The fact that you used egg white and included why in the video is actually so important to me. Like “oh yeah, my daughter and I did this so we’re out of baking soda” instead of just running out to get it for the sake of the video. This is such a small but important detail because you’re showing versatility and using what you had which is an issue people cooking at home are going to run into.
@@StonedCrackerofHell The anecdote is what makes Kenji's channel so special. It's not a pristine studio environment; more like hanging out with a friend while they cook.
For anyone who might be wondering, the "light soy sauce" Kenji used is not a specialty product of any kind, it's just "regular" soy sauce. In China they also have dark soy sauce which is a completely different thing, so Chinese recipes differentiate between light and dark soy sauce.
Isn't dark soy sauce common in the US? I'm in the UK and pretty much any supermarket will have both, and it's pretty typical for recipes to say which you should use - dark is used for colour and it also has a deeper flavour, light's... light in colour and is usually saltier
@@cactustactics Most Americans aren't going to bother keeping two different types of soy sauce in the house. They'll buy a bottle of normal Kikkoman and use it for everything.
@@Default78334 Dark soy sauce is actually so useful. If you've ever cooked something and thought "this colour doesn't look very appetizing..." add a dash of dark soy and it'll fix it right up.
@@Default78334 that’s true but Chinese light and Japanese have different flavor profiles, the former being more savory to my tastebuds - generally my default but there are definitely instances when Japanese soy sauce works better
Oh my goodness, Adam Liaw is another one of my favorite food content creators, you both are huge inspirations for young cooks like myself. Huge ups 🙏🙏🙏
Adam is one of the few English language RUclips chefs that gets Chinese cooking right. Kenji refers to Chinese cooking demystified regularly and lately I’ve been watching Made With Lau for Cantonese style cooking. ruclips.net/video/CBobkCtVtKU/видео.html is a Chinese channel worth a watch with subtitles if you don’t understand Mandarin too. Best dumpling filling I’ve ever made and with great instructions and explanations of techniques.
I’ve totally been doing this since I saw Wang Gang doing it too. Also Made with Lau. To be honest when I saw Wang doing it I thought maybe he had to do it because his beef had some sort of off flavor but then Lau explained it in more detail. I’ve been doing it exactly as you showed ever since and it’s a night and day difference.
I used this as a template for a beef stroganoff marinade - 1 lb top sirloin with soy, fish & worcestershire sauces, salt, betterthanbouillon beef base, chardonnay, baking soda, cornstarch, avocado oil and a little bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. Turned out amazing
Hey, seriously, thank you for this. I've been doing a whole lot of stir frying since you are zucchini beef stir fry you did a year or two back. Changed my kitchen game. But I still didn't know about washing and drying your beef before you applied the marinades. I guess I'm just going to have to buy your book lol
So good to have you back! I will never understand exactly how you have accumulated so much knowledge to be able to write to super long books and endless RUclips videos but I really appreciate it. Can't wait for the new book! Bought an outdoor wok burner to get ready for it!
Adam Liaw is one of my favourite chefs, watching him win one of the early seasons of MasterChef Australia was so great to see an Asian face and Asian flavours be so highly recognised in Australian media.
Great timing! I just spent a day down the extensive-washing-of-shrimp rabbit hole. When and why is extensive washing and/or brining used for shrimp? What is the best approach for shell-on, and, cut and deveined shrimp? Adam Liaw, Lucas Sin, Ming Tsai & his mom, Alton Brown, Grace Young, Ken Hom, Irene Kuo, Chinese Cooking Demystified, Cooks Illustrated, Mark Bittman (at CI in 1994), all specify washing(s) or soaking(s) in fresh or salted water for some recipes. Some add baking soda or egg whites too. Wang Gang doesn’t soak or even salt before cooking in the few shrimp (shell-on) dishes he has demonstrated. Dry brining a la Serious Eats doesn’t wash away the shrimp liquid or slime that Adam and Lucas mention. Extensive washing/salting is used in recipes for “Crystal Shrimp” or “Glass Shrimp”.
I just said this to my husband but, for me, you are (emotionally) the Bob Ross of cooking. (You are obviously at another level of technical accomplishment...) However, your manner is so calming and supportive. Everyone needs that right now. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. We love stir fry. You can use your yolk to make a very lovely hair wash. It's how I like to wash my hair! Mix the yolk with 1 tsp honey and the juice of half a lemon, blend well. Work into wet hair, let sit while you soap up your body, then rinse. I like to use apple cider vinegar hair rinse as well. 2 Tbs ACV to 1 pint water. If my hair is really dirty i start that washing process with 1 Tb baking soda mixed in a pint of water. Work into wet hair, rinse, then use the egg mixture, and follow up with vinegar rinse.
Oh phew(!), glad to get confirmation on washing the meat. I have prepared my stir fry meat the same way except for omitting the baking soda and egg white. Picked the idea up in Chinese cooking book put out by a local chef (my wife and I loved eating at her restaurant). Still, I wondered if someone would think I was being OCD about contaminated beef. I like to use garlic and a touch of sugar or Mirin in my marinade. I’ll cook the beef with green beans or broccoli, and sometimes julienned carrots. Very tasty and satisfying! Thanks for the video.
Many thanks for the explanations included in this video. I have a fair number of'cokbooks' which are in reality recipe lists. It is far more important to know why you use a particular ingredient or technique as that increases knowledge which leads to understanding. This is what I try to get out of my cooking all the time, a better understanding of what makes food taste and look better so that my guests have a more enjoyable experience.
Just did this with chicken based on a (I think) serious eats article but didn’t know about the washing step. It was to try out a new carbon steel wok I bought based on yours and Ethan Cheblowski recommendation’s! Great video and keep up it with educating and inspiring people like me!
Great timing, was just getting ready to prep stir fry for tonight and saw this. Thanks for all the youtube conent Kenji! Looking forward to the release of your new book.
How much of the increased tenderness can be attributed to massaging the beef in water vs in the marinade (or just massaging it dry)? What test was done to isolate that the rough massaging of the meat wasn't the primary factor in making it more tender? such as doing a side by side of roughly massaging vs massaging in water? Maybe the meat can act as a sponge and as you squeeze the beef, the fibers push and pull water in and out. The force on the "sponge," since water is incompressible, moves fibers apart as the water tries to find the path out.
Great comment. I'm also curious why we'd use water when the USDA says this isn't recommended and just spreads bacteria. I like the dry rub idea though.
Basic marinade after slicing & rinsing flank, skirt or flat iron steak - also works for chicken 1tsp per pound light soy sauce 1/2tsp salt per pound Rice wine or sherry 1tsp per pound 1/4tsp baking soda per pound (or egg white) Little Cornstarch Massage into meat with hands - be rough Add little oil at the end Sit couple hours or overnight in fridge
I could also add that I tend to make my marinade a little too salty, sweet and sour at the same time (I guess umami'e comes with soy sauce). Sometimes I will use wine, sometimes I will use lemon / lime juice for sourness. I had ~200g of steak beef in the fridge, it came out completely tender even after only hour of sitting. I guess it would be even better after longer time.
I've learned so much the last few weeks of Kenji's furious uploads. I made the best beef stew of my life where the beef wasn't tough and dried out. Now I'll try stir fried beef again which I gave up a long time ago. I'd love to see how to make char siu pork. I tried so many different ways but the pork was either dry, chewy, or really really greasy and fatty.
I am a decades-long vegan but watched this in a flash, every Kenji video is a barrage of educational insights. I don't care that I'll never prepare meat, I now know that hard water is alkaline so probably helps soften foods more than soft water!
@@alexkeegan5933 The comment could've been "Great video, very educational because I didn't know hard water with more alkaline helps soften foods". Stating you're a vegan wasn't that relevant.
@@alexkeegan5933 Next time you comment don't feel the need to interject that you're a vegan and people won't even think twice about it. As the man above said, the meme came to life.
Person that grew up in Hong Kong here: in addition to washing the beef and marination as Kenji has made here I recommend also adding water to the marinade in the beef - about 1tbsp per 100g. The actual purpose of washing beef for stir fry is to get rid of gaminess and myoglobin - but also serves the purpose of allowing more marinade into the beef as Kenji has described. For a cleaner yet juicier flavour, add fresh water to the beef marinade and it will also come out juicier while also working with the cornstarch to insulate and slow down the rate at which the beef looses moisture. In Cantonese cooking you typically add water two-three times and vigorously mix it into the beef between each addition till the bottom of the bowl is dry (see 3:45 in ruclips.net/video/kCsfejHAo98/видео.html). It's also done with things like porkchop (watch made with lau do it in this recipe ruclips.net/video/IjO33JveQro/видео.html)This is done prior to adding flavoured sauces, starch and tenderisers - though the order doesn't make a difference
Yup! This is exactly how my family marinades any meat for stirfry…also adding sugar and black pepper too. And water too, but no baking soda, because parents say it’s too excessive to use baking soda in home cooking every day, health-wise. Also this is why Cantonese homes have a triple container of salt, sugar, and corn starch.
I just used this method tonight for my steak nachos. The meat turned out really tender and flavorful. It will be a go-to technique in the future. Thanks!
Your dog's shaking their head a lot (bonus background soundtrack) - may want to check their ears. Oh, and great video as always. Just saw the meat washing tip on Made with Lau and having your explanation and emphasis is super.
Another question is about raising pH (more alkaline) versus lowering it (more acidic). For braising beef, we like to add acid, but for veletizing we want more basic. Is that because veletizing is working on meat fibres but braising is working more on collagen tissue?
Hi there! I love to take inspiration from your channel when cooking, but your video got me curious: I've seen a ton of recipes that call for rice vinegar, lemon or other acids in the marinade. How does this relate to adding alkaline chemicals to the marinade? What is the impact on the texture of the meat? I assume that if it's purely the pH, you could add some acids and balance them out with a pinch of baking soda?
Not gonna lie, i've started watching your videos recently, and they're amazing, but hearing the "guys gals and nb pals" at the end had me in tears, ive been smiling like an idiot for like 10 min now. Love what youre doing, keep up the amazing work, you rock.
and its the non binary nonsense shite that made me stop watching. He ruined a great video with that shite. Theres male and female PERIOD not this other shite.
In other recipes for velvetizing beef they suggest rinsing it after marinading it, to take away the baking soda flavour, but I think your process does not plan to do that. Can you share the rationale? Does the wine and other additions negate that concern, vs baking soda alone? Also curious about the wetness and ability to brown the meat vs steam. Would it be worth dabbing dry with paper towel after washing, before adding marinade ingredients?
I love your videos and, as a huge fan of Wang Gang, I also love when you give him a shoutout. That said, would it be possible if you gave it the best effort to pronounce his name closest to the proper pronunciation? That is, both "Wang" and "Gang" spoken with a "long/gong" sound at the end instead of an "Aang" (of Avatar renown) sound. It's not super important, but a best effort at pronunciation is always greatly appreciated! All's said and done, your videos are always a huge pleasure to watch, and I love how you credit other chefs for certain ideas. Thank you for the great content!
Amazing video as always! At any time in the future can you give us a kitchen tour (the "why" motivating your setup) and how you take care of your cutting board that you keep on the counter? Cheers!
I first heard you on our local public radio station many years ago and you've been my favorite "cooking personality" since. I learn something new every time you speak and you just radiate good vibes. Oh and I absolutely love your dogs!
it's nice that you can tell this was recorded a lil bit ago because you were having your halloween leftovers recently - i'm glad that you're still taking some time away from youtube for your new family member. I hope you're well, kenji - and we hope to see you back properly whenever you're ready for it :)
So I didn't really think it would change much but with the wok book in hands I thought. Might as well try it with a cheap piece of steak I had and it ended up being so very very tender it was mind-blowing how much of a difference it did.
I love the fixed position overhead cam among your pots and pans! TBH when you switch to the head mount cam, I have to turn away otherwise I feel motion sick. Thanks!
Shout out to Chef Wang! I'm so glad you gave him a plug, he's a great chef and I've been following him for years! He's a great instructional chef for Chinese cooking!
2:50 - washes hands. 3:20 - washes hands. I got something in common with Kenji! Always feels like that's half my time in the kitchen. Edit: wait, leftover Halloween pumpkin in January? Puking pumpkin indeed
thank you for always sharing your knowledge. I went to culinary school, and you remind me a lot of the chef I actually really enjoyed working with and learning under.
omg someone finally explained the muscle fibers cutting against the grain properly. everytime i ask people they just make it up on the spot "see like this"
Finally at 7:24 or so you address the baking soda, and than you didn’t. Velveting. You glossed right to the verge of Chinese technique for making tough cuts soft and sailed just past. I’m curious why, though I guess it’s because the marinade topic being the thing, it’s still essentially the same with the marinade being the catalyst instead. Hope I worded that right. Love your videos. You and Adam and Nick (sip and feast) have far better content than nearly anyone else. Not completely, but certainly the ones I refer to first for edutainment!
Appreciate the explanation (and the shoutout to Adam Liaw- he’s great!). One question that puzzles me: what function does the shaoxing wine perform? Is it purely for flavor or does the alcohol also have an effect on the meat’s tenderness?
I wonder if the washing has anything to do with myosin. Kind of like overworking hamburger meat will make it tough and rubbery because of the release of myosin. However, in this case you're rinsing off all that tacky myosin, leaving less myosin in the meat.
Great video. Thanks kenji. Quick question, have you tried adding regular soda such as sprite/coke to the marinate to tenderize your meat before? That's what my family does for stir fry.
This is the stuff you learn after 30 years in the same restaurant from some dude who did nothing else his entire working life. You sir are a scholar and a curator of Culinary secrets reserved for the pros.
What's Jamon doing in the background? Did he take a swim or something, shaking off the excess water? (2:18, 3:03, 3:22, 3:36, 3:52, 4:03, 4:18, 4:27, 4:36, 4:51, 5:03 ...) Is he alright? Hope it's not an ear infection.
I see two steps here - 1, rinsing the meat in cold water, and 2, squeezing the heck out of it a few times. Did you look at isolating those factors from each other? Aka, run 1 batch under water then massage and squeeze, run another w/ just a massage and squeeze?
What's the trade-off between washing meat for tenderness vs. potential cross-contamination washing the meat? Do you only wash meat for stir-fry purposes to tenderize the meat?
Chef Wang Gang is fire but i honestly never thought of washing the meat. I always assumed for no good reason it was a chinese cultural thing about getting rid of blood. Will absolutely try it.
Ok, so I tried this with chicken breast sliced for a stir fry, washed, marinated with baking soda etc. not for that long, and it was super tender! +1 would recommend
I'm wondering if you could do this technique before adding an acidic marinade like a yogurt based marinade or if the acidity would "un-do" the tenderization done by the alkalinity.
What if you just roughly handle the meat strips, and squeeze out some of the juices, instead of soaking with water? That seems like it would accomplish the same goals (allowing the meat to soak up the marinade, and tenderizing the meat) without replacing the meat juices with excess water.
Hi Kenji, I applied this technique to chicken breast and it came super tender and juicy! I was wondering, is it possible to apply this technique to large amount of meat and then freeze some of it for later use? Or should i wash off the baking soda before freezing? Thank you!!
As a Westerner who has been told many times washing meat is unnecessary and in a worst case scenario pretty dangerous, this felt very incredibly awkward to watch. But I trust your research and I'm definitely trying this for my next beef stir fry!
@@ThePositron2 Doesn't matter why you do it though, it's the same results. There is quite a risk in washing meat (especially chicken) due to spreading of dangerous pathogens (i.e campylobacter and salmonella) that I don't think it is good advice.
Question ... do you wash for the marinating process or do you wash all your meat? There was such a heated discussion on washing chicken breast, and chicken thighs, and whole chickens... What do you do in your home kitchen?
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The fact that you used egg white and included why in the video is actually so important to me. Like “oh yeah, my daughter and I did this so we’re out of baking soda” instead of just running out to get it for the sake of the video. This is such a small but important detail because you’re showing versatility and using what you had which is an issue people cooking at home are going to run into.
well said, being able to improvise is such an important cooking skill
Didn’t need the whole story about his daughter but yea it’s nice to know why.
@@StonedCrackerofHell I liked the story. I'm sure the kids are entertained by a barfing pumpkin.
@@StonedCrackerofHell The anecdote is what makes Kenji's channel so special. It's not a pristine studio environment; more like hanging out with a friend while they cook.
@@photodidact9513 So when you hangout with your friends they like to bitch about gordan ramsay? lol
Really appreciate you shouting out other chefs and the insights they have to offer!
ruclips.net/video/nbxQ4vMsMwg/видео.html
Finally
For anyone who might be wondering, the "light soy sauce" Kenji used is not a specialty product of any kind, it's just "regular" soy sauce. In China they also have dark soy sauce which is a completely different thing, so Chinese recipes differentiate between light and dark soy sauce.
Also important to note that it's not Kikkoman "lite" soy, which is low sodium. This is Chinese light soy, probably Pearl River Bridge.
Isn't dark soy sauce common in the US? I'm in the UK and pretty much any supermarket will have both, and it's pretty typical for recipes to say which you should use - dark is used for colour and it also has a deeper flavour, light's... light in colour and is usually saltier
@@cactustactics Most Americans aren't going to bother keeping two different types of soy sauce in the house. They'll buy a bottle of normal Kikkoman and use it for everything.
@@Default78334 Dark soy sauce is actually so useful. If you've ever cooked something and thought "this colour doesn't look very appetizing..." add a dash of dark soy and it'll fix it right up.
@@Default78334 that’s true but Chinese light and Japanese have different flavor profiles, the former being more savory to my tastebuds - generally my default but there are definitely instances when Japanese soy sauce works better
Oh my goodness, Adam Liaw is another one of my favorite food content creators, you both are huge inspirations for young cooks like myself. Huge ups 🙏🙏🙏
My cousin's wife has Adam's phone number so I'm 4 degrees of separation from Kenji 😁
Adam is one of the few English language RUclips chefs that gets Chinese cooking right. Kenji refers to Chinese cooking demystified regularly and lately I’ve been watching Made With Lau for Cantonese style cooking. ruclips.net/video/CBobkCtVtKU/видео.html is a Chinese channel worth a watch with subtitles if you don’t understand Mandarin too. Best dumpling filling I’ve ever made and with great instructions and explanations of techniques.
I just subscribed to his channel but he didn’t upload since almost a year
@@zphdbbox Made with Lau is my new addiction. Such a nice family, and the recipes are amazing and easy to follow!
@@JohnHausser I've seen a lot of trailers for new shoes he is doing, so he may have been busy doing that.
Was pleased to hear you mention Adam Liaw, both of you are chefs whose teaching (and overall vibe really) I hold in high regard
I’ve totally been doing this since I saw Wang Gang doing it too. Also Made with Lau. To be honest when I saw Wang doing it I thought maybe he had to do it because his beef had some sort of off flavor but then Lau explained it in more detail. I’ve been doing it exactly as you showed ever since and it’s a night and day difference.
Does washing provide similar benefits with other meats, e.g. pork?
I used this as a template for a beef stroganoff marinade - 1 lb top sirloin with soy, fish & worcestershire sauces, salt, betterthanbouillon beef base, chardonnay, baking soda, cornstarch, avocado oil and a little bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. Turned out amazing
Chef Wang has to be one of the most knowable cooks I know. His channel is amazing just turn the english subs, you won't regret it.
Hey, seriously, thank you for this.
I've been doing a whole lot of stir frying since you are zucchini beef stir fry you did a year or two back. Changed my kitchen game. But I still didn't know about washing and drying your beef before you applied the marinades.
I guess I'm just going to have to buy your book lol
Thanks Kenji! I tried this method today with some skirt steak in a stir fry, and it was the most tender beef I've ever made in my life.
I can watch Kenji talk about any kind of meat all day!
So good to have you back! I will never understand exactly how you have accumulated so much knowledge to be able to write to super long books and endless RUclips videos but I really appreciate it. Can't wait for the new book! Bought an outdoor wok burner to get ready for it!
Adam Liaw is one of my favourite chefs, watching him win one of the early seasons of MasterChef Australia was so great to see an Asian face and Asian flavours be so highly recognised in Australian media.
Great timing! I just spent a day down the extensive-washing-of-shrimp rabbit hole. When and why is extensive washing and/or brining used for shrimp? What is the best approach for shell-on, and, cut and deveined shrimp?
Adam Liaw, Lucas Sin, Ming Tsai & his mom, Alton Brown, Grace Young, Ken Hom, Irene Kuo, Chinese Cooking Demystified, Cooks Illustrated, Mark Bittman (at CI in 1994), all specify washing(s) or soaking(s) in fresh or salted water for some recipes. Some add baking soda or egg whites too. Wang Gang doesn’t soak or even salt before cooking in the few shrimp (shell-on) dishes he has demonstrated. Dry brining a la Serious Eats doesn’t wash away the shrimp liquid or slime that Adam and Lucas mention. Extensive washing/salting is used in recipes for “Crystal Shrimp” or “Glass Shrimp”.
I just said this to my husband but, for me, you are (emotionally) the Bob Ross of cooking. (You are obviously at another level of technical accomplishment...) However, your manner is so calming and supportive. Everyone needs that right now. Thank you!
Such a direct, informative no bullshit video. I appreciate that there are no pseudo-artistic bla, bla, blas.
Thank you for sharing.
We love stir fry. You can use your yolk to make a very lovely hair wash. It's how I like to wash my hair! Mix the yolk with 1 tsp honey and the juice of half a lemon, blend well. Work into wet hair, let sit while you soap up your body, then rinse. I like to use apple cider vinegar hair rinse as well. 2 Tbs ACV to 1 pint water. If my hair is really dirty i start that washing process with 1 Tb baking soda mixed in a pint of water. Work into wet hair, rinse, then use the egg mixture, and follow up with vinegar rinse.
Oh phew(!), glad to get confirmation on washing the meat. I have prepared my stir fry meat the same way except for omitting the baking soda and egg white. Picked the idea up in Chinese cooking book put out by a local chef (my wife and I loved eating at her restaurant). Still, I wondered if someone would think I was being OCD about contaminated beef. I like to use garlic and a touch of sugar or Mirin in my marinade. I’ll cook the beef with green beans or broccoli, and sometimes julienned carrots. Very tasty and satisfying! Thanks for the video.
Many thanks for the explanations included in this video. I have a fair number of'cokbooks' which are in reality recipe lists. It is far more important to know why you use a particular ingredient or technique as that increases knowledge which leads to understanding. This is what I try to get out of my cooking all the time, a better understanding of what makes food taste and look better so that my guests have a more enjoyable experience.
Just did this with chicken based on a (I think) serious eats article but didn’t know about the washing step.
It was to try out a new carbon steel wok I bought based on yours and Ethan Cheblowski recommendation’s!
Great video and keep up it with educating and inspiring people like me!
Love the shout out to Chef Wang. He is awesome! Thanks Kenji! Your future and present self are both amazing! ☺️
Absolutely the best way to learn how to cook if you're a complete beginner. You walk us through the whole process from your point of view. So good!
Love the dog wagging his tail under the table/block while you work. Omoshiroi!!
Still the best cooking show on my phone! I love the science behind the cooking as much as the cooking itself.
Great timing, was just getting ready to prep stir fry for tonight and saw this. Thanks for all the youtube conent Kenji! Looking forward to the release of your new book.
How much of the increased tenderness can be attributed to massaging the beef in water vs in the marinade (or just massaging it dry)? What test was done to isolate that the rough massaging of the meat wasn't the primary factor in making it more tender? such as doing a side by side of roughly massaging vs massaging in water? Maybe the meat can act as a sponge and as you squeeze the beef, the fibers push and pull water in and out. The force on the "sponge," since water is incompressible, moves fibers apart as the water tries to find the path out.
Bump!
Great comment. I'm also curious why we'd use water when the USDA says this isn't recommended and just spreads bacteria. I like the dry rub idea though.
Basic marinade after slicing & rinsing flank, skirt or flat iron steak - also works for chicken
1tsp per pound light soy sauce
1/2tsp salt per pound
Rice wine or sherry 1tsp per pound
1/4tsp baking soda per pound (or egg white)
Little Cornstarch
Massage into meat with hands - be rough
Add little oil at the end
Sit couple hours or overnight in fridge
I could also add that I tend to make my marinade a little too salty, sweet and sour at the same time (I guess umami'e comes with soy sauce). Sometimes I will use wine, sometimes I will use lemon / lime juice for sourness.
I had ~200g of steak beef in the fridge, it came out completely tender even after only hour of sitting. I guess it would be even better after longer time.
I've learned so much the last few weeks of Kenji's furious uploads. I made the best beef stew of my life where the beef wasn't tough and dried out. Now I'll try stir fried beef again which I gave up a long time ago. I'd love to see how to make char siu pork. I tried so many different ways but the pork was either dry, chewy, or really really greasy and fatty.
Check out Mikey Chen or Made With Lau's recipe videos! Tried them both and they came out pretty darn good.
Thanks for this Kenji
Cheers from Montreal 🇨🇦
at 1:47 you reference a channel, and say you'll put in description! i dont see it, just thought i'd mention
Chef Wang Gang:
ruclips.net/channel/UCg0m_Ah8P_MQbnn77-vYnYw
I am a decades-long vegan but watched this in a flash, every Kenji video is a barrage of educational insights. I don't care that I'll never prepare meat, I now know that hard water is alkaline so probably helps soften foods more than soft water!
Really making that joke about how you'll know someone's a vegan because they'll go out of their way to tell you come to life.
@@CIARUNSITE I mean I feel it was fairly relevant to my point, I'm not judging anyone who chooses to eat meat, far from it!
@@alexkeegan5933 The comment could've been "Great video, very educational because I didn't know hard water with more alkaline helps soften foods". Stating you're a vegan wasn't that relevant.
Wow thanks for the advice, next time I write a comment on youtube I'll be sure to get you to draft it for me first!
@@alexkeegan5933 Next time you comment don't feel the need to interject that you're a vegan and people won't even think twice about it. As the man above said, the meme came to life.
Person that grew up in Hong Kong here: in addition to washing the beef and marination as Kenji has made here I recommend also adding water to the marinade in the beef - about 1tbsp per 100g. The actual purpose of washing beef for stir fry is to get rid of gaminess and myoglobin - but also serves the purpose of allowing more marinade into the beef as Kenji has described. For a cleaner yet juicier flavour, add fresh water to the beef marinade and it will also come out juicier while also working with the cornstarch to insulate and slow down the rate at which the beef looses moisture. In Cantonese cooking you typically add water two-three times and vigorously mix it into the beef between each addition till the bottom of the bowl is dry (see 3:45 in ruclips.net/video/kCsfejHAo98/видео.html). It's also done with things like porkchop (watch made with lau do it in this recipe ruclips.net/video/IjO33JveQro/видео.html)This is done prior to adding flavoured sauces, starch and tenderisers - though the order doesn't make a difference
Yup! This is exactly how my family marinades any meat for stirfry…also adding sugar and black pepper too. And water too, but no baking soda, because parents say it’s too excessive to use baking soda in home cooking every day, health-wise. Also this is why Cantonese homes have a triple container of salt, sugar, and corn starch.
I didn't know baking soda had adverse effects
@@bartsimp there is no evidence it does in the quantities we use for cooking, this is probably just superstition.
Jamon's paw at the bottom in the overhead shot. So cute!
I just used this method tonight for my steak nachos. The meat turned out really tender and flavorful. It will be a go-to technique in the future. Thanks!
The best cooking teacher on RUclips.
I've never heard anyone explain why there's often oil in a stir fry marinade so I appreciate that.
Your dog's shaking their head a lot (bonus background soundtrack) - may want to check their ears. Oh, and great video as always. Just saw the meat washing tip on Made with Lau and having your explanation and emphasis is super.
Another question is about raising pH (more alkaline) versus lowering it (more acidic). For braising beef, we like to add acid, but for veletizing we want more basic. Is that because veletizing is working on meat fibres but braising is working more on collagen tissue?
kenji, thank you so much for making these videos! it sounds like one of the pups might have an ear infection (shaking its head a lot)
That's what I was thinking. I hope he noticed it.
I'm happy to hear the Adam Liaw shoutout! Highly recommend his videos to everyone. I've learned a lot from him.
Absolutely loving the 3 little pup toes in the bottom of the frame in the first 20/30 seconds 😂🥰
Adam Liaw's channel is great. His videos are just so peaceful and relaxing
Hi there! I love to take inspiration from your channel when cooking, but your video got me curious: I've seen a ton of recipes that call for rice vinegar, lemon or other acids in the marinade. How does this relate to adding alkaline chemicals to the marinade? What is the impact on the texture of the meat? I assume that if it's purely the pH, you could add some acids and balance them out with a pinch of baking soda?
Not gonna lie, i've started watching your videos recently, and they're amazing, but hearing the "guys gals and nb pals" at the end had me in tears, ive been smiling like an idiot for like 10 min now. Love what youre doing, keep up the amazing work, you rock.
and its the non binary nonsense shite that made me stop watching. He ruined a great video with that shite. Theres male and female PERIOD not this other shite.
Recently got your book. I had no idea I had ordered a textbook on wok cooking. When it came, I told my wife it was a tome.
I can't wait for your book to come out. My wok is by far my favourite pandemic purchase
Just made beef & broccoli with this method last night, and HOLY BANANAS
Thanks Kenji. Very excited for your new book!
I first learned about the "meat washing" technique from _Made with Lau._ Awesome to see you promoting as well! (along with Adam Liaw and Wang Gang)
In other recipes for velvetizing beef they suggest rinsing it after marinading it, to take away the baking soda flavour, but I think your process does not plan to do that. Can you share the rationale? Does the wine and other additions negate that concern, vs baking soda alone?
Also curious about the wetness and ability to brown the meat vs steam. Would it be worth dabbing dry with paper towel after washing, before adding marinade ingredients?
I love your videos and, as a huge fan of Wang Gang, I also love when you give him a shoutout. That said, would it be possible if you gave it the best effort to pronounce his name closest to the proper pronunciation? That is, both "Wang" and "Gang" spoken with a "long/gong" sound at the end instead of an "Aang" (of Avatar renown) sound. It's not super important, but a best effort at pronunciation is always greatly appreciated!
All's said and done, your videos are always a huge pleasure to watch, and I love how you credit other chefs for certain ideas. Thank you for the great content!
Yes I will definitely try to remember next time!
Amazing video as always! At any time in the future can you give us a kitchen tour (the "why" motivating your setup) and how you take care of your cutting board that you keep on the counter? Cheers!
Kenji, your videos bring me such a huge degree of calm, and I always learn something. Thank you for keeping these up.
At last I learned the secret! I love beef stir fries but it was always too tough - definitely going to try this method! Thanks!!
Yeah, same here. I've wondered for decades how to get those tender strips of meat.
I first heard you on our local public radio station many years ago and you've been my favorite "cooking personality" since. I learn something new every time you speak and you just radiate good vibes. Oh and I absolutely love your dogs!
Would you do this with chicken too?
it's nice that you can tell this was recorded a lil bit ago because you were having your halloween leftovers recently - i'm glad that you're still taking some time away from youtube for your new family member. I hope you're well, kenji - and we hope to see you back properly whenever you're ready for it :)
So I didn't really think it would change much but with the wok book in hands I thought. Might as well try it with a cheap piece of steak I had and it ended up being so very very tender it was mind-blowing how much of a difference it did.
Amazing instructive videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge sir!
I love the fixed position overhead cam among your pots and pans! TBH when you switch to the head mount cam, I have to turn away otherwise I feel motion sick. Thanks!
Shout out to Chef Wang! I'm so glad you gave him a plug, he's a great chef and I've been following him for years! He's a great instructional chef for Chinese cooking!
Kenji I would love a video on how you sterilize wooden cutting boards after cutting meat on them.
So amazing Cook ❣️😻❣️❣️
Thanks for the new recipe
Good evening ☀️☀️☀️ here 🌄🌄 in Macau
1:53 I'm really interested to know what kettle that is and what the buttons do,.,.
@MrLegoblokje cool!
2:50 - washes hands.
3:20 - washes hands.
I got something in common with Kenji! Always feels like that's half my time in the kitchen.
Edit: wait, leftover Halloween pumpkin in January? Puking pumpkin indeed
Loved the information in this video. I will give this a try for sure. Thank you for sharing.
thank you for always sharing your knowledge. I went to culinary school, and you remind me a lot of the chef I actually really enjoyed working with and learning under.
Also making beef with broccoli tonight, I should have checked RUclips before I started the marinate lol. Great video as always Kenji!
Adam liaw is an absolute king, give him some love
I made chicken meatballs last night with gelatin, cornstarch and egg white and the stirring one way and they were juicy and bouncy(in a good way.)
omg someone finally explained the muscle fibers cutting against the grain properly. everytime i ask people they just make it up on the spot "see like this"
Finally at 7:24 or so you address the baking soda, and than you didn’t.
Velveting.
You glossed right to the verge of Chinese technique for making tough cuts soft and sailed just past.
I’m curious why, though I guess it’s because the marinade topic being the thing, it’s still essentially the same with the marinade being the catalyst instead.
Hope I worded that right.
Love your videos. You and Adam and Nick (sip and feast) have far better content than nearly anyone else. Not completely, but certainly the ones I refer to first for edutainment!
I’m not sure what you’re saying here.
Appreciate the explanation (and the shoutout to Adam Liaw- he’s great!). One question that puzzles me: what function does the shaoxing wine perform? Is it purely for flavor or does the alcohol also have an effect on the meat’s tenderness?
Flavor.
Flavor.
Flavor.
Flavor.
Flavor
I wonder if the washing has anything to do with myosin. Kind of like overworking hamburger meat will make it tough and rubbery because of the release of myosin. However, in this case you're rinsing off all that tacky myosin, leaving less myosin in the meat.
Great video. Thanks kenji. Quick question, have you tried adding regular soda such as sprite/coke to the marinate to tenderize your meat before? That's what my family does for stir fry.
KenjI, we need more videos from you!!!
Would the washing technique also apply to chicken and pork? Thank you for all the information you pass on in your videos!
Yes, he's shown the same technique with pork. I've seen him do a process called "velveting" to chicken.
This is the stuff you learn after 30 years in the same restaurant from some dude who did nothing else his entire working life. You sir are a scholar and a curator of Culinary secrets reserved for the pros.
Doggo keeps ringing the bell, but the butler is busy :D
What's Jamon doing in the background? Did he take a swim or something, shaking off the excess water? (2:18, 3:03, 3:22, 3:36, 3:52, 4:03, 4:18, 4:27, 4:36, 4:51, 5:03 ...)
Is he alright? Hope it's not an ear infection.
Yep, I’ve been doing this since I saw Chef Wang doing it. After cutting chicken there’s a lot of crud in the water.
Such a good video! Super helpful.
I see two steps here - 1, rinsing the meat in cold water, and 2, squeezing the heck out of it a few times. Did you look at isolating those factors from each other? Aka, run 1 batch under water then massage and squeeze, run another w/ just a massage and squeeze?
Yes.
That thumbnail is really trippy like some Stanley Kubrick. Thanks for another great video. Glad you’re back. :)
What's the trade-off between washing meat for tenderness vs. potential cross-contamination washing the meat? Do you only wash meat for stir-fry purposes to tenderize the meat?
The baking soda and corn starch elements, would those work for a bulgogi marinade?
Chef Wang Gang is fire but i honestly never thought of washing the meat. I always assumed for no good reason it was a chinese cultural thing about getting rid of blood. Will absolutely try it.
Ok, so I tried this with chicken breast sliced for a stir fry, washed, marinated with baking soda etc. not for that long, and it was super tender! +1 would recommend
bro u should not wash chicken
@@SynderNOfficial did you watch the video?
@@anthony_h2344 bro salmonella
5:30, what good.. mixing sounds like.
I'm wondering if you could do this technique before adding an acidic marinade like a yogurt based marinade or if the acidity would "un-do" the tenderization done by the alkalinity.
Again, I’ve learned something new. Thanks!
What if you just roughly handle the meat strips, and squeeze out some of the juices, instead of soaking with water? That seems like it would accomplish the same goals (allowing the meat to soak up the marinade, and tenderizing the meat) without replacing the meat juices with excess water.
Hi Kenji, I applied this technique to chicken breast and it came super tender and juicy! I was wondering, is it possible to apply this technique to large amount of meat and then freeze some of it for later use? Or should i wash off the baking soda before freezing? Thank you!!
You keep rocking. Thank you for the alchemy..
Can't wait for the cookbook, my wok is ready
As a Westerner who has been told many times washing meat is unnecessary and in a worst case scenario pretty dangerous, this felt very incredibly awkward to watch. But I trust your research and I'm definitely trying this for my next beef stir fry!
Beef doesn't have the same dangers as chicken when it comes to washing. Washing to "clean" the meat is pretty useless and risky.
I wash chicken for stir fries as well.
It's unnecessary and counterproductive to wash meat to try to clean it. In this specific scenario it is done for culinary reasons only.
@@ThePositron2 Yes, I got that, thanks for your explanation though!:)
@@ThePositron2 Doesn't matter why you do it though, it's the same results. There is quite a risk in washing meat (especially chicken) due to spreading of dangerous pathogens (i.e campylobacter and salmonella) that I don't think it is good advice.
Interesting… I’ve never thot of washing stir-fry meats. Excellent tips and knowledge as always! ✨🥩
Hey Kenji, awesome video as usual. Is this a beef specific process, or do you do the same washing for chicken/pork?
Pork yes. It’s not necessary for chicken.
This is crazy helpful! Any chance you could mention the wok brush and it's significance, and how to properly use it?
Question ... do you wash for the marinating process or do you wash all your meat?
There was such a heated discussion on washing chicken breast, and chicken thighs, and whole chickens...
What do you do in your home kitchen?