# How do they get beef in Chinese dishes so incredibly tender? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313 "2002-09-13T16:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/21 "2002-09-13T22:29:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bloomingpouf \* > **If I can’t have well hung beef, well cut and well presented Beef, I’ll take the tossed salad!** Oh, my frickin’ God! Allow me a moment to pick myself up off the floor. I’m howling over here! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/22 "2002-09-14T00:10:10Z")
I didn’t expect this thread to be double entendres on parade. Glad I popped in. And I’ll third the baking soda thing. That’s what my Chinese-Thai- American wife does. Although we we’re married more than 10 years before she’d tell me the secret ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/23 "2002-09-14T02:21:09Z")
So…nobody has ever heard of MSG (Mono-Sodium-Glutamate)? ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/24 "2002-09-14T04:41:26Z")
MSG is a flavor enhancer, not a meat tenderizer. Personally, I think the tenderness is a result of very careful shopping at the humane society, plus a scrupulously controlled diet of the finest kibble. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/25 "2002-09-14T14:31:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrVisible \* > \*\*Ancient Chinese Secret: > > Marinate the beef for at least an hour in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch, ginger… > > and baking soda. > > The reaction between the baking soda and the wine serves to tenderize the beef like nothing else in the world. Applied to a nice skirt steak or flank steak, it’s unbelievable. \*\* (Doghouse Reilly roots around in **MrVisible’s** pantry and emerges with a box of Calgon.) **Ancient Chinese secret, _huh_?!** ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/26 "2002-09-14T14:41:14Z")
I wouldn’t mind rooting around in **MrVisible** ’s pants… oh, you said _pantry_. I can’t believe I remember that Calgon commercial. Anyway… back to the OP and back on topic… Baking soda: it WORKED! Inexpensive cuts of beef, sliced against the grain. I tossed them in a bowl with some cornstarch, baking soda, and a bit of vinegar (since I couldn’t find rice wine at the store) for acidity. Did the usual stir-fry thing, and… IT WAS JUST LIKE IN A RESTAURANT! I feel like Elaine when she found the Soup Nazi’s recipes in the armoire. 😃 I must pass this on to my SIL, because she’s been trying to figure this out as well. Happy **scott**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/27 "2002-09-14T16:27:29Z")
Scott, for next time, try this: 1 tblsp. white wine (or rice wine) 2 tblsp. Soy sauce 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced 1 tsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/3 pound of skirt steak, flank steak, or whatever’s on sale. Marinate the beef in this mixture for about an hour. Make some rice. I prefer to just get the non-instant kind, start it about twenty minutes before I’m ready to start on the beef, and then turn off the heat when I start stir-frying; that way it’s perfect when I’m ready for it. Chop up some broccoli, and some green onions. You can also get any of the following, to your taste: bean sprouts water chestnuts mushrooms snow peas carrots celery green peppers Or whatever else strikes your fancy in the produce aisle. Turn off the rice when it’s been cooking for twenty minutes. Heat up the wok, over high heat, for a couple of seconds, then add about 2 tblsp. of oil. Toss in the beef. Stir fry the beef until it’s just about almost done, then take it out of the pan and let it drain. Make sure the wok is clean for this next part: Put about a tblsp. of oil in the wok. Let it heat over medium heat for about twenty seconds, then toss in one or two slices of garlic, about quarter-sized, and two cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed. Stir-fry these until the garlic starts to get golden brown around the edges; then toss them out. Throw in your veggies, big ones that take longer to cook first. Add them all in letting them get almost-ready-to-eat, then throw in the meat. Once this is all sizzling along merrily, add the sauce. I usually make more than I add, so make this much: 1 cup chicken broth (I use chicken bouillon; I know, it’s horrifying) 2 tblsp. Soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. corn starch Add some of this, however much seems to coat everything without being a soup, to the sizzling wok, and keep cooking it as the sauce thickens. It’s usually less than a minute. You’re done. Serve it over the rice, and enjoy. That’s my default stir-fry healthy meal, evolved over time from a few recipes, and popular amongst the locals hereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/28 "2002-09-14T16:30:22Z")
Woops. Make that 2/3 to 1 pound of beef. Sorry. You may even want more meat than that. Feel free to put in all you like. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/29 "2002-09-14T17:14:02Z")
Thanks for the recipes. I’m well-versed in cuisines international. But can I still raid your pants - er, pantry? ;p ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/30 "2002-09-14T17:17:19Z")
Also, I never let garlic brown. If you let it go too long, it can ruin a dish. I only add the garlic once there’s enough stuff in the wok that it won’t burn. A tip from the Urban Peasant. (Canadian thing.) ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/31 "2002-09-15T03:21:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brondicon \* > \*\*I know; it reads sort of like a fortune cookie: > “Only well Hung Beef will melt in the mouth no matter how much you beat it before!” > Lucky Numbers: 5 47 248 72 \*\* I was seeing some sort of M4M Japlish personal ad in a Tokyo weekly: **YOU TOO WILL APPRECIATE MUCH WELL HUNG BEEF IN THIS PLACE. ONLY BEEF THIS WELL HUNG WILL HAPPILY MELT IN YOUR MOUTH AND GET YOU TO FEELING QUITE HOT. I WILL HAPPILY BEAT MYSELF FOR YOUR PLEASURE AND GOOD FEELING.** ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/32 "2002-09-15T06:54:56Z")
Ah, but the garlic is only there to season the oil; once it’ started to brown, you take it out. And my pantry is open; my meat is well-hung, and I make my own sauce. I’d just better not give any more oriental cooking techniques away, or I’ll be arrested by the Ancient Chinese Secret Police. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/33 "2002-09-15T19:31:30Z")
So has anybody submitted this to the “Hysterical Product Instructions” Thread? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/34 "2002-09-15T20:15:15Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MrVisible \*\*\* > fresh ginger, minced_\* I have _never_. In fact, were I of a lesbian bent, I’d probably be butch. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/35 "2002-09-15T21:15:33Z")
Sorry, **MrVisible** , I still won’t let minced garlic brown. Just an irrational fear of mine. Anyway, everything was lovely, and I still have some left over, along with some spring rolls. Care to join me for dinner? And can I still raid your pants? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rocza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce7236/32.png) [@Rocza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocza)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/36 "2002-09-16T00:01:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\*Yes! I’ve heard about the baking soda thing! I’m going to try it either tonight or tomorrow, then stir-fry the beef with onions, whole dried chilies, and an orange-flavored sauce. \*\* Scott- If you don’t mind, can you please share your recipe or at least the ingredients for the orange sauce? I’ve never been able to make a good spicy orange sauce without it being either not orange enough or overwhelmingly orange. Of course, no offense meant if this is a recipe you’d rather not share. Regards Rocza ---
**Author:** ![bloomingpouf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@bloomingpouf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bloomingpouf)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313/37 "2002-09-20T23:30:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\*Sorry, **MrVisible** , I still won’t let minced garlic brown. Just an irrational fear of mine. > > Anyway, everything was lovely, and I still have some left over, along with some spring rolls. Care to join me for dinner? And can I still raid your pants? 😛 \*\* Raiding of Pants - also Known As Panting! So we have Scott the evil one:D Dipping his well hung mature and well cut beaf :eek: in Baking Soda before tossing it in the pan 🙂 and flopping it on a plate with some dipping sauce:p - Ginger Minced by scott was tossed in the pan for seasoning and kicked out lacking a tan - What Bikini lines not in this season- :smack: and only then do you wonder about panting??? What’s for Pudding Baby Jane??? I’m off to get a hot dog - and I have to hurry as the Pound Closes soon! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-beef-in-chinese-dishes-so-incredibly-tender/128313.md?page=1)