One of the simple but effective tips is to use a small amount of cornstarch (corn flour) during the meat marinating process. A thin layer of flour surrounding the surface helps retain water inside the meat fibers when exposed to high temperatures, thereby limiting the meat from becoming dry or tough.
To do this, after preliminary processing and slicing the meat into thin bite-sized pieces, the cook can marinate it with basic spices such as fish sauce, seasoning granules or soy sauce. Then, use about 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for 300-500g of meat, mix well so that the flour lightly covers the surface. Next, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and stir well again before letting the meat rest for about 15-20 minutes.
Chefs call this the technique of "blowing moisture" for ingredients. Cooking oil helps reduce friction between meat slices when stir-frying, while also supporting maintaining the softness and gloss of the dish.
This method is suitable for most types of meat used for stir-frying such as beef, pork, chicken or duck. When processing, you should heat the pan first and then add the meat and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Do not stir-fry for too long because prolonged high temperatures will cause protein to contract strongly, causing the meat to lose water and become dry and hard.
With just a little cornstarch and cooking oil before cooking, the stir-fried meat will be softer, richer and significantly more attractive.
