Andy would always feature Asian cusine!
Little bit different effect, bicarb helps break down the proteins at a chemical level, cornstarch works really well in forming a coating which more or less seals in the moisture of your protein.
Cornstarch adds a little crisp to the outside almost like its breaded which is delicious but does not have the tenderizing effects of baking soda because it is not alkaline
Not same effect. What you are referring to is "velveting".
i believe pineapple also can tenderize the meat
@@asmerX100 it does but have to be careful with pineapple, if you leave the meat in there too long the enzymes of the pineapple break down the meat too much and gives almost a mushy texture
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
Velveting is adding the corn starch gravy. The bi carb soda is just tenderising.
Bicarbonate of soda = baking soda = sodium bicarbonate.
I do admire you, Andy. I’m glad you’ve built this channel to what it is. I’ve learned from you.
It's about damn time an Australian explained to us how to make Chinese food
Wash your mouth out! He’s kiwi!
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?
"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 *
😂
My entire childhood I thought the chicken was 'different' because it was cat. Finally, the truth!
They are eating the cats!
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...?
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.
Thank you so much for this info. I will do this from now on! My wife loves beef chow mein.
Love your videos boss, they're so easy to follow.
This is a true game changer!!! I used it for my chicken breasts I was making into fried chicken strips and they were SO juicy and flavorful! I plan to rest my meat like this every time!
@@johnnysilverfoot i mean... its known thing in Asian cuisine, doesn't take much to make your meat more tender compared to basic marinade, especially if you gonna add sauce on the meat for extra flavours.
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
I think Andy really has a soft spot for Asian food. I understand cause the stuff is great❤
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!
Bro can probably go 10 miles with that can of sesame oil.
I was thinking the same thing
Wow ..... this guy mastered his art so cool Andy
This also works when cooking dry beans, it also takes away some of the gasiness.
Thr gass is the best part of eating beans 😅
Uncle Roger approved right after see you pour the sesame oil direct from the factory container 😂
Is that a TSP or Tblsp your using, great tip Thanks.
Thank you Chef Andy for sharing your tips!!! Very helpful!!
I've found baking powder and corn flour works better,just bicarb can give the meat a strong off smell
I love your recipes! Us British (I’m British-American), make great chefs. You are a stand out,
Now that's a seasoned wok!❤
He's got that wok hay
@@JackgarPrime hiiiya
“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
I did this today and oh man it came out sooo good. Thanks chef!
Thank you so much for that awesome tip! I'm gonna use it the next time I pull something out of the freezer.
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 😅
Amazing advice, my first time hearing about that! Thank you
Thank you Chef Andy for another great informative video.
Thank You Andy . I see the need to own your book !
Love love love your vids. You make me want to have someone other than myself cook for me. Thanks!!!
did this exactly, didnt realize we were supposed to rinse off baking soda, chicken came out tasting awful
big thank you for the englsh subtitles
Question: when meal prepping and freezing raw is there any impact to quality thawing with the bicarbonate already on the meat? Thanks
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
Soy sauce and olive oil +seasoning is my go to marinade. Never thought to add baking soda, but that’s the plan going forward.
try peanut oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, canola oil; anything but olive oil with soy sauce, please
@@zephurylol6482 those are all worse oils
Good start Andy, good start. But you forgot to also add some oyster sauce and some MSG.
I'd also suggest to dissolve the bicarb soda (aka natron) in water and put the meat in it and let it soak for like 20min. Afterwards you should wash off the natron.
If you don't (or just add too much natron) you'll fart a lot and get stomach cramps.
Bicarb soda is baking soda for those who don't know
Thanks!
I love watching you use a spoon! Suddenly everyone seems to only be able to mix with their hands.
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.
You’re so amazing. Genius chéf. Thank you for great knowledge.
I would love more technical content like this as a fellow chef. My brigade love this channel.
Please give me more of these shorts. These are great to learn from.
I’ve tried this technique several times but my critic, i mean my husband can always taste the baking soda and can’t eat it? Can you soak the meat in the baking soda then rinse it off or do you need to leave it on the meat? Ty
Cheers for the awesome yet fast and simple tip. So many people would drag this out to an hour long video.
Do you rinse off the baking soda before cooking?
that wok is so gorgeous!
The last few times I tried this it tasted very bitter. Apparently I added too much baking soda. Any tips to find out how much baking soda is the right amount?
Doing this for tomorrow's supper. Thank you for new ideas!!!!
Dang, coulda used this last night hahaha. How much impact on flavour does the bicarb have? I've otherwise got my marinade down perfectly
What's the difference between using baking soda or cornstarch to velvet the meat?
What cuts of beef can i use for this? Seems like a great way to make cheaper beef easier to cook quickly
that's pretty interesting :D I should try making some stirfry at some point. I love it, but have never made it myself.
Do you wash the bicarbonate off and then cook ?
Will it work on the grill as well ???
Oh man i always just do the beef then take it off and add it at the end so it doesnt overcook ... But i can just velvet it? Actually never heard of this before. Love your work mate ❤
For Americans and Canadians, he's talking about baking soda... 😂😂😂
This is fascinating, but not quite the method that I was taught.
When you add the Carb Soda to tenderise the meat (break down the structural tissue fibres), you can also add a little water to make the meat more juicy after stir frying at high heat.
Recipe I use often.
400g x meat sliced thin (across the grain)
2 x teaspoons Carb. Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
2 x tablespoons Water
● Mix together, cover with Gladwrap & leave at room temp for about 15 minutes (FYI - Never leave meat in a tenderiser for too long as it can go putrid - especially using the Pineapple-based Bromelain Enzyme.)
● Rinse off Carb Soda residue & pat meat dry with paper towel. (Remember that Sodium Bicarbonate already is a Sodium salt, so you don't need to season the meat.)
● Add marinade (1 x tablespoon each of Cornflour, Ketjap Manis (+), Sweet Chilli Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Black Vinegar, Sesame Oil, 2 x Spring Onions (bias cut 5cm lengths), 4 cloves Garlic (sliced thin) & Ginger (3cm length sliced thin or microplaned)
● Remove from marinade (scraping off the excess on the side of the bowl).
● Get your wok properly HOT enough!
● Swirl a 1 Teaspoon each of Peanut & Sesame Oil into the wok (1 Teaspoon each is plenty in a well seasoned wok)
● Stir fry the meat in two batches & remove. Add sliced Onion, Carrots & Broccoli & fry for a couple of minutes & remove. (you can blanch the Broccoli in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water. Remove from water & drain excess.)
● Pour the marinade into the wok & cook for a minute until slightly reduced & thickened/glossy from the Cornflour. (I like it pretty thick, but you can add a little water, if you want.)
● Add meat & veg back into the wok, stir for a minute or two until it's all hot.
● Serve with Steamed Rice or Udon Noodles. (++) Alternately, you can add some (pre-warmed) Tteok-bokki or Hokkien Noodles to the wok when you add the meat & veg back to the sauce (though you may need to add a little water extra, as they're sponges).
(+) - The Ketjap Manis (Indonesian Soy Sauce) already has lots of sugar, so you really don't need much extra.
(++) - You can top the finished stir fry with whatever you want: Deep fried Shallots/Shrimp, a fried Egg, toasted nuts like Almonds/Peanuts/Cashews, Roasted Chickpeas/Edamame, Pickled Ginger, White/Black Sesame Seeds, etc.)
I always wanted to know how to do velveting, thanks!
Are you supposed to wash the baking soda off? I've seen some people say you have to
❤I love ur cooking ❤love you
I've always wanted to learn this. Thank you!
The head chef at one of the retirement homes I worked at actually taught me that. How freaking cool mate.
Tried this the other day. Worked BEAUTIFULLY.
Nice wok technique, good flip