Velveting is a Chinese technique of coating raw meat in a light cornflour and egg white marinade before cooking, keeping it tender and silky in stir-fries. Restaurants use it to stop lean cuts turning tough and dry over the high heat of a wok.
How to velvet meat
- Slice the meat thinly against the grain, then mix with a little egg white, cornflour and a splash of Shaoxing wine or water.
- Leave to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes before cooking.
- Briefly blanch in hot water or oil until just coloured, then finish in the wok with the rest of the stir-fry ingredients.
Does velveting work with vegetables?
Velveting is specifically a meat and seafood technique, since it works by protecting protein fibres with a coating of egg white and cornflour before brief cooking. Vegetables do not benefit from it in the same way, though a light cornflour coating before stir-frying can help some vegetables hold a glossy sauce better, which is a related but different technique.
Bicarbonate of soda vs egg white velveting
There are two related techniques often both called velveting. A short soak in a bicarbonate of soda solution tenderises tougher cuts by breaking down surface proteins, commonly used for budget beef. The egg white and cornflour coating described here is the gentler, more common home method, protecting the meat’s surface during cooking rather than chemically tenderising it, and the two can be combined for very tough cuts.
Blanching vs oil-blanching the meat
Restaurants often oil-blanch velveted meat, passing it briefly through warm oil rather than water, which seals the coating with less risk of it washing off and adds a touch of richness. At home, blanching in hot water works nearly as well and is far less messy, making it the more practical choice for most kitchens.
What velveting does
Velveting is a Chinese technique that gives meat the soft, silky texture you get in restaurant stir fries. The meat is coated in a thin marinade, usually egg white, cornflour, a little oil and Shaoxing wine, then briefly cooked in water or oil before the stir fry. The coating protects the meat from the fierce heat of the wok, so it stays juicy rather than turning dry and stringy.
Cutting the meat
- Slice against the grain, so the fibres are short and the meat is tender.
- Aim for thin, even slices of about 3 to 5 mm.
- Chill the meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes first for neater slices.
- For beef, flank, skirt or rump work well. For chicken, breast benefits most, though thigh works too.
Dishes to try it in
- Cashew chicken and other mild chicken stir fries.
- Beef in black bean sauce.
- Beef and broccoli in oyster sauce.
- Sweet and sour chicken.
- Kung pao chicken.
FAQ
Does velveting work with beef as well as chicken?
Yes, it works with most lean cuts of beef, chicken, pork and prawns.
How long should I marinate the meat for?
Fifteen to thirty minutes is usually enough. Longer risks the texture turning slightly mushy.