There are a few food hacks we’ve picked up over the years that we wish we’d known forever. From softening butter with a hot measuring cup to chilling wine super fast with a wet tea towel, some clever person has always found a way to get better results in the kitchen.

The latest to make the rounds is ‘velveting’ your meat. Have you ever looked at your takeaway beef and black bean and wondered how they make it so darn delicious? Well, this is how. The technique will help turn your regular beef into  tender, plump and delicious strips – just like you’d find at a Chinese restaurant.

Related story: 6 recipes for your late-night Chinese takeout fix

What is velveting?

Velveting is simple and can easily be done at home to reproduce the quality of your local Chinese restaurant.

Essentially, all you need to do is coat the meat in baking soda and water and let it sit for 30 minutes. The baking powder helps to tenderise the protein and make it smooth and soft like velvet.

According to Australian-Chinese chef Vincent Yeow Lim (better known as DimSim Lim on TikTok) the key to turning any cut of beef into ‘wagyu’ is to slice your meat against the grain, add baking soda, water, salt, sugar, chicken powder, soy sauce, corn starch and white pepper. Massage all of the ingredients together and let it sit for half an hour.

@dimsimlim How to double your beef and tenderise it at the same time. You can use this for all types of stir frys, deep fry and basically all my recipes on this page or any Chinese dish with beef. #velveting #velvetingbeef #chinesecooking ♬ original sound – dimsimlim

This method will add a huge boost of flavour to your meat but if you’re after a blank canvas for your stir fry, simply add the baking soda and water.

How to velvet meat with baking soda

1. Thinly slice 250 grams of meat of your choice
2. Sprinkle ¾ tsp baking soda over the meat
3. Add ½ cup water and massage together
4. Leave the meat in the fridge for 30 minutes
5. Rinse and pat off excess water and cook as normal

Other techniques for velveting include the use of cornstarch, which creates a coating on the meat and seals in moisture. Both techniques yield great results through different processes.

How to velvet meat with cornstarch

1. Thinly slice 250 grams of meat of your choice
2. Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with ½ cup water
3. Coat your meat really well with the cornstarch slurry
4. Leave the meat in the fridge for 30 minutes
5. Blanch the meat in simmering water for 30 seconds then cook as normal

If you’re after some inspiration, check out our speedy stir-fries to get you through the midweek madness.