The Best Cut For Beef Stir-Fry Might Not Be What You Expect

The stir-fry: Quick, versatile, and a great way to use leftover ingredients, this ancient cooking method dates back thousands of years. From sesame bok choy to Hunan-style beef, nearly any ingredient can be thrown into the wok, but when beef is on the menu, the cut you choose can make or break the dish. To find out which cut of beef fares the best in a stir-fry, Food Republic consulted Maricel Gentile, chef and owner of Maricel's Kitchen and author of "Maricel's Simply Asian cookbook." Her verdict? Flat iron is a cut above the rest.

According to Gentile, "[Flat iron] has beautiful marbling and holds up well to high heat, making it perfect for stir-frying." For stir-fries, you want your beef to be thinly sliced to ensure quick, even cooking and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This makes the flat iron a great option as it is entirely uniform in shape and texture. "Slice beef against the grain into thin strips as this helps break up the muscle fibers and makes even a tougher cut taste tender," Gentile told us.

Other steaks can work too. "Skirt, and even flank steak can all be excellent if prepared right," Gentile added. Skirt steak offers a rich, beefy flavor, while flank steak brings a leaner profile. Both shine when thinly sliced, and if you find this difficult, Gentile recommended a simple yet effective trick: "Freeze the meat for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. It firms up and slices cleanly, like cutting thin paper."

The way you marinate and slice your steak can transform an average stir-fry into something exceptional. For slicing, you only need to follow two simple rules: slice against the grain and keep your cuts thin and uniform for even cooking. According to chef Maricel Gentile, slicing against the grains "shortens the muscle fibers and keeps the meat tender." Slicing against the grain might sound like a confusing term, but this commonly used method simply refers to cutting perpendicular to the long muscle fibers that run through the meat. These fibers are what make a bite chewy, so by cutting across them, you're shortening them and making the steak far more tender.

"As for marinating, a quick 15 to 30 minute soak in a mixture with soy sauce, a little sugar, rice wine or mirin, cornstarch, and sesame oil makes a big difference," Gentile told us. The cornstarch is your secret weapon here, and "creates a protective coating and helps seal in moisture, what we call velveting in Chinese-style stir-fry." Another pantry trick to elevate your beef stir-fry is adding baking soda to the marinade mix. This will tenderize the beef by increasing the pH of the meat's surface, which prevents proteins from tightening during high-heat cooking, allowing the meat to remain juicy and tender. This is an invaluable trick that can help you save money, as you can skip the pricier cuts of beef and still be guaranteed a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth experience.