"Sliding oil" is also a very important step in Chinese cooking that should not be underestimated, and it is generally used for marinated meats.
Key Tips
Pre-processing Step 2: Oil-Slicking (Hua You) Coat meat ingredients with a starch slurry, then heat a generous amount of oil in a wok to 30-60% of its maximum temperature (about 180-300°F / 80-150°C) depending on the texture of the ingredient, and cook the coated meat in the oil until done—this process is called oil-slicking. The oil quantity should be enough to fully submerge the ingredients being processed. The word "slick" in cooking means using a large amount of warm oil to cook raw ingredients. Oil-slicking keeps the ingredients tender and removes excess moisture, preventing failure during stir-frying due to water leakage and making the finished dish more visually appealing.
Key Tips
The oil temperature for oil-slicking is very important; generally, 50% hot (around 300°F/150°C) is best, though some special ingredients like liver require a lower temperature of 30% to 40% hot (around 225-275°F/110-135°C). The oil temperature must be controlled precisely—if it's too low, the batter coating on the meat will easily fall off in the pan, rendering it useless; if it's too high, closer to deep-frying, the meat will lose moisture and become tough, even with a good batter.
Because home stoves have lower heat output, and with a smaller wok and less oil, you should heat the oil to about half a notch higher than usual when pre-frying ingredients in oil; otherwise, the oil temperature will drop very quickly once the ingredients go in, and if it falls too low, the batter coating will slide off. Note: only through repeated practice and flexible application can you become a master.
Example: Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat, then slide the marinated meat or vegetables into the oil and quickly stir to separate, cooking just until the surface changes color or the ingredients become slightly translucent, then drain and set aside.
Sauce-Explosion Chicken Cubes
Stir-frying the chicken cubes in oil gives them a silky, tender texture; skipping this step will make them dry and tough, so don't leave it out just to save a little effort.
