Why I Wash my Meat Before Stir-Frying | Kenji’s Cooking Show

My new book, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, will be out on 3/8/2022. You can order (or preorder) it here: www.kenjilopezalt.com
Donate to No Kid Hungry here: p2p.onecause.c...
Here is my older beef and broccoli video, which does not feature the washing step I demonstrate in this video. Adding the washing step would improve the texture of the beef in the original beef and broccoli video: • Beef with Broccoli | K...
Here’s Wang Gang’s channel: / @chefwang

[@shuphrk88]

Really appreciate you shouting out other chefs and the insights they have to offer!

[@recitationtohear]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJPbgmesgtiArck Finally

[@akuro6470]

Was pleased to hear you mention Adam Liaw, both of you are chefs whose teaching (and overall vibe really) I hold in high regard

[@verb5006]

I can watch Kenji talk about any kind of meat all day!

[@danbain6678]

So good to have you back! I will never understand exactly how you have accumulated so much knowledge to be able to write to super long books and endless KZbin videos but I really appreciate it. Can't wait for the new book! Bought an outdoor wok burner to get ready for it!

[@engineerncook6138]

Great timing! I just spent a day down the extensive-washing-of-shrimp rabbit hole. When and why is extensive washing and/or brining used for shrimp? What is the best approach for shell-on, and, cut and deveined shrimp? Adam Liaw, Lucas Sin, Ming Tsai & his mom, Alton Brown, Grace Young, Ken Hom, Irene Kuo, Chinese Cooking Demystified, Cooks Illustrated, Mark Bittman (at CI in 1994), all specify washing(s) or soaking(s) in fresh or salted water for some recipes. Some add baking soda or egg whites too. Wang Gang doesn’t soak or even salt before cooking in the few shrimp (shell-on) dishes he has demonstrated. Dry brining a la Serious Eats doesn’t wash away the shrimp liquid or slime that Adam and Lucas mention. Extensive washing/salting is used in recipes for “Crystal Shrimp” or “Glass Shrimp”.

[@9LJM2]

Adam Liaw is one of my favourite chefs, watching him win one of the early seasons of MasterChef Australia was so great to see an Asian face and Asian flavours be so highly recognised in Australian media.

[@ShamrockShakee]

The fact that you used egg white and included why in the video is actually so important to me. Like “oh yeah, my daughter and I did this so we’re out of baking soda” instead of just running out to get it for the sake of the video. This is such a small but important detail because you’re showing versatility and using what you had which is an issue people cooking at home are going to run into.

[@jaredekle2562]

well said, being able to improvise is such an important cooking skill

[@StonedCrackerofHell]

Didn’t need the whole story about his daughter but yea it’s nice to know why.

[@wastrelway3226]

@@StonedCrackerofHell I liked the story. I'm sure the kids are entertained by a barfing pumpkin.

[@photodidact9513]

@@StonedCrackerofHell The anecdote is what makes Kenji's channel so special. It's not a pristine studio environment; more like hanging out with a friend while they cook.

[@StonedCrackerofHell]

@@photodidact9513 So when you hangout with your friends they like to bitch about gordan ramsay? lol

[@sandervanbeek2]

Just did this with chicken based on a (I think) serious eats article but didn’t know about the washing step. It was to try out a new carbon steel wok I bought based on yours and Ethan Cheblowski recommendation’s! Great video and keep up it with educating and inspiring people like me!

[@allenmercant8]

I've learned so much the last few weeks of Kenji's furious uploads. I made the best beef stew of my life where the beef wasn't tough and dried out. Now I'll try stir fried beef again which I gave up a long time ago. I'd love to see how to make char siu pork. I tried so many different ways but the pork was either dry, chewy, or really really greasy and fatty.

[@messykitchenpov2859]

Check out Mikey Chen or Made With Lau's recipe videos! Tried them both and they came out pretty darn good.

[@alexkeegan5933]

I am a decades-long vegan but watched this in a flash, every Kenji video is a barrage of educational insights. I don't care that I'll never prepare meat, I now know that hard water is alkaline so probably helps soften foods more than soft water!

[@CIARUNSITE]

Really making that joke about how you'll know someone's a vegan because they'll go out of their way to tell you come to life.

[@alexkeegan5933]

@@CIARUNSITE I mean I feel it was fairly relevant to my point, I'm not judging anyone who chooses to eat meat, far from it!

[@Cured_Ham]

@@alexkeegan5933 The comment could've been "Great video, very educational because I didn't know hard water with more alkaline helps soften foods". Stating you're a vegan wasn't that relevant.

[@alexkeegan5933]

Wow thanks for the advice, next time I write a comment on youtube I'll be sure to get you to draft it for me first!

[@Cured_Ham]

@@alexkeegan5933 Next time you comment don't feel the need to interject that you're a vegan and people won't even think twice about it. As the man above said, the meme came to life.

[@ThinSpirit]

Great timing, was just getting ready to prep stir fry for tonight and saw this. Thanks for all the youtube conent Kenji! Looking forward to the release of your new book.

[@asifsba1]

Love the shout out to Chef Wang. He is awesome! Thanks Kenji! Your future and present self are both amazing! ☺️

[@89Valkyrie]

Absolutely the best way to learn how to cook if you're a complete beginner. You walk us through the whole process from your point of view. So good!

[@LupusImmortalis]

Jamon's paw at the bottom in the overhead shot. So cute!

[@nancydelu4061]

Love the dog wagging his tail under the table/block while you work. Omoshiroi!!

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

The best cooking teacher on KZbin.

[@JohnHausser]

Thanks for this Kenji Cheers from Montreal 🇨🇦

[@TheBat149]

Person that grew up in Hong Kong here: in addition to washing the beef and marination as Kenji has made here I recommend also adding water to the marinade in the beef - about 1tbsp per 100g. The actual purpose of washing beef for stir fry is to get rid of gaminess and myoglobin - but also serves the purpose of allowing more marinade into the beef as Kenji has described. For a cleaner yet juicier flavour, add fresh water to the beef marinade and it will also come out juicier while also working with the cornstarch to insulate and slow down the rate at which the beef looses moisture. In Cantonese cooking you typically add water two-three times and vigorously mix it into the beef between each addition till the bottom of the bowl is dry (see 3:45 in kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXTWl5igfaaib5o). It's also done with things like porkchop (watch made with lau do it in this recipe kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5uyZGaAq8qEqNE)This is done prior to adding flavoured sauces, starch and tenderisers - though the order doesn't make a difference

[@justinbrown4562]

How much of the increased tenderness can be attributed to massaging the beef in water vs in the marinade (or just massaging it dry)? What test was done to isolate that the rough massaging of the meat wasn't the primary factor in making it more tender? such as doing a side by side of roughly massaging vs massaging in water? Maybe the meat can act as a sponge and as you squeeze the beef, the fibers push and pull water in and out. The force on the "sponge," since water is incompressible, moves fibers apart as the water tries to find the path out.

[@mazdah2395]

Bump!

[@rsloveeeee]

Great comment. I'm also curious why we'd use water when the USDA says this isn't recommended and just spreads bacteria. I like the dry rub idea though.

[@spencerharrill5572]

at 1:47 you reference a channel, and say you'll put in description! i dont see it, just thought i'd mention

[@AncientTyrant]

Chef Wang Gang: kzbin.info/door/g0m_Ah8P_MQbnn77-vYnYw

[@theatk]

kenji, thank you so much for making these videos! it sounds like one of the pups might have an ear infection (shaking its head a lot)

[@Ponch316]

That's what I was thinking. I hope he noticed it.

[@jaredanson]

Adam Liaw's channel is great. His videos are just so peaceful and relaxing

[@pjtruslow]

Recently got your book. I had no idea I had ordered a textbook on wok cooking. When it came, I told my wife it was a tome.

[@KTaktin]

I love your videos and, as a huge fan of Wang Gang, I also love when you give him a shoutout. That said, would it be possible if you gave it the best effort to pronounce his name closest to the proper pronunciation? That is, both "Wang" and "Gang" spoken with a "long/gong" sound at the end instead of an "Aang" (of Avatar renown) sound. It's not super important, but a best effort at pronunciation is always greatly appreciated! All's said and done, your videos are always a huge pleasure to watch, and I love how you credit other chefs for certain ideas. Thank you for the great content!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes I will definitely try to remember next time!

[@TokyoBlue587]

At last I learned the secret! I love beef stir fries but it was always too tough - definitely going to try this method! Thanks!!

[@gokblok]

Yeah, same here. I've wondered for decades how to get those tender strips of meat.

[@Christopher0601]

it's nice that you can tell this was recorded a lil bit ago because you were having your halloween leftovers recently - i'm glad that you're still taking some time away from youtube for your new family member. I hope you're well, kenji - and we hope to see you back properly whenever you're ready for it :)

[@haines96]

Another question is about raising pH (more alkaline) versus lowering it (more acidic). For braising beef, we like to add acid, but for veletizing we want more basic. Is that because veletizing is working on meat fibres but braising is working more on collagen tissue?

[@shanoon6]

Thanks Kenji. Very excited for your new book!

[@InCartersEyes]

thank you for always sharing your knowledge. I went to culinary school, and you remind me a lot of the chef I actually really enjoyed working with and learning under.

[@lazulim6067]

Not gonna lie, i've started watching your videos recently, and they're amazing, but hearing the "guys gals and nb pals" at the end had me in tears, ive been smiling like an idiot for like 10 min now. Love what youre doing, keep up the amazing work, you rock.

[@MysticalDragon73]

and its the non binary nonsense shite that made me stop watching. He ruined a great video with that shite. Theres male and female PERIOD not this other shite.

[@teunputker]

As a Westerner who has been told many times washing meat is unnecessary and in a worst case scenario pretty dangerous, this felt very incredibly awkward to watch. But I trust your research and I'm definitely trying this for my next beef stir fry!

[@JM12422]

Beef doesn't have the same dangers as chicken when it comes to washing. Washing to "clean" the meat is pretty useless and risky.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I wash chicken for stir fries as well.

[@ThePositron2]

It's unnecessary and counterproductive to wash meat to try to clean it. In this specific scenario it is done for culinary reasons only.

[@teunputker]

@@ThePositron2 Yes, I got that, thanks for your explanation though!:)

[@benjaminm4702]

@@ThePositron2 Doesn't matter why you do it though, it's the same results. There is quite a risk in washing meat (especially chicken) due to spreading of dangerous pathogens (i.e campylobacter and salmonella) that I don't think it is good advice.

[@lyahlahm1515]

IMO the purpose of washing and draining is to wash out the blood inside hence to remove the “bloody” odor. Same as the blanching process shown in many meat dish cookings.

[@Harta23]

So amazing Cook ❣️😻❣️❣️ Thanks for the new recipe Good evening ☀️☀️☀️ here 🌄🌄 in Macau

[@reese2694]

2:50 - washes hands. 3:20 - washes hands. I got something in common with Kenji! Always feels like that's half my time in the kitchen. Edit: wait, leftover Halloween pumpkin in January? Puking pumpkin indeed

[@earlystrings1]

Chef Wang Gang is fire but i honestly never thought of washing the meat. I always assumed for no good reason it was a chinese cultural thing about getting rid of blood. Will absolutely try it.

[@zhoudavi850]

Hey Kenji, awesome video as usual. Is this a beef specific process, or do you do the same washing for chicken/pork?

[@MrIrondollfie]

Pork yes. It’s not necessary for chicken.

[@Jonpoo1]

That thumbnail is really trippy like some Stanley Kubrick. Thanks for another great video. Glad you’re back. :)

[@neilusher3368]

This is why I try to keep an open mind of how people approach cooking in different culture, people who have been doing it for generations have to know some something. I remember when "washing" the meat was ridiculed as useless but you can also get clearer and more flavorful stock as well, dumping the first blanching or boiling of the meat and bones of scum before boiling again.

[@dicecard921]

Washing the meat is useless from a hygiene perspective, this is not that, this is washing for tenderization purposes

[@neilusher3368]

@@dicecard921 Completely missed the point.

[@albertozaffonato1325]

Can't wait for the cookbook, my wok is ready

[@TheBlackinator93]

Such a good video! Super helpful.

[@jakeb1078]

5:54 that's some quality asmr right there lol

[@jonathanyip6711]

what about chicken?

[@khaledzurikat7190]

very educational

[@deadfr0g]

Me watching this video while I sit in a bubble bath with my steaks: “Oh, so I haven’t been doing this right.”

[@STV-H4H]

Finally at 7:24 or so you address the baking soda, and than you didn’t. Velveting. You glossed right to the verge of Chinese technique for making tough cuts soft and sailed just past. I’m curious why, though I guess it’s because the marinade topic being the thing, it’s still essentially the same with the marinade being the catalyst instead. Hope I worded that right. Love your videos. You and Adam and Nick (sip and feast) have far better content than nearly anyone else. Not completely, but certainly the ones I refer to first for edutainment!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I’m not sure what you’re saying here.

[@JaredSutter]

What if you just roughly handle the meat strips, and squeeze out some of the juices, instead of soaking with water? That seems like it would accomplish the same goals (allowing the meat to soak up the marinade, and tenderizing the meat) without replacing the meat juices with excess water.

[@slimthickens3981]

0:11 I can finally know what it feels like to be a pot in Kenji's kitchen

[@SuperLankowitz]

I see two steps here - 1, rinsing the meat in cold water, and 2, squeezing the heck out of it a few times. Did you look at isolating those factors from each other? Aka, run 1 batch under water then massage and squeeze, run another w/ just a massage and squeeze?

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes.

[@FujitheChef]

The baking soda and corn starch elements, would those work for a bulgogi marinade?

[@inthedresselhaus]

Just bought your book, and loosely followed a recipe -- my goodness. This technique is incredible. Question tho -- how long can I leave chicken slices in this mixture (baking soda/fish sauce/corn starch) in the fridge? Would love to prep ahead of time!

[@dennisscholz4796]

Hey Kenji, great Video. What is the knife you are using here? I am currently looking for a chinese chefs knife in this style and it would be great if you could share which knife you use / where you got it from.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Shibazi cleaver.

[@pot8ers405]

Love your content Kenji :)

[@agn855]

Getting rid of the excess water using a salad spinner?

[@opensocietyenjoyer]

doesn't the acidity of that little wine completely neutralize whatever alkalinity the egg white put to the mix? couldn't it just be that the protein from the egg is what makes it better?

[@TheArcSet]

Thanks for this.

[@lucdamiani]

"Why I wash my meat instead of my cutting board." Oh wait, wrong creator. Great video, Kenji!

[@WilliaMega88]

Any idea why my chicken sticks to the bottom of my carbon steel wok? I thought it was the corn starch/baking soda. Do people rinse the meat after it marinades to avoid this?

[@jasminm.2607]

Love your videos. Is your dog okay, he is constantly shaking himself in this video, drove me konde crazy🙈

[@michaelt1408]

I'm wondering if you could do this technique before adding an acidic marinade like a yogurt based marinade or if the acidity would "un-do" the tenderization done by the alkalinity.

[@mohammed.kitchen465]

Awesome recipe

[@howtoreviewanything2615]

I think your dog is shaking his ears a lot from the sound of it, you should check it out just in case its not infected

[@SomeShows]

Was thinking this too, dog homie is definitely going thru something, I personally couldn’t focus on any instructions because I heard that in the background every 7 seconds. Kinda painful

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

He’s a shar pei with very folly ears. We have to dig out a small mountain of ear wax every couple weeks. That day must have been ear-cleaning day haha.

[@SomeShows]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt that’s a relief. Excavate that little guy! Your dogs are obviously sweeties. Shouts out Kenji for keeping my skills up

[@fairlane32]

I have to comment to using papain to marinate beef: I would not use it. I used less than an eighth of a teaspoon for about 1.5-2lbs of flank steak, both for 30 min and then less than 10 and the beef not only fell apart but tasted so chalky I wouldn’t use it again. Anything that I’m missing in using this potent ingredient? Chris and Steph from CCD had suggested NOT to marinate anything with papain longer than 10 min. Which I did. I think it was about 5 min and then I cooked the stir fry. Maybe a different brand? Otherwise I think I’ll stick to a little baking soda and egg white.

[@TheBat149]

how'd u get your hands on papain?

[@bluzone2087]

@@TheBat149 papayas.

[@TheYertletheTurtle]

Hey Kenji, Love the video as usual, I just had a small question; would you advise the same method for chicken? I would be afraid my chicken breast might get a stringy texture from roughing it up while washing. And would you advise something different for chicken thighs? Much love.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes!

[@disco_bard]

5:40 is what Cardi B was talking about. Mix dat sliced beef in my pot...!

[@jesussalinas3947]

5:35 “I should call her”

[@DJ-jj2ik]

One of the best stirfry meat preparation videos I've ever seen... and one of the worst examples of handwashing the world has ever known.

[@fairlane32]

I’ve done both washing and not washing the beef and I couldn’t find any difference in texture or tenderness so I don’t know why. I also usually use both baking soda and an egg or egg white and marinate for anywhere between 15, 25, 30 min up to an hour. Never marinated overnight though. However I did make the mistake of using too much papain once and wound up making beef and broccoli bolognese. 🤣🤣

[@fairlane32]

Another thing I have noticed is some channels say to wash the meat and then they will add water to the marinade; usually a tablespoon or two so, yeah, color me confused 😐

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I’m surprised to hear this because the difference in texture is really drastic in washed vs. Unwashed!

[@fairlane32]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt Yes, it’s certainly odd; maybe it’s the cut of beef I’m using? Usually flank from Costco so I don’t know. I have no problem washing my beef or chicken if I have the time. By the way I can’t wait for your WOK cookbook. As a public librarian who maintains the cookbook collection it’s already pre ordered for our library and I preordered a personal copy 🤩

[@Aisha11ish]

Will it still come out fine if you don't wash it

[@vinhbanh7588]

Can you do this with pork too?

[@burkekronenberger1137]

Jamón bringin’ some BIG time jowl flapping sound effects in this scene

[@alicangok]

What's Jamon doing in the background? Did he take a swim or something, shaking off the excess water? (2:18, 3:03, 3:22, 3:36, 3:52, 4:03, 4:18, 4:27, 4:36, 4:51, 5:03 ...) Is he alright? Hope it's not an ear infection.

[@peterr.1596]

Nice video. I was wondering about the theory that high ph tenderizes meat. Wouldn't you have to get rid of the soy sauce for this to work? I did a quick google search and soy sauce seems to have a ph of approx. 4.5, egg white approx. 9. One egg white is roughly 30g. If you add 10ml of soy sauce, the final ph value should be approx. 7.8, which is still pretty neutral and only slightly alkaline. I did not do any testing on this, but wouldn't it make the meat event more tender to use the soy sauce after cooking, instead of marinating the beef with it?

[@peterr.1596]

Actually doing some more research, I found that beef has a ph value of 5.5-6 because of the lactic acids. So washing it with plain water, especially slightly alkaline water could bring up the ph by removing some of the lactic acid and perhaps induce the same effect as adding some baking soda without washing

[@RiamsWorld]

Interesting about the lactic acid. I've read that low stress environments for cows was preferred because stress depletes glycogen which becomes lactic acid, so lactic acid improved the quality of meat. I'm curious about the distinction.

[@were_all_fact6026]

I'm not a fan of baking soda in meat as it makes a strange sour smell and taste. It does make it tender and juicy though. I will be trying the egg yolk as a substitute thanks for that.

[@SteakMeatpie]

Man, I remember when Kenji first posted his go-pro cooking video. Now look where we are. Kenji sure is an interesting lad.

[@kinorinadiy]

Interesting video topic. I always thought you weren't supposed to wash meat since it contaminates the sink.

[@RysloFC]

I hear a pup making the sounds of an ear infection.

[@matthewsmall9128]

Is sherry cooking wine the same as dry sherry…or did I just ruin the marinade?

[@sargundhillon2808]

You mention that you might use baking soda instead of egg white? Doesn't the egg white effective making this velveting? Do you lose the benefits of velveting (or is this even velveting) if you use baking soda?

[@joecwik]

I'm not seeing the link for the channel that got you to wash your beef.... Am I missing something?

[@straygaze]

My grandma would use the "beef water" or "meat water" to water the plants.

[@Josh101]

1:53 I'm really interested to know what kettle that is and what the buttons do,.,.

[@Josh101]

@MrLegoblokje cool!

[@joshl.2926]

Have you tested doing all the same things but without using water? ie squeezing out all the excess liquid and massaging it.

[@BGrab]

I love you Kenji 😍

[@yx8130]

Will adding baking soda to a dish like pan seared chicken breast help retain moisture?

[@rhysarcher]

Can potato starch be subbed for corn starch (also wonder for your chicken wing recipe), or is there something special about corn starch that other ‘starches’ won’t do?

[@drm857]

Do you rinse ALL stir fry meats (thinking chicken in particular here, or shrimp).

[@wastrelway3226]

Do you ever tenderize it with the back of the knife before you cut it up?

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

I would've lost my shit if this had just been a video about him taking a shower before cooking lmao.

[@wiwychen]

Will the washing technic work for pork and chicken? Or is it only for beef?

[@Amorrn]

Does this also work for chicken? I don't usually make beef but I often make chicken stir fries and am wondering if I should try this technique. Normally I do not wash any meat that I cook, just dry it off with a paper towel out of the packaging. I recognize that you said the marinade works for chicken as well but not sure if the technique itself would make a difference with chicken. Thanks in advance and love your work!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes!

[@rawrmachine1162]

Hey Kenji, Would you be able to get the same meat juice extraction and tenderizing qualities if you just massaged the heck out of the meat without washing? Obviously, that would negate any potential alkaline properties of the water that you mentioned, but if we're able to get that from the marinade, I'm wondering if that's another alternative to washing it. Or maybe that's what you did in your side by side tests? Do you think it's possible, or am I completely off base? Thanks for your awesome videos, sir!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Water makes a big difference!

[@rawrmachine1162]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt thanks, Kenji! Always appreciate the knowledge nuggets you give to the community.

[@dskidgel]

Do you recommend the Made In Carbon Fiber Wok?

[@SafwanChowdhury99]

What was your dog up to in the background?

[@cebo494]

Is the washing the important part or is the massaging the important part? If you did a similar pre-marinade massage without rinsing, would you still get the same effect?

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Washing in water to really break apart the muscle.

[@Ortex313]

I see washing beef, but what about the other meats?

[@billbennington4444]

how do you store dry sherry? does it go bad relatively quick like wine? do i need to keep it in the fridge? thanks anyone that knows

[@Yamazuya]

Generally speaking it's very similar to regular wine. That being said the darker the sherry is the longer it'll keep when opened (age is another factor here, of course) but if you want to make sure it keeps as long as possible put the cork in and store it in the fridge. Preferably standing up.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

It keeps better than wine because sherry is oxidized during fermentation so doesn’t react to air as adversely as normal wine does. Keep it in a corked bottle in a cool dark pantry.

[@Asemco]

5:52 Captions On

[@qwe1231]

Where's the link for Wang Ang(sp?)?

[@MisterPulley]

Who is the Sichuan chef I should be following? there's no link

[@swisski]

Wang Gang

[@y3n0]

kzbin.info/door/g0m_Ah8P_MQbnn77-vYnYw

[@rowee270]

Adam Liaw: kzbin.info

[@haikumagician4363]

@Kenji Do you still cut and wash Chicken the same way you would beef?

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes.