Velveting beef

Hi r/AskCulinary,

I have a question about velveting beef. I am familiar with the technique in Chinese cooking, using baking soda and thin strips of meat, and the results are fantastic, just like in a restaurant.

I was making a beef stew last night, using chunks of meat roughly 1” x 1”. Despite 2.5 hours in a Dutch oven at 160C/325F, the meat was still not as tender as I would like it to be. Longer cooking time would be the traditional answer, but my work schedule means that it’s unrealistic for me to cook it much more than 2-2.5 hours.

My question is this: would velveting with baking soda achieve the same tenderising effect as it does with thinly-sliced meat as it does in traditional Chinese cooking? Or would the thickness of the meat prevent it from penetrating and having the desired effect?

(I know a pressure cooker is the other alternative, but I can’t seem to get the timing on that right, either — it’s either tough-as-nails (undercooked) or dry (overcooked).

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