Velveting: The Key to Successful Stir-Fry at Home
Have you ever prepared a stir-fry meal at home and been disappointed with the results?
Why doesn’t the chicken, beef or pork taste like it does in Asian restaurants?
The reason is an old technique known as velveting. This process seals in the moistness of the meat prior to cooking so that the result is a softened, silky, velvet-like texture.
Though there are many variations, velveting usually consists of marinating the meat in the following ingredients: egg whites, cornstarch, Mirin (sweet rice wine) or sherry, salt and sugar. Some cooks also add a splash of soy sauce and minced garlic for additional flavor.
Velveting
(for 1lb. of meat or poultry)
1 egg white
Dash salt
1 tbsp. Mirin or sherry
Pinch of sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sesame oil
Mix ingredients together. Add meat or poultry cut in bite-size pieces. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature. Drain meat in colander.
From this point, the meat can be directly stir-fried with other ingredients.
For meat to be browned and crispy, it should be first deep fried in hot oil in the bottom of a wok and set aside. The cornstarch does an uncanny job of making the meat crispy on the outside, yet still tender and juicy on the inside. After stir-frying the remaining items, the crispy meat can be added for a last stir ‘round in the wok.
Finish the dish with texture: toasted ground macadamia nuts, wasabi peas or grated carrot or radish.
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