Have you ever wondered why the beef in a restaurant stir-fry is impossibly tender, while the same cut of meat cooked at home can be disappointingly tough? The secret isn't a mystery cut, but a foundational technique known as velveting. It begins with thin slices of beef, coated in a silken slurry of cornstarch, egg white, and Shaoxing wine. This mixture acts as a protective armor, a nearly invi...
