Beef for stir fry?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello rfc experts,

I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
advice. My questions are:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

Any cut that you would grill/fry as a steak on its own without tenderising
treatment.

Quoted message said:

2) I have heard that whatever cut of beef I get, I should freeze it
first and then cut "across the grain" of the meat. Apologies for my
ignorance, but how does one determine "the grain" of the meat, and how
to cut against it? If someone could give a detailed description of
what directions the fibers in the meat should be as I'm slicing it,
'twould be much appreciated!

You can do that as it makes it easier to hold it in shape and to cut thinly.
However if you get a nice bit of steak and have a sharp knife it isn't that
hard to cut at room temperature.

Steak is part of a muscle, the fibres run down the muscle from the
attachment at one end to the other. If for example you got a whole fillet
then the fibres would run from one end to the other.

When you cut along the fibre you will see lines a bit like string, although
good steak should not be stringy, this is only a manner of speaking. When
you cut across you see dots or segments like you are looking at the end of
cut string. This is really easy to see in some cuts of beef eg corned
silverside, not so easily in others.

If you cannot work it out by inspection ask an expert (ie your butcher) to
show you.

Quoted message said:

3) What is the best way to prep the beef for stir-frying after slicing
it up? I've seen references to "velveting" the meat with various
combinations of cornstarch and egg-white, and would especially
appreciate an explanation of the purposes of preparing meat for
stir-frying (whether marinating or otherwise).

If you get good meat this isn't really necessary. Many chinese cook books
describe various techniques for tenderising meat, to me this is more
required if using economy cuts. If your bufget is limited this becomes more
necessary.

David

G'day David,

Just a note to compliment you on a polite and useful response to a
"newbie" question. It's a pleasure to see such courtesy and
helpfulness in an age when USENET has largely degenerated into a
contest of smartarses and information-free posts such as "Google is
your friend". Keep it up, mate!

In article <[email hidden]>,

David Hare-Scott said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello rfc experts,

I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
advice. My questions are:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

Any cut that you would grill/fry as a steak on its own without tenderising
treatment.

Quoted message said:

2) I have heard that whatever cut of beef I get, I should freeze it
first and then cut "across the grain" of the meat. Apologies for my
ignorance, but how does one determine "the grain" of the meat, and how
to cut against it? If someone could give a detailed description of
what directions the fibers in the meat should be as I'm slicing it,
'twould be much appreciated!

You can do that as it makes it easier to hold it in shape and to cut thinly.
However if you get a nice bit of steak and have a sharp knife it isn't that
hard to cut at room temperature.

Steak is part of a muscle, the fibres run down the muscle from the
attachment at one end to the other. If for example you got a whole fillet
then the fibres would run from one end to the other.

When you cut along the fibre you will see lines a bit like string, although
good steak should not be stringy, this is only a manner of speaking. When
you cut across you see dots or segments like you are looking at the end of
cut string. This is really easy to see in some cuts of beef eg corned
silverside, not so easily in others.

If you cannot work it out by inspection ask an expert (ie your butcher) to
show you.

Quoted message said:

3) What is the best way to prep the beef for stir-frying after slicing
it up? I've seen references to "velveting" the meat with various
combinations of cornstarch and egg-white, and would especially
appreciate an explanation of the purposes of preparing meat for
stir-frying (whether marinating or otherwise).

If you get good meat this isn't really necessary. Many chinese cook books
describe various techniques for tenderising meat, to me this is more
required if using economy cuts. If your bufget is limited this becomes more
necessary.

Cheers, Phred.

--
[email hidden]

beckyjane wrote ..

Quoted message said:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?
2) I have heard that whatever cut of beef I get, I should freeze it
first and then cut "across the grain" of the meat.
3) What is the best way to prep the beef for stir-frying

In my stir-frying I found that the technique of very high heat and
short cooking times to be designed for inexpensive meals.
The cheapest cut you can find will work if it is sliced thin and
cooked very hot. Freezing makes it easy to slice thin. I usually
coat with cornstarch.
Try it all, opinions vary.

David Hare-Scott said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

Any cut that you would grill/fry as a steak on its own without
tenderising treatment.

Good answer. Many make do as CaptCook does, and he's correct that the
fast cooking, thin slicing method helps. But if we're after *good*
food, let's start with good ingredients. A better cut of beef allows
thicker slices, which if not overcooked will be more succulent. We
have even used New York cut steaks, U.S. grade choice, when they are
available for not too much money from Costco. Flank steak is a popular
choice, in part because it's easy to see the grain and cut across
(i.e., perpendicular to) it. Some supermarkets sell cut up scraps of
unknown origin as "stirfry beef." By inspection, not actual use, I'd
say to avoid it.

Quoted message said:

[snips]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3) What is the best way to prep the beef for stir-frying after
slicing it up? I've seen references to "velveting" the meat with
various combinations of cornstarch and egg-white, and would
especially appreciate an explanation of the purposes of preparing
meat for stir-frying (whether marinating or otherwise).

If you get good meat this isn't really necessary. Many chinese cook
books describe various techniques for tenderising meat, to me this is
more required if using economy cuts. If your budget is limited this
becomes more necessary.

Also good answer. But the preliminary marinade also adds flavor,
besides any tenderizing effect. We most commonly put 1 or 2 TB each of
soy sauce and rice wine (or sherry) in equal proportions, with a little
bit of cornstarch stirred in smoothly, in a bowl and add the beef as we
slice it. Let it sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Egg
white is nice but more trouble than we usually take.

Velveting is a completely different topic and technique. It's a
preliminary half-cooking in low to moderately hot oil before the
stirfry. I'd not fool with it as a novice, but come back to it later.
It's one of the reasons good restaurant food can beat home-cooking.

Final tip: don't overcook the beef. One way to control this is to
cook it last. For example, using very high heat throughout:
1. Stirfry dried shiitake mushrooms, pre-soaked, squeezed and
sliced, for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Stirfry snowpeas (peapods), strings removed, for 30 seconds.
Push vegetables to sides (or up, in a wok), add a bit more oil if
necessary and a smashed garlic clove.
3. Add sliced beef to wok/pan, spread it out so all of it is in
contact with pan. When it is cooked *on one side*, 1 to 2 minutes, add
oyster sauce to taste (say 2 TB for 1 lb beef), stir everything
together, and serve.

-aem

<beckyjanekaizerman ...

Quoted message said:

Hello rfc experts,

I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
advice. My questions are:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

Generally, mid-range (sirloin/top sirloin), not too tough to need long
cooking, but not too tender that it will turn to mush.

Quoted message said:

2) I have heard that whatever cut of beef I get, I should freeze it
first and then cut "across the grain" of the meat. Apologies for my
ignorance, but how does one determine "the grain" of the meat, and how
to cut against it? If someone could give a detailed description of
what directions the fibers in the meat should be as I'm slicing it,
'twould be much appreciated!

Freezing meat for stir-frying is just this---if the meat is at about 3/4 -
2/3 thaw, you can slice any way you want, as thin as you want. After the
slicing, it thaws in minutes in the marinade---there is enough freeze/froze
in the meat to keep it stable for very thin slicing.

Quoted message said:

3) What is the best way to prep the beef for stir-frying after slicing
it up? I've seen references to "velveting" the meat with various
combinations of cornstarch and egg-white, and would especially
appreciate an explanation of the purposes of preparing meat for
stir-frying (whether marinating or otherwise).

[email hidden]

Hello rfc experts,

I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
advice.

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

I prefer any lean cut... mechanically tenderized, thinly sliced, and
well marinated... that's how the typical oriental restaurant does.
Even lean chuck works well. No normal brained individual stir fries
expensive tender beef cuts... I mean like stir fried porterhouse is
simply nutz.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sheldon said:

[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

Quoted message said:

I prefer any lean cut... mechanically tenderized, thinly sliced, and
well marinated... that's how the typical oriental restaurant does.
Even lean chuck works well. No normal brained individual stir fries
expensive tender beef cuts... I mean like stir fried porterhouse is
simply nutz.

We normally use sirloin. The key is in how you cook it. If you over cook
it, you might as well use shoe leather. You need to just cook the beef
until most of the red is gone. It will then be tender and juicy.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS
[email hidden]

Sheldon wrote in message
<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden]

Hello rfc experts,

I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
advice.

1) What cut of beef is best for a stir-fry?

I prefer any lean cut... mechanically tenderized, thinly sliced, and
well marinated... that's how the typical oriental restaurant does.
Even lean chuck works well. No normal brained individual stir fries
expensive tender beef cuts... I mean like stir fried porterhouse is
simply nutz.

ive used tenderloin for stir-fries and beef stroganoff on the rare occasions
where i have gotten a really excellent deal on it. *so* good. but not at
regular prices 🙂 it works just fine, but you have to barely cook the meat.

--
saerah

TANSTAAFL

CrzyBitch (3:25:06 AM): I'm a secret agent, and a princess