Stir-Fried Beef With Oyster Sauce | MasterClass | Authentic Restaurant Recipes

First, cut the beef into 3 equal parts. Inspect the beef and look for long muscle fibers, and then slice thinly against the grain at 30-40 degree angle to get the most tender bite.

Velveting beef: In a medium bowl, add the beef slices, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, cornstarch, and eggs, and mix until the beef is well-coated. The marinade forms a gossamer-thin coating and tenderize meat, help it retain moisture, and increase its savoriness.

In a wok over high heat, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the straw mushrooms into the boiling water and cook for 20-30 seconds. Remove the mushrooms and immediately pour cold water over it. Drain well and set aside.

Oil-velveting: In a wok over high heat, add the oil. When the oil temperature reaches 210°F-250°F/100°C-120°C, add the beef, and quickly stir and cook for 20 seconds. Then, add the straw mushrooms and stir until the beef is just done, and remove from the wok. Drain the oil.

In the wok over medium heat, add green onions and ginger slices, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add Shaoxing wine, chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, mix well with sugar. Once the sauce starts to boil, add water and potato starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Then, quickly add the beef and straw mushrooms, stir fry for a few times. Finally, add sesame oil and stir to mix well. Enjoy!

Oil-Velveting, or guo you (passing through oil) in Mandarin, is a technique that Chinese chefs use to make their meats so deliciously silky and tender. Similar to browning in French cuisine, velveting locks in the original flavor and texture of the protein before it is finished in the next cooking step. You can substitute with pan-frying with 2 tbsps of oil to achieve similar result at home.