Stir fry is our go-to meal during farm season.
We take inspiration from what’s in season and looking great at the market or in the garden each week. Combined with chicken and served over rice, it’s fresh and filling. And fast.
The great thing about stir fry is that it’s versatile. The tips below are a jumping off point; use the market or garden as your inspiration for the rest of your meal. Look for what’s looking good, and it’s hard to go wrong.
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LET’S GET DOWN TO IT
There are a few basic techniques that will help you get great results. From there, summon your inner chef!
1. WASH YOUR MEAT
The first step to extremely tender stir-fry meat is to wash it. Wash? Yes. This isn’t about cleaning the meat – it’s clean already! – but about agitating the protein to affect the texture later.
Cut the meat into thin slices (around ~¼” thick).
Put your slices in a colander, and the colander into a bowl. Fill the bowl with water in your sink. Using your hands, agitate/squeeze/rough the slices. The water will turn a little cloudy. Drain the water off, refill with fresh water and agitate one more time.
Drain the water again. Squeeze out as much excess water from the chicken as possible, then move to a clean container. Congratulations, you’ve now washed meat and you’re on your way to a delicious stir fry.
2. MARINADE YOUR MEAT
The second step to ensuring tender meat is a marinade. Many ingredients will help develop texture and flavor, but we find the key is a little baking soda.
The best marinade is one you like to make and enjoy the taste of. If you have a go-to recipe, use that one!
If you haven’t made marinades before, you try ours below or let the internet be your guide. We aim for ~ ½ tsp baking soda per lb of meat in our marinade. Beyond that, we get loose with the exact quantities of things.
Let marinate from 1hr up to overnight (or even for a few nights). The longer you leave it, the more time it will have to get tender.
OUR GO-TO MARINADE:
(For approx. 2 lb of chicken)
Soy Sauce - approx. ¼ Cup
Cornstarch - approx. 3 Tbsp
Oyster Sauce - approx. 2 Tbsp (Dark Soy Sauce also works!)
Shao Hsing Wine - approx. 2 Tbsp - (Sake or Dry Sherry also work!)
Vegetable Oil - approx. 1 Tbsp
Salt - approx. 1 Tsp
Baking Soda - approx. 1 Tsp
3. STIR FRY TIME
Finally it’s time to taste the fruits of your labor! Add the chicken to your fav stir fry recipe, cook, and serve over rice.
For best stir fry results use a wok over an open flame, but an electric burner and a piping hot pan will also do the job just fine.
Use the market or garden as your inspiration for the rest of your meal. Look for veg that is looking yummy, and it’s hard to go wrong.
Sauce is another key component to a tasty stir fry. We usually whip something up with our pantry ingredients, nothing too specific other than good sauce makes everything better!
Adding in aromatics like ginger and garlic are a great way to enhance any stir fry.
Eat hot & enjoy!