> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello rfc experts,
>
> I want to do a beef stir-fry sometime this weekend, and need a bit of
> advice. My questions a
>
> 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.

> 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.


> 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