Orange Beef and Broccoli

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Velveting is a simple meat tenderizing process conducted primarily through the use of a baking soda or cornstarch slurry marinade. It is a mainstay technique in Chinese cooking.

When velveting with baking soda, the pH on the surface of the meat rises, making it more difficult for the proteins in the meat to tighten up together and squeeze out moisture when cooked.

Cornstarch velveting is a process of marinating the meat in a cornstarch slurry, which often includes egg whites, soy sauce and mirin for seasoning. Next, we pass the meat through oil or water to gelatinize the cornstarch on the surface of the meat thereby trapping the meat’s moisture under the protective layer of cornstarch.

I typically use both the baking soda and cornstarch slurry methods simultaneously, which is what we will do in my recipe for orange beef and broccoli.

Orange Beef and Broccoli

Chef Way

An aromatic, sweet and sour orange sauce paired classically with beef and broccoli.

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Ingredients

2 lbs flank steak

Baking soda Velvet

1 tsp per pound of beef or 1.5% the weight of the beef in baking soda
¼ cup of water to disperse baking soda

Cornstarch Velvet & Marinade

2 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
White pepper to taste
Salt to taste
MSG to taste
1-2 egg whites (optional)

Orange Sauce (for 2 lbs beef + vegetables)

Zest of 1-2 medium oranges julienned
1 tsp ginger minced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp scallion whites minced
2 tbsp honey
1½ c orange juice from concentrate
⅓ c soy sauce
⅔ c water
¼ c rice wine vinegar
1¼ c white granulated sugar (120 g)
Salt and white pepper to taste

Orange Beef and Broccoli

2 lbs sliced flank steak
A handful or two of broccoli florets
2 medium carrots sliced ¼-inch thin on the bias
Orange sauce
Cornstarch slurry (25 g cornstarch + 25 g water)
Vegetable oil – to velvet beef and stir fry

Instructions

Baking soda Velvet

Slice the flank steak with the grain into 3-inch-wide pieces. Next, to cut the beef into stir-fry size, slice ½-inch thick slices of the steak against the grain and on a bias. Measure the beef in grams and weigh out 1.5% of the weight of the beef in baking soda. (For example, 100 grams of beef will need 1.5 g of baking soda). If you do not have a scale, measure 1 tsp of baking soda per pound of beef. Add the baking soda to ¼ cup of water and stir to hydrate it evenly. Pour the baking soda mixture onto the beef. Mix the beef around with your hands until all slices have contacted the baking soda solution. Put this into the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours to tenderize. When the beef is done tenderizing, thoroughly rinse the beef with cold water a colander placed inside of a bowl in the sink. Rinse 3-4 times agitating the beef to remove the baking soda. Once the beef is rinsed remove as much water from it as possible and set it to the side.

Cornstarch Velvet & Marinade

Into a small mixing bowl add the cornstarch, white pepper, salt and MSG. Stir with a whisk to disperse the cornstarch into the seasonings. Next add the wet ingredients, soy sauce, mirin, oil, and egg white (optional). Stir with a whisk vigorously to combine. To the beef, add the cornstarch marinade. Mix with your hands until all slices are evenly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate 30 minutes – 1 hour. Next, prepare the orange sauce.

Orange Sauce

In a medium size mixing bowl add the julienned orange zest, minced garlic clove, minced ginger, minced scallion white, honey, orange juice, soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Next, in a separate small mixing bowl, mix 25 g of cornstarch with 25 grams of water to be added to the orange sauce as a thickener in the wok. Set the cornstarch slurry to the side.

Orange Beef and Broccoli

In a large wok add enough vegetable oil to comfortably fry all the beef in two or three batches depending on the size of your wok. Do not overcrowd the wok. Ensure you leave enough headspace for water to evaporate off of the beef as it passes through the oil. Heat the oil to 350ºF. Fry the beef for 60-80 seconds in the oil to set the cornstarch on the outside of the beef. This is a very brief fry and is not intended to create golden brown crispiness. Set the beef on a paper towel to drain.
Remove the oil from the wok and clean any debris out. Add 2-3 tbsp of fresh oil to the wok. Heat the oil up until it is almost smoking and add the carrot and broccoli. Stir fry this on very high heat for around 90 seconds. Remove the vegetables and heat the wok up again. Add the orange sauce to the hot wok being careful for flare ups. Next add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine. Over high heat reduce and thicken the sauce until it becomes glossy and begins to boil. Next add the beef and vegetables and stir fry to combine for 60 seconds. Turn the heat off and enjoy with white or fried rice.

Notes

Cornstarch Velvet Ratios:

Cornstarch- 1 tsp : 1 lb meat
Oil- 2 tsp : 1 lb meat
Soy sauce- 1 tsp : 1 lb meat
Mirin- 1 tsp : 1 lb meat
Egg white- 1 : 1 lb meat
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste