Tender Chinese beef stir-fry uses the restaurant velveting trick: slice lean beef across the grain, mix it with just under 1 tsp baking soda, ice water, salt, sugar, egg white and 2 tbsp cornstarch, rest 15 minutes, then stir-fry over high heat with onion, bell pepper and a glossy sriracha-soy-garlic glaze. Piled over crisp puffed rice noodles, the beef comes out silky, juicy and glistening in about 35 minutes. Serves 4.
Instructions
- 1
Slice the beef thinly across the grain into even pieces about 1 cm thick so they cook at the same rate.
- 2
Add just under 1 tsp baking soda and a splash of ice water; mix until the beef feels tacky, not watery.
- 3
Mix in 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
- 4
Add the egg white and 2 tbsp cornstarch; mix until every slice is evenly coated — this is the velveting layer.
- 5
Cover and rest 15 minutes while you make the sauce.
15:00 - 6
Stir together the sriracha, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, minced garlic, 2 tbsp oil, 4 tbsp soy sauce and chili flakes until smooth.
- 7
Toss the rested beef with 2 tbsp oil and heat a pan until very hot.
- 8
Lay the beef in a single layer with space between pieces; sear a few minutes per side until just crusted, then pull it out early.
- 9
In the same pan add a little oil, then the onion and bell pepper; stir-fry over high heat until the edges soften but keep some bite.
- 10
Return the beef, pour the sauce over, and toss until it bubbles into a glossy glaze.
- 11
Optional: drop a small bundle of dried rice noodles into hot oil — they puff in seconds; lift out and drain.
- 12
Pile the noodles on a plate and top with the beef, vegetables and sauce. Serve hot.
Watch the video
Notes from our kitchen
We velvet the beef the way Chinese restaurants do, and the resting step matters: once the egg white and cornstarch go on, the meat needs its full 15 minutes for the baking soda to loosen the fibres. Slicing across the grain into even 1 cm (½ in) pieces keeps every slice cooking at the same rate. In the pan we watch for a light crust on each side, then pull the beef out early; the sauce finishes it later.
The gotcha is crowding. Lay the slices in a single layer with space between them. Pile them in and they steam in their own juices instead of searing, and the silky coating turns gummy.
Variations
- Milder glaze. Swap the sriracha for 1 tbsp oyster sauce and skip the chili flakes. The glaze stays just as glossy but loses the heat, which suits anyone who finds sriracha too sharp.
- Different vegetables. Broccoli florets or snap peas work well in place of the bell pepper. Give broccoli a minute longer in the pan so the edges soften but the stems keep some bite.
- Freeze half for a second dinner. The marinade handles the full 600 g, so velvet the whole batch and freeze half once coated. Thaw, toss with a little oil, and it stir-fries straight away.
- Serve over steamed rice. Skip the puffed noodles and spoon the beef and vegetables over plain steamed rice instead. The glaze carries enough salt to season the rice, so go easy on extra soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does baking soda make beef so tender?
Baking soda raises the surface pH of the meat, which stops the proteins bonding tightly as they cook, so the fibres stay loose and the beef turns silky. Use just under 1 tsp for 600 g, mix it in well, and don’t overdo it or the beef can taste soapy.
What is velveting?
Velveting is the Chinese restaurant technique of coating sliced meat in egg white, cornstarch and a little baking soda before cooking. That thin layer shields the beef from direct heat so it cooks gently, staying juicy inside while the outside turns glossy rather than dry.
Can I make the beef ahead or freeze it?
Yes — this marinade makes enough for two meals. After velveting, bag half the beef and freeze it; it’s already tenderized and seasoned. Next time just thaw, toss with a little oil and stir-fry straight away for tender beef in minutes.
What cut of beef works best?
Even cheap, lean cuts work — this method is built for low-fat, lightly-marbled beef like flank, sirloin tip or topside. The key is slicing thinly across the grain (about 1 cm) so the fibres are short and every bite is tender.