I really appreciate you showing the clean as you go process. Professionals always talk about the importance of this, but it's usually edited from cooking shows. The overwhelming mess I make while cooking, used to discourage me from using the kitchen. But, these quarantine vids have me feeling more organized and confident.
A bit late to the party but I agree as a professional chef. Been doing this job 20 years now and it is absolutely crucial to clean as you go. Keeping our stations clean is paramount not only for hygiene but also for a smoother and easier service.
for the love god, don't leave the sponges in the sink. drives me insane, people pour kinds of oily and dirty crap all over them and then clean with them. KEEP THEM DRY AND OUT OF THE DAMN SINK
Hey Kenji, chemist here! The baking soda does increase the pH which promotes the degradation of the peptide bonds in the muscle proteins. So basically, you’re chemically cleaving the meat fibers. When using tenderizers like pineapple or papaya this chemical cleavage is promoted by enzymes. You could call it “non bacterial rot” if you will. As someone who recently discovered this velveting technique and used it many times on chicken I’m 99% that that’s what’s going on here with the beef as well. I’m still not quite sure what the effect of starch is. So far my explanation is, that starch can penetrate the meat surface to a certain degree and help retain the moisture during the cooking process. I hope I could at least clear up the mystery about the soda. That said, I really appreciate your take on home cuisine and you bring a lot of value to beginners and experienced cooks alike with your content. Keep it up!
I'm a biochemist here - can you really break peptide bonds non-enzymatically at room temperature like that? As far as I was aware, those bonds are only able to be broken with boiling at very high temperatures, using a strong acid (or using enzymes like peptidases), As for the starch, it all depends on osmosis and whether it can penetrate the surface of the meat (which to my knowledge, it can't). I would maybe suggest it draws out moisture from the meat via osmosis but I don't think starch is actually very soluble, in cells it's normally present as granules
The main purpose of starch in moist stir fries is to promote adhesion. I.e. Sauce pickup. When the starch reaches a particular temperature (Around 60-95C depending on the starch) it gelatinizes, greatly increasing the viscosity of the liquid directly around it. Heat allows the water in the marinade as well as moisture expelled from the meat as the myofibrils contract to enter the amorphase regions of the starch thereby thickening directly around the pieces of meat. As the meat is continually seared moisture within the branches are depleted creating a semi-ridged to ridged film of amylose and amylopectin. Once the sauce base is added, additional water increases the randomness in the starch granule structure and the starch granules being to swell again creating the characteristic slick texture. Continued boiling eventually causes amylose molecules to leach into the surrounding water and the granule structure begins to disintegrate, thickening the sauce as well. The idea that it helps the meat retain moisture is therefore only half true. The slices of meat are simply encased by a gel that is so viscous that it appears that the meat is more juicy.
@@razor5cl In your body, your stomach acid does a pretty good job of beginning to break down protein at body (room-ish) temps. (Ceviche, anyone?) If nothing else, a radical pH shift (down, or up) could at least break down the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of the proteins (denature them, mostly breaking H-bonds) and wouldn't need to break peptide bonds to do so.
best thing about kenji - he balances practicality with authentic - "some people are vehemently against peeled garlic but sometimes I buy it because I'm lazy" - Perfectly said.
Will miss your former kitchen, learned a lot in that space! Many thanks for that and wishing you many, many years of great food and dining in your new home!
ive been avoiding msg becasue i read long ago it artificially inflates hunger by screwing with your brain and blocking receptors that tell you "you're full, stop eating", causing you to want to eat WAY more than you should
@@OlEgSaS32 that is not backed by evidence in the literature. In fact, there are some studies showing MSG increases satiety (in proteins, but not carbohydrates). Because glutamate is found in so many foods, and is abundant in the human body, addition of MSG to food products has little effect on total MSG consumption. Per the FDA web page on MSG, “An average adult consumes approximately 13 grams of glutamate each day from the protein in food, while intake of added MSG is estimates at around 0.55 grams per day.” You definitely can choose to use powdered MSG or not, but there’s little evidence to support any adverse effects from it. Glutamate is an amino acid, a neurotransmitter, and a building block for numerous other biologically active compounds used in many cells in the body. MSG is in fermented foods, aged meat and cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and many other foods.
I love the easy and regular human approach to Asian cuisine by Mr. Kenji. He uses the same ways that are utilized in your local Chinese bistro, but makes the process more friendly. I also like seeing that the issue I have when cooking Kung Pao or any Asian stir fry and that it still lacks the kick that a bistro would have doesn't come from me doing it the wrong way, in the end it's just all about wok hei, which I currently cannot have and that is what makes the difference.
Wow! Thank you, Kenji! I’ve tried my hand at beef and broccoli several times over the years, but could never get it quite right - beef cooked too tough, sauce out of balance, etc. I tried your method tonight and I am blown away! Tastes just like the takeout version. Better, even, as I’ve got the satisfaction of having made it at home, then eating it piping hot, as soon as I finished cooking. Love the addition of oyster sauce - adds such depth of flavor.
Thank you so much for showing yourself cleaning your knife between ingredients, washing your hands, and the light bit of wok maintenance at the end. I always felt a little self-conscious about how much I washed everything between everything because of sass from parents. RUclips videos that just jump cut between everything also giving the impression I'm making too many unnecessary steps. Edit: I also have a land shark (cat) that hovers around my legs whenever I'm prepping ingredients in the hopes of snapping on any free agents that come off the board.
Yeah, he says "guys, gals and non binary pals" makes me feel so safe while I'm home alone on my pc watching youtube compared to when people just say "hey guys" like wtf omg was that a legit personal attack ??? you know what I mean ? Hugs and kisses to everybody (except those that don't feel safe with words representing physical contact, cos, you know, that could be, like, considered unwanted agression or infringement on my personal space which I haven't yet defined to you so you need to educate yourself. Bigot.
@@boobsmakesmile You went abit overboard there, but the point you made is legit. All this talk of "Inclusive" is BS. People get offended way to easy over everything lately.
Made this for my wife tonight. "Mmm! This is good. Restaurant quality! I take that back, it's better than what I get at the restaurant." The recipe is top notch. We really enjoyed it.
Hey man I think I've watched close to 9 out of 10 of your videos and I wanted to just leave one comment saying that I hope you don't ever feel pressured to changed how you've done this format because it's definitely my favorite. I love that it's just you about your daily life cooking with a camera on your head. It's perfect in every flaw because I know it's real Thanks for what you do I watch every ad (ha)
Classic Chinese American. I've made this dish many times with less than consistent results. Thanks J. Kenji for explaining the cut of the meat and the velveting technique! Now I know why my Grandma's stir fried beef tasted different than mine.
Went to make this today and noticed there must have been a revision to the recipe because in the video's description's "2. For the Sauce" section, it refers to vinegar and stock when the ingredients list doesn't have those items. Thank you for all the great recipes and tips. They're always a hit at my house
Hey Kenji, I don't know how much it matters, but my mom teaches preschool and she just got your children's book to read in her class. I thought you might enjoy hearing that. Keep up the amazing content.
I made this tonight. It was so amazing. I have a gas stove and a flat bottom wok and my stir fry was so awful at first, but watching your videos helped actually utilize it in a home setting.
Thanks Kenji. This is a total keeper. I make this at least twice a week. My family says it's better than Chinese restaurants. And I get sooo much quantity! 😊
Im really sleepy and not thinking straight as Im watching it and when you finished I got really sad I couldnt have any :/ Also thanks for the nonbinary send off, it means so much ❤️
the baking soda trick has changed my life. thank you. I used it in my diced chicken thigh marinade mix for general tso chicken and it came out so perfectly pillowy soft like I've never had before.
Hey Kenji, I have been reading your book “Food Labs” and had a request. In your book you talk about cooler cooking and I was interested in doing it, but I would like to see a video of it first. Is there any way you could do this sometime in the future? Thanks for the content and have a good day!
Perfect ! The baking soda really does the trick. I compared with and without and it definitely is more tender and smooshy with the baking soda. Great video.
I love how you explain the reason why as soon as you mention something! One question: you had mentioned the using the wine 'later'. Were you meaning to de glaze the pan with the xiaoxing wine after the initial sear?
My mom makes this all the time at home with rice. Sometimes she makes chow fun with the beef and broccoli, and cooking a sunny side up egg and place it on top. So good.
Man, you are single most informative cooking RUclipsr out there. Maybe your videos are not packed with plethora of camera angles or fancy B-rolls, but man, the experience and passion for cooking is just leaking from the screen. You're doing it right my man and I'm glad you're here Kenji-san. Cheers!
I appreciated the way you filmed it. I feel like I learned more than watching a tv show or just a camera in front showing pretty much everything. Good speaker!! Love the video!
Hi, Kenji-love Food Lab, bought my son a copy for Christmas as well. Now enjoying The Wok. FYI p. 118 you mention scallions in the head note but not ingredients list. Also, p. 119 you say to cook until chicken is cooked thru…obviously I was tossing steak in the pan but I did a double take in the heat of the moment!! Thanks for your great recipes, really fun to learn along with you from North Carolina!
He has a few of those in the WOK book as well. Funny, clearly just saving time by copy pasting from a similar recipe ( one that pops to mind was in the scallion pancakes area ) and then forgetting! Whatever, it's still easy to figure out. But like you said, it makes you do a double take!
I just made this with venison rather than beef. Multiple family members said "wow this is good" which almost never happens. For some reason they were expecting the meat to be tough? Thanks Kenji!
Fantastic! Would love to see Hong Sue chicken. It seems to be one of those nearly forgotten Chinese American dishes. Something about the combination seared brown sauce and deep fried batter that is nearly impossible to recreate at home.
Made this tonight with stew meat from the big box grocery store with regular broccoli, regular soy and kikkoman aji mirin sweet cooking rice season and everything else form you video and it is Delish!!! Thanks Kenji. Family thinks this dad is a professional chef!
Watched this video, bought the book, made the recipe including washing the beef, THANK YOU!!! So much "Chinese" I cook comes out "protein + vegetable(s) + generic kind of sweet sauce", this, oddly, actually tastes like BEEF! I'm impressed.
Finally got to make this for dinner tonight, so good. so easy. I don't have a wok or a ton of BTUs, but i do have a 12" nonstick skillet and a cheap ass stove and it still came out bomb.
AFTER WATCHING kENJI FOR A BIT i TOTALLY WANT A wOK. Dam caps lock I'm not retyping anyway. Never wanted a wok watch this channel I'm all in for going for a nice long Wok
Could you please break down what and how you shake the pan while you are stirring/tossing? What does shaking the pan contribute? Does it matter how (i.e., back and forth, circular motion) you shake and stir?
Back and forth is the best way to prevent things flying out of the pan when moving it. It makes sure nothing is having prolonged contact with the bottom of the wok and burning.
So cool Kenji that you had here a normal looking kitchen. I actually find it off-putting when some folks on RUclips, who have none of your credentials, show off with fancy stoves and endless copper pots used mainly for effect. I see from your above comment that you were just about to move but hopefully you have not turned into copper pot central. 🙂 And thanks for admitting that sometimes you use store-bought peeled garlic. I often use the frozen pressed garlic as it is less wasteful, and I think that is pretty good. For more expensive foods or tine intensive things, I'll use fresh garlic as I have invested so much money or time and can't risk a bad result. I appreciate that your approach is very relatable.
Kenji is the king of RUclips chefs. Facts. But I need to share the cooking directions in the RUclips comments are from a similar but different recipe - talk about vinegar and chicken, etc. I use such directions often. Thanks!!!
Kenji, I just made this dish, and it was the best thing I made in a while! Thank you so much for your inspiration :) Ps. This is my new favourite thing
General questions, new viewer, why doesn't this genius have more subscribers? Smart, to the point and on point indeed with the camera! I'll enjoy going through the archives of his achievements!
Love the wokcam! You ever use tapioca starch instead of corn for the slurry? I find it is more clear looking and the sauce maintains its thickness longer.
I assume it's just because everyone already has cornstarch, and most people don't care about clarity in sauces like this, since they're already dark. But sure, you could use it!
@@TheGeekyChef1190 some people don't care about sauces like this but some do - specifically the people from the origins of this dish. Also tapioca starch is more neutral tasting so not only a visual thing but taste as well but I imagine some people can't taste the difference.
@@mincooper I know what tapioca starch does. And you literally just repeated what I said. "Most" people don't care about the colour. As in, most people who watch this are in the America's, and won't care. And again, most people already have cornstarch but not tapioca.
I use it on most days, but not for beef. Beef + the soy sauces and oyster sauce already have umami quality. This is just doubling up and "overcorrecting", due to some bizarre trend recently where people what to act like it's cool to use MSG.
Thanks for your show. You’ve made me a better home cook in my kitchen. I’ve become much more efficient and quicker, and things seem to happen more smoothly. Love the channel. Thanks
Hey Kenji, Sometimes when I'm stir frying chicken, I find that a ton of water leaks out of the chicken, which causes the chicken to steam through instead of stir fry. Any thoughts on this?
it might also be that your chicken is filled with water to increase its weight. They do it in germany I think. Try getting fresh meat(of the farm) that might help.
3:53 its the alkaline in the baking soda that helps tenderize the meat. There’s also an enzyme used in most chinese cooking called papain similar to baking soda.
In your recipes (both this excellent one, and in general), when you refer to Dark and Light soy sauce, do you use Chinese style or Japanese style dark and light soy? Will choosing one over the other ever make an appreciable difference in recipes? At my house currently I think we have a Japanese style dark and Chinese style light. :)
Made this this weekend!! It was amazing, and super easy. The only thing I added: After boiling the broccoli, I added a slurry of water, cornstarch and salt to the wok with tje broccoli, this gave it some extra flavor and an amazing fresh color
Thanks for taking the fear out of making Chinese food for me. I got a few staples from the closest asian market and started with this. Watching your videos over just reading your article makes me not afraid to deviate from the recipe. I had a jar of chili crisp with just a little bit left so tossed that in the marinade and it turned out great. I really need a bigger wok and a charcoal grill.
Fun chef tip for anyone who doesn't know. When chopping garlic/onions, to get rid of the smell on your hands really quickly, rub them on something stainless steel. A sink works. Just wash with water and rub the sink, you'll see the smell is gone almost immediately. You're welcome.
After 3 attempts, I finally got this to work with cast iron on electric stove. Mine ends up with way more sauce than yours. My guess is you boil of meat juice faster than I do. I find when I boil it down more though like I did the first 2 times, the sauce is too strong for me. I have geographic tongue and the first 2 times I made this caused pain and swelling.
I genuinely love how you're always barefoot in your kitchen. Growing up, I always heard it was dangerous and could never figure out why, but I'm an adult now and I can cook barefoot if I want!!!
It’s only that if you do drop something sharp or hot on your feet it might hurt more if they’re bare than if they’re covered - but if you’re not super accident prone it just isn’t a big deal.
I know that this is a 2yo video, but for a chemical explanation on the baking soda tenderising the meat: Plenty aminoacids have surplus carboxyl acid and amine radicals. When you heat them up, they link through a reaction called thermal amidation. But often those aminoacids are in different proteins, so the proteins are now stuck together, into a big and tough mesh. This is not an issue when stewing the meat because it doesn't reach the necessary temperature for the reaction, but it does when searing or stir-frying. However, since amidation is extremely slow above pH=8, and the baking soda raises the pH, a dash of baking soda does the trick. There's a few interesting consequences of the above: 1. Past a certain amount, more baking soda won't make the meat tenderer. It'll only affect the taste of the dish, and not in a good way, either as a weird aftertaste or removing the tanginess off the dish.. 2. Once you got a lower temperature, the baking soda already did its job; then it's fine to neutralise it with an acid to remove its aftertaste, this won't toughen the meat. That's why dishes using this technique usually have a sauce, using some wine and/or soy sauce in it.
This recipe also works great using mushrooms instead of beef! I used the big honker white mushrooms from Costco cut into large pieces. Treated the mushrooms exactly the same as the beef in this video, skipping the baking soda since mushrooms are already tender
Excellent! I made this along with you and am eating now- very good! Substituted carrots and cabbage for the broccoli and added rice noodles at the end. Mmm.
First again.
2nd
Third
@@misnomre 4th
Please stop
Kenji how are you always first, it baffles me.
There's something about seeing someone make stuff so casually in their home kitchen that makes it feel so much more accessible. Thanks for the video!
I make it a couple times a month. It is just too fast and easy. That has to be Los Angeles, with all the freeway noise.
I really appreciate you showing the clean as you go process. Professionals always talk about the importance of this, but it's usually edited from cooking shows. The overwhelming mess I make while cooking, used to discourage me from using the kitchen. But, these quarantine vids have me feeling more organized and confident.
I am in LOVE with this POV, unedited style of cooking instructions.
Agree
A bit late to the party but I agree as a professional chef. Been doing this job 20 years now and it is absolutely crucial to clean as you go. Keeping our stations clean is paramount not only for hygiene but also for a smoother and easier service.
W comment
for the love god, don't leave the sponges in the sink. drives me insane, people pour kinds of oily and dirty crap all over them and then clean with them. KEEP THEM DRY AND OUT OF THE DAMN SINK
For myself
Beef prep: 0:13
Beef marinade: 2:58
Broccoli prep: 5:19
Sauce + slurry prep: 7:00
Aromatics prep: 9:05
11:06 Beef and Broccoli
and everyone else, thanks :)
9:25: special guest
0:00 if you’re not blind and dumb
@@jodo7814 ayo calm down
Well, clean plates in this house. Thanks Kenji.
Hey Kenji, chemist here! The baking soda does increase the pH which promotes the degradation of the peptide bonds in the muscle proteins. So basically, you’re chemically cleaving the meat fibers. When using tenderizers like pineapple or papaya this chemical cleavage is promoted by enzymes. You could call it “non bacterial rot” if you will.
As someone who recently discovered this velveting technique and used it many times on chicken I’m 99% that that’s what’s going on here with the beef as well. I’m still not quite sure what the effect of starch is. So far my explanation is, that starch can penetrate the meat surface to a certain degree and help retain the moisture during the cooking process.
I hope I could at least clear up the mystery about the soda.
That said, I really appreciate your take on home cuisine and you bring a lot of value to beginners and experienced cooks alike with your content.
Keep it up!
I'm a biochemist here - can you really break peptide bonds non-enzymatically at room temperature like that? As far as I was aware, those bonds are only able to be broken with boiling at very high temperatures, using a strong acid (or using enzymes like peptidases),
As for the starch, it all depends on osmosis and whether it can penetrate the surface of the meat (which to my knowledge, it can't). I would maybe suggest it draws out moisture from the meat via osmosis but I don't think starch is actually very soluble, in cells it's normally present as granules
Interesting...
The main purpose of starch in moist stir fries is to promote adhesion. I.e. Sauce pickup. When the starch reaches a particular temperature (Around 60-95C depending on the starch) it gelatinizes, greatly increasing the viscosity of the liquid directly around it. Heat allows the water in the marinade as well as moisture expelled from the meat as the myofibrils contract to enter the amorphase regions of the starch thereby thickening directly around the pieces of meat.
As the meat is continually seared moisture within the branches are depleted creating a semi-ridged to ridged film of amylose and amylopectin. Once the sauce base is added, additional water increases the randomness in the starch granule structure and the starch granules being to swell again creating the characteristic slick texture. Continued boiling eventually causes amylose molecules to leach into the surrounding water and the granule structure begins to disintegrate, thickening the sauce as well.
The idea that it helps the meat retain moisture is therefore only half true. The slices of meat are simply encased by a gel that is so viscous that it appears that the meat is more juicy.
@@razor5cl In your body, your stomach acid does a pretty good job of beginning to break down protein at body (room-ish) temps. (Ceviche, anyone?) If nothing else, a radical pH shift (down, or up) could at least break down the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of the proteins (denature them, mostly breaking H-bonds) and wouldn't need to break peptide bonds to do so.
Read these comments with 100% concentration, as if I knew what the hell it all meant :-)
best thing about kenji - he balances practicality with authentic - "some people are vehemently against peeled garlic but sometimes I buy it because I'm lazy" - Perfectly said.
Pre-peeled > jarlic.
Will miss your former kitchen, learned a lot in that space! Many thanks for that and wishing you many, many years of great food and dining in your new home!
Where did he move to/from ?
@@foofightin4life from his old house to his new 😂 youtubers aren't fond of sharibg their whereabouts, strangely
I swear this is still the old kitchen.
This is the old kitchen. He had a few episodes filmed before the move but he doesn’t live there any longer.
@Obi-Wan Kenobi the “strangely” was sarcastic
So much respect for this master who gives us these classes from his home without pretense (pre-peeled garlic) but depth.
love how J. Kenji López-Alt is using MSG. its too bad more people dont use it. it can save on salt levels and give way more flavor
I read this in my head in uncle roger’s voice lmao
@@kzixum Uncle Roger is changing the way an entire generation thinks about MSG.
Also, for vegans and even vegetarians, it's an amazing way to get an umami boost. It's tough trying to incorporate umami in vegan dishes especially.
ive been avoiding msg becasue i read long ago it artificially inflates hunger by screwing with your brain and blocking receptors that tell you "you're full, stop eating", causing you to want to eat WAY more than you should
@@OlEgSaS32 that is not backed by evidence in the literature. In fact, there are some studies showing MSG increases satiety (in proteins, but not carbohydrates). Because glutamate is found in so many foods, and is abundant in the human body, addition of MSG to food products has little effect on total MSG consumption. Per the FDA web page on MSG, “An average adult consumes approximately 13 grams of glutamate each day from the protein in food, while intake of added MSG is estimates at around 0.55 grams per day.” You definitely can choose to use powdered MSG or not, but there’s little evidence to support any adverse effects from it. Glutamate is an amino acid, a neurotransmitter, and a building block for numerous other biologically active compounds used in many cells in the body. MSG is in fermented foods, aged meat and cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and many other foods.
I love the easy and regular human approach to Asian cuisine by Mr. Kenji. He uses the same ways that are utilized in your local Chinese bistro, but makes the process more friendly. I also like seeing that the issue I have when cooking Kung Pao or any Asian stir fry and that it still lacks the kick that a bistro would have doesn't come from me doing it the wrong way, in the end it's just all about wok hei, which I currently cannot have and that is what makes the difference.
"put some oil and just rub it out" - J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji After Dark just writes itself
will do kenji. will do
About 92% of Kenji's viewers had the same thought
Jeffrey Toobin has entered the chat
There's no buns to accept the beef load :(
I love watching your videos. Just info, no annoying background music. Straight to the point. Exactly how youtube videos should be made. Thank you.
I’ve heard people talk about J. Kenji López-Alt as if he was a magical god of food, but damn I know what they mean. He’s very satisfying to watch.
I love the idea of unedited footahe but GOD my lefthanded brain does not know how to process this
Exactly what i heard
It's too bad he's kind of a jerk though...
@@hvntreasures what? How so?
@@hvntreasures what? How so?
Wow! Thank you, Kenji! I’ve tried my hand at beef and broccoli several times over the years, but could never get it quite right - beef cooked too tough, sauce out of balance, etc. I tried your method tonight and I am blown away! Tastes just like the takeout version. Better, even, as I’ve got the satisfaction of having made it at home, then eating it piping hot, as soon as I finished cooking. Love the addition of oyster sauce - adds such depth of flavor.
"once we start, it goes fast okay?" is a sentence I've had to disappoint my girlfriend with more than once...
Two minutes in heaven is better than one minute in heaven
@@stephen129 one minute in heaven is better than not being in heaven at all
@@stephen129 her name is Heaven?
Listen carefully to 17:46 to 18:03.
Don’t feel bad, man.
If you think _you’re_ subpar, just wait ‘til you hear how much _I’ve_ been disappointing her!
This man shuts the water off while he's working the soap. Respect.
I love how your buddy keeps coming and looking up to you, a bag of happiness :)
Every time I see Kenji take out the ginger, I can already hear him say "I'm using a knife, but you can use a spoon if that's easyer for you".
easyer???? EASIER!!!!
Just made this dish. It's incredible. I used flank steak cut into thin strips, and it's sooo tender.
Thank you so much for showing yourself cleaning your knife between ingredients, washing your hands, and the light bit of wok maintenance at the end. I always felt a little self-conscious about how much I washed everything between everything because of sass from parents. RUclips videos that just jump cut between everything also giving the impression I'm making too many unnecessary steps.
Edit: I also have a land shark (cat) that hovers around my legs whenever I'm prepping ingredients in the hopes of snapping on any free agents that come off the board.
I feel like kenji would be the coolest dude to chill with. He is always hella thoughtful and inclusive. We need more people like kenji.
Yeah, he says "guys, gals and non binary pals" makes me feel so safe while I'm home alone on my pc watching youtube compared to when people just say "hey guys" like wtf omg was that a legit personal attack ??? you know what I mean ? Hugs and kisses to everybody (except those that don't feel safe with words representing physical contact, cos, you know, that could be, like, considered unwanted agression or infringement on my personal space which I haven't yet defined to you so you need to educate yourself. Bigot.
@@boobsmakesmile did you just assume I am using RUclips instead of Newpipe?
Thats App-Assuming you xenophobe.
@@boobsmakesmile You seem angry
@@boobsmakesmile You need a break from the internet.
@@boobsmakesmile You went abit overboard there, but the point you made is legit. All this talk of "Inclusive" is BS. People get offended way to easy over everything lately.
Made this for my wife tonight.
"Mmm! This is good. Restaurant quality! I take that back, it's better than what I get at the restaurant."
The recipe is top notch. We really enjoyed it.
Hey man I think I've watched close to 9 out of 10 of your videos and I wanted to just leave one comment saying that I hope you don't ever feel pressured to changed how you've done this format because it's definitely my favorite. I love that it's just you about your daily life cooking with a camera on your head. It's perfect in every flaw because I know it's real
Thanks for what you do I watch every ad (ha)
The camera on head thing actually gives me Nausea watching it, I can do 30 seconds or so.
@@DavidJJJ David it sounds like you suffer from being a pussy ass bitch, I hope you get that figured out soon. Blessings
Classic Chinese American. I've made this dish many times with less than consistent results. Thanks J. Kenji for explaining the cut of the meat and the velveting technique! Now I know why my Grandma's stir fried beef tasted different than mine.
How is it now
Went to make this today and noticed there must have been a revision to the recipe because in the video's description's "2. For the Sauce" section, it refers to vinegar and stock when the ingredients list doesn't have those items. Thank you for all the great recipes and tips. They're always a hit at my house
This was my first time giving this a go, I used leftover stir fry/strip steak and it still came out exactly as the mind's eye imagined. Devoured!
Can we get a "Kenji Bingo" going? Any time he talks about peeling ginger with a spoon, makes a Chef John reference, explains wok hei, etc.
Meat cutting board on top of the vegetable cutting board...
Mathematical formula on how to best dice an onion
Mentions sous chef Erik's pancetta...
One day we'll catch him saying "First: longyao" and it'll be great.
That cover camera transition was nice
The hand timing was excellent; hope he knows we notice the effort
Hey Kenji, I don't know how much it matters, but my mom teaches preschool and she just got your children's book to read in her class. I thought you might enjoy hearing that. Keep up the amazing content.
Aww
"About a tablespoon of sugar"
*Shovels half the pot in there*
typical american, right?
akkakaakak
Had the exact same thought! That was easily two tablespoons
It's the Ramsey method! "A touch of oil in" proceeds to add half the bottle! 😂😂
yea that was excessive
he probably put 1.5 tablespoon since that was teaspoon he used
Appreciated, from an Oakland boy non cook who is trying. 🙏🏻
The cutting technique for the beef makes so much sense! Will be trying that out soon! Thanks!
I like the shooting angle you chose. You give viewers a pretty real angle on what the whole process looks like
He didn't eat it with rice!
Jokes aside, though, thanks for this! Understanding the flavors I eat all the time is, I think, a really important skill.
I made this tonight. It was so amazing. I have a gas stove and a flat bottom wok and my stir fry was so awful at first, but watching your videos helped actually utilize it in a home setting.
The question I have is, what's your beef with broccoli?
Flap steak
its a pun dude
My wife left me for Brock Lee. That is my beef
10/10 comment
@@0mNam 🤦♂️omg
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I used this recipe tonight and had the most amazing broccoli beef I've ever had.
You're the best, Kenji ✌
the transition at 11:00 was the greatest cinematic moment of 2020. So smooth.
My man Kenji is a master
Thanks Kenji. This is a total keeper. I make this at least twice a week. My family says it's better than Chinese restaurants. And I get sooo much quantity! 😊
Im really sleepy and not thinking straight as Im watching it and when you finished I got really sad I couldnt have any :/
Also thanks for the nonbinary send off, it means so much ❤️
the baking soda trick has changed my life. thank you. I used it in my diced chicken thigh marinade mix for general tso chicken and it came out so perfectly pillowy soft like I've never had before.
Hey Kenji, I have been reading your book “Food Labs” and had a request. In your book you talk about cooler cooking and I was interested in doing it, but I would like to see a video of it first. Is there any way you could do this sometime in the future? Thanks for the content and have a good day!
ruclips.net/video/Ub8OaUtiNB8/видео.html
Perfect ! The baking soda really does the trick. I compared with and without and it definitely is more tender and smooshy with the baking soda. Great video.
Thanks Kenji, I made this tonight and it turned out awesome. I also found that skirt steak is a great cut and inexpensive at my supermarket.
The overhead shots where the dog is waiting for something are the best!
I love how you explain the reason why as soon as you mention something! One question: you had mentioned the using the wine 'later'. Were you meaning to de glaze the pan with the xiaoxing wine after the initial sear?
My mom makes this all the time at home with rice. Sometimes she makes chow fun with the beef and broccoli, and cooking a sunny side up egg and place it on top. So good.
Man, you are single most informative cooking RUclipsr out there. Maybe your videos are not packed with plethora of camera angles or fancy B-rolls, but man, the experience and passion for cooking is just leaking from the screen. You're doing it right my man and I'm glad you're here Kenji-san. Cheers!
I appreciated the way you filmed it. I feel like I learned more than watching a tv show or just a camera in front showing pretty much everything. Good speaker!! Love the video!
Hi, Kenji-love Food Lab, bought my son a copy for Christmas as well. Now enjoying The Wok. FYI p. 118 you mention scallions in the head note but not ingredients list. Also, p. 119 you say to cook until chicken is cooked thru…obviously I was tossing steak in the pan but I did a double take in the heat of the moment!! Thanks for your great recipes, really fun to learn along with you from North Carolina!
He has a few of those in the WOK book as well. Funny, clearly just saving time by copy pasting from a similar recipe ( one that pops to mind was in the scallion pancakes area ) and then forgetting! Whatever, it's still easy to figure out. But like you said, it makes you do a double take!
I just made this with venison rather than beef. Multiple family members said "wow this is good" which almost never happens. For some reason they were expecting the meat to be tough? Thanks Kenji!
Fantastic! Would love to see Hong Sue chicken. It seems to be one of those nearly forgotten Chinese American dishes. Something about the combination seared brown sauce and deep fried batter that is nearly impossible to recreate at home.
Made this tonight with stew meat from the big box grocery store with regular broccoli, regular soy and kikkoman aji mirin sweet cooking rice season and everything else form you video and it is Delish!!! Thanks Kenji. Family thinks this dad is a professional chef!
I came for the season finale of Kenji’s Kitchen. (fire take out restaurant name btw).
Watched this video, bought the book, made the recipe including washing the beef, THANK YOU!!! So much "Chinese" I cook comes out "protein + vegetable(s) + generic kind of sweet sauce", this, oddly, actually tastes like BEEF! I'm impressed.
Kenji always looks like he's going to make two plates, says F it, and dumps it all into one plate.
This is the thought process of every Chinese American cook since the Gold Rush.
Got your book a few years back, glad to see you here on RUclips. So helpful to watch, thanks for all your work!
Finally got to make this for dinner tonight, so good. so easy. I don't have a wok or a ton of BTUs, but i do have a 12" nonstick skillet and a cheap ass stove and it still came out bomb.
Dunno why, but I like your POV style of filming, really unique for a cooking show
I love how Shabu always shows up when you start smashing garlic 🐶
AFTER WATCHING kENJI FOR A BIT i TOTALLY WANT A wOK. Dam caps lock I'm not retyping anyway. Never wanted a wok watch this channel I'm all in for going for a nice long Wok
Could you please break down what and how you shake the pan while you are stirring/tossing? What does shaking the pan contribute? Does it matter how (i.e., back and forth, circular motion) you shake and stir?
Back and forth is the best way to prevent things flying out of the pan when moving it. It makes sure nothing is having prolonged contact with the bottom of the wok and burning.
And in the case of some sauces it helps emulsify everything while cooking.
It's called stir fry not sit and fry😅
So cool Kenji that you had here a normal looking kitchen. I actually find it off-putting when some folks on RUclips, who have none of your credentials, show off with fancy stoves and endless copper pots used mainly for effect. I see from your above comment that you were just about to move but hopefully you have not turned into copper pot central. 🙂
And thanks for admitting that sometimes you use store-bought peeled garlic. I often use the frozen pressed garlic as it is less wasteful, and I think that is pretty good. For more expensive foods or tine intensive things, I'll use fresh garlic as I have invested so much money or time and can't risk a bad result. I appreciate that your approach is very relatable.
Anyone who dislikes Kenji’s videos just want to watch the world burn.
Kenji is the king of RUclips chefs. Facts. But I need to share the cooking directions in the RUclips comments are from a similar but different recipe - talk about vinegar and chicken, etc. I use such directions often. Thanks!!!
Kenji, I just made this dish, and it was the best thing I made in a while! Thank you so much for your inspiration :)
Ps. This is my new favourite thing
General questions, new viewer, why doesn't this genius have more subscribers? Smart, to the point and on point indeed with the camera! I'll enjoy going through the archives of his achievements!
Love the wokcam! You ever use tapioca starch instead of corn for the slurry? I find it is more clear looking and the sauce maintains its thickness longer.
I assume it's just because everyone already has cornstarch, and most people don't care about clarity in sauces like this, since they're already dark. But sure, you could use it!
@@TheGeekyChef1190 some people don't care about sauces like this but some do - specifically the people from the origins of this dish. Also tapioca starch is more neutral tasting so not only a visual thing but taste as well but I imagine some people can't taste the difference.
@@mincooper I know what tapioca starch does. And you literally just repeated what I said. "Most" people don't care about the colour. As in, most people who watch this are in the America's, and won't care. And again, most people already have cornstarch but not tapioca.
Love a person who isn't afraid to use MSG. It's awesome.
I use it on most days, but not for beef. Beef + the soy sauces and oyster sauce already have umami quality. This is just doubling up and "overcorrecting", due to some bizarre trend recently where people what to act like it's cool to use MSG.
@@hultonclint Cool, dude.
so, theoretically I could use the corn starch and baking soda technique on fajita meat too, correct? I don't see a reason why not, but I may be thick
Yes. The tenderizing effects will work on fajita meat also
the tenderness of that beef with marinade and broccoli is so mouth watering
This is so amazingly delicious looking and Chef Kenji makes it seem so easy to prepare I am going to give it a try :-)
Love the bracelet, I have many of those. Recipe seems great as well...baking soda tip good idea, helps soften black beans as well.
In the sauces, you said something about adding the wine separate, but I didn't see you add it later, did I miss something?
Hiyaa ...
Read the description genius
He forget the shaoxging wine
@@Nikp117 lol stfu
@@Nikp117 oh you're right, I missed that thanks! Watched on mobile and it's hidden by default
Thanks for your show. You’ve made me a better home cook in my kitchen. I’ve become much more efficient and quicker, and things seem to happen more smoothly. Love the channel. Thanks
DId you forget the wine? It's alright. I'm sure it was delicious anyways :D
Good catch!
It was mentioned (*as a marinade), but not used in the wok process of the video. Glad I'm not the only one that noticed!
I have made this so many times and it is always perfect! Thanks Kenji! You're the best!
Hey Kenji,
Sometimes when I'm stir frying chicken, I find that a ton of water leaks out of the chicken, which causes the chicken to steam through instead of stir fry. Any thoughts on this?
Dry chicken is horrible.
You may be adding too much at one time, or maybe the heat is too low? Not sure if that helps
it might also be that your chicken is filled with water to increase its weight. They do it in germany I think.
Try getting fresh meat(of the farm) that might help.
I think less chicken is the best advice here.
Sounds like you're crowding the wok.
Props and experience aside, one can check Kenji's legitimacy by observing the confidence of high heat stir fry operations while barefoot.
I feel like I am in Being John Malkovich whenever I watch your videos
3:53 its the alkaline in the baking soda that helps tenderize the meat. There’s also an enzyme used in most chinese cooking called papain similar to baking soda.
In your recipes (both this excellent one, and in general), when you refer to Dark and Light soy sauce, do you use Chinese style or Japanese style dark and light soy? Will choosing one over the other ever make an appreciable difference in recipes? At my house currently I think we have a Japanese style dark and Chinese style light. :)
Made this this weekend!! It was amazing, and super easy. The only thing I added: After boiling the broccoli, I added a slurry of water, cornstarch and salt to the wok with tje broccoli, this gave it some extra flavor and an amazing fresh color
Thanks for taking the fear out of making Chinese food for me. I got a few staples from the closest asian market and started with this.
Watching your videos over just reading your article makes me not afraid to deviate from the recipe.
I had a jar of chili crisp with just a little bit left so tossed that in the marinade and it turned out great.
I really need a bigger wok and a charcoal grill.
Fun chef tip for anyone who doesn't know. When chopping garlic/onions, to get rid of the smell on your hands really quickly, rub them on something stainless steel. A sink works. Just wash with water and rub the sink, you'll see the smell is gone almost immediately. You're welcome.
Did anyone else get really itchy when Kenji put the cap he took off the dark soy sauce onto the light soy sauce?
no
I just tried this. It's true, never really thought that baking soda would do magic on beef! Thanks chef!
After 3 attempts, I finally got this to work with cast iron on electric stove. Mine ends up with way more sauce than yours. My guess is you boil of meat juice faster than I do. I find when I boil it down more though like I did the first 2 times, the sauce is too strong for me. I have geographic tongue and the first 2 times I made this caused pain and swelling.
When I die I want to come back as Kenji's dog. Bro eats better than I do.
I genuinely love how you're always barefoot in your kitchen. Growing up, I always heard it was dangerous and could never figure out why, but I'm an adult now and I can cook barefoot if I want!!!
It’s only that if you do drop something sharp or hot on your feet it might hurt more if they’re bare than if they’re covered - but if you’re not super accident prone it just isn’t a big deal.
Dear Kenji my family loved your recipe. Thank you!!! 🙏🏽 😊
No way in hell that was 1 tablespoon of sugar lol
The more I watch Kenzi, the more I realize what a magical substance baking soda is.
POV: you're in a Zoom Call with your dad
0:02
I know that this is a 2yo video, but for a chemical explanation on the baking soda tenderising the meat:
Plenty aminoacids have surplus carboxyl acid and amine radicals. When you heat them up, they link through a reaction called thermal amidation. But often those aminoacids are in different proteins, so the proteins are now stuck together, into a big and tough mesh.
This is not an issue when stewing the meat because it doesn't reach the necessary temperature for the reaction, but it does when searing or stir-frying. However, since amidation is extremely slow above pH=8, and the baking soda raises the pH, a dash of baking soda does the trick.
There's a few interesting consequences of the above:
1. Past a certain amount, more baking soda won't make the meat tenderer. It'll only affect the taste of the dish, and not in a good way, either as a weird aftertaste or removing the tanginess off the dish..
2. Once you got a lower temperature, the baking soda already did its job; then it's fine to neutralise it with an acid to remove its aftertaste, this won't toughen the meat. That's why dishes using this technique usually have a sauce, using some wine and/or soy sauce in it.
This recipe also works great using mushrooms instead of beef! I used the big honker white mushrooms from Costco cut into large pieces. Treated the mushrooms exactly the same as the beef in this video, skipping the baking soda since mushrooms are already tender
Excellent! I made this along with you and am eating now- very good! Substituted carrots and cabbage for the broccoli and added rice noodles at the end. Mmm.
Finally, straight up msg!
I've been trying to make take out at home for years and this is hands down the best b&b recipe ever. Such tender beef!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!