Velveting

Velveting

Ingredients

• ½ lb meat, sliced ⅛-inch thick
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp egg white
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine or sake
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, stir together egg white, cornstarch, rice wine, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Add sliced meat, tossing to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Fill a wok with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat, then add oil. Add meat, stirring with chopsticks or a strainer to separate the pieces, and cook until meat is opaque and nearly cooked through, about 40 seconds. Drain into a colander and shake well to remove excess water.

Semi-Velveting

Ingredients

• ½ lb meat, sliced ⅛-inch thick
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine or sake
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda

Instructions

• Toss the meat in the cornstarch batter, but skip the oil- or water-based blanching step entirely. Just mix, refrigerate for 15-30 minutes, and cook. It provides some of the benefit, but nothing like the silken, soft texture that true velveting can achieve.