chinese take out: A friend and I are discussing chinese take out while we are eating beef & broccoli we just picked up. Our question is this...what makes the beef chinese food stores use so tender? No matter where we get it at, it is always tender and has a unique texture. Anyone know the reason behind this, or better yet worked in such a place to know the secret?|||Along with the other two answers, the meat is sliced thin, across the grain, and cooked quickly.|||perhaps it is not beef. ; )|||I'm not sure about marinating it in lime soda , but yes..they marinate it for a long time in some sort of marinade sauce which breaks down the muscle in it and makes it tender...|||Most restaurants prefer to Quickly use fresh meat - not ---marinating-waiting for an order-let me waste a few minutes using/cleaning etc a mallet on the meat. 1) cut the meat AGAINST the grain 2) Lightly coat with corn starch 3) cook quickly in stainless steel pot/pan that has heated (very hot) peanut oil in it. 4) throw prepped veggies and condiments in. 5) Stir around to coat food with flavor 6) Serve asap nice 'n' hot! =)|||This reminds me of an experience I had one time while eating a beef dish at a Chinese restaurant. The cook came out and talked to me. He said something like, "Many people ask me how I get the beef so tender. I tell them special Chinese cow. But no, just kidding, it's marinated."|||Cats. Bwwhhhahahaha.|||Perhaps it is tenderized with a meat mallet.|||They marinate it in in lime Soda! like seven up, or sprite. the other day I was watching food network, and they were making this dish called bibimbop, and bulgogi, and the woman said that asian chefs (her family as well) marinate meat in lime sodas, and therefore tenderizing the meat. I thought this was different, but pretty neat. Check out this link, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/鈥?/a> They have the recipe online. It shows the marinade. Good luck. Hope this helps|||the marinade for the beef contains baking soda, which chemically breaks down the proteins and gives the meat a tender texture|||It is tenderized, i.e. beaten with a mallet with many points. It breaks down the texture of the meat and makes it very tender. Even the cheapest cuts of meat can be tenderized in the manner! It is usually marinated as well, this help to break it down as well!|||they marinated the meat with tenderizer