Make sure to browse around and pick a favorite dish or two. rice vinegar. This is the only beef hes getting today . We recommend searing the chicken in a hot wok, as opposed to deep-frying. Then add the fried pork and season with coarse salt and pepper. cheap rump, hanger) 20 minutes, Brisket the only cut I dont recommend, havent been 100% happy with outcome. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Popular in Indian kitchens, masala dabbas are brilliant spice storage containers, but also so much more. Regardless of the method you use, youre allowed to use larger pieces of beef, up to 500 grams. Mix the baking soda and water together. Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li, Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova. Arrange in a serving dish, sprinkle with minced chives and coriander. More often than not, its thanks to one simple pantry staple: cornstarch. Hello Lalaine, More Recipes: 1. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Velveting beef for stir fry what a winner of a tip. This post may contain affiliate links. In most cases, we prefer to sear the meat in a hot wok, since having a wok full of oil at home is simply not practical. Water-blanching did produce meat with a slight residue. If you decide to try velveting at home, be sure to let us know in the comments! To give your velveted meat an. Rectangular slices of beef are used for stir-fries with vegetables like beef and broccoli or beef and tofu. In most cases you want to preserve their fresh taste and natural texture, says Leung. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Or, you could just put it in a freezer bag. Also, acidic solutions like oyster sauce, vinegar, and lemon are used for tenderizing beef for stir-fry dishes. Velveting is the foundation of Chinese cooking, says Tim Ma, chef and founder of Lucky Danger, an American Chinese takeout spot with locations in Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C. It doesnt only tenderize tough, chewy parts of proteins, but it also creates a surface area to absorb thick sauces.. We provided measurements for velveting 12 ounces (340g) of chicken, which is typical for one stir-fry dish. Learn how to prepare beef for stir-fry just like professional chefs do in Chinese restaurant kitchens. Place the blanched broccoli back in the wok. I thought we still wanted to stir fry it, wouldnt this make it deep fried? 4Keep going with the stir fry instructions. Refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you dont get with a standard blanching process.. And guess what? For Dough and Noodles Heat the large wok/pan over medium-high heat. The best parts of you delicious recipes your humour and big smile. For those of you who want to reduce fat in your diet or simply want that delicate taste of Cantonese cooking, you can blanch your chicken in boiling water. See? Exercise care when adding or removing ingredients to and from the hot liquid. If not, skip down to the next section. By now, you should be asking about the science behind it. Now, cut your beef into 1/4 thick slices. You'll quickly figure out the best marinating times for your preferred cuts of beef - just adjust up and down by 10 minutes at a time. The cornstarch not only softened the meat but also thickened the broth, giving the soup an almost chowder-like consistency unlike any other dish I knew. Mix everything well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour to allow time for the cornstarch to transform into a thin gelatinous layer. Flank steak is by far the most popular cut of meat used by Chinese restaurants in all of their stir-fry dishes. Join our newsletter to get new recipe updates, a free copy of our The Best Filipino Dinners Cookbook, exclusive meal plans, and more. Sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil, for instance, is not recommended because they tend to have lower smoke points. Then leave the beef in the bowl for 30 minutes, after which you need to rinse off all the bicarb soda with water. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. Keep these in mind for a successful, and so worth it, batch of biang-biang noodles. The pantry possibilities are, in theory, endless: oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even ponzu for a light citrus twist. Once the water runs clear, drain the beef thoroughly in a colander and transfer it to a bowl for the marinating process (details in next section). I've used chicken as my primary example because I prefer to cook with chicken: the velveting technique works wonders with chicken breasts. For tender seafood like squid or scallops, velveting is typically unnecessary. Short-Cut Method for Tenderizing Beef: Add 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon (for tougher cuts) of baking soda and 2-3 tablespoons of water to the beef. Velveting in Water In a pot over high heat, combine about 2-inch deep of water and 1 tablespoon of oil. Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique that takes your thin pieces of raw meat and coats them in a cornstarch marinade. To blanch, add the chicken to a wok filled with boiling water. Follow step 3 and increase the marinating time for your beef at least 15 minutes. For velveting, desired-sized chunks of meat are coated and marinated for 30 to 45 minutes in a mixture of cornstarch, rice wine, egg whites, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. of thinly-sliced meat. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe. CatHead's BBQ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca etc) and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Pictured below is the stir fry sauce / marinade for Chinese Beef and Broccoli. I like to add sliced onions or garlic as well, which gives the alliums additional time to soak up the oil and salt. vegetable or light sesame oil. Keeping the knife at about a 45 angle also makes the slices larger/wider. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used. Mix everything well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour to allow time for the cornstarch to transform into a thin gelatinous layer. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions! While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. To sear, place your wok over high heat. You may follow steps 5-8 of the previous recipe to stir-fry your velveted beef. Remember to slice across the grain, especially if using chicken breast. Just season the ribs with salt and pepper, pour the cream and vanilla and let it sit for about an hour. Here are a few recipes that can serve as a starting point for your culinary velveting adventures: Velveting is an easy yet essential technique for Asian stir-fry. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. Thanks Nagi. Chuck steak is also more economical than flank steak. Instead, when it comes to stir-fries, several Made With Lau dishes involve marinating proteins properly with an alkaline ingredient, and then employing a stir-frying method that ensures they stay tender and dont overcook. Shake off excess water, then use paper towels to blot away excess water (doesn't need to be 100% dry). Marinating beef for your stir-fry is an important second step of velveting that should never be skipped. Then pat off all the excess water and get it set for your stir-fries. I usually use a beef and oyster sauce stir fry recipe. If using shrimp or scallop, make sure to shake out the water before combining it with any egg white-cornstarch mixture. Also used for chicken, its a simple, highlyeffective technique using baking soda that transforms economical beef so its incredibly tender in stir friesand stir fried noodles. Velveting might be harder to pull off in a home kitchen. Velveting beef involves slicing it into very thin pieces and adding them to a mixture made up of cornstarch or baking soda. 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons Shaoxing Wine (Optional) Instructions Add baking soda and water to the sliced beef and massage with hands until most of the liquid is absorbed. I am certainly going to try this on my next round of spareribs! This will help ensure an even coating on all the ingredients and make the whole mixture an even pH [level].. The chicken is then added to the wok at the end for a short saut with the prepared sauce before being served. Tenderising timediffers for different cuts of beef. Absolutely love that velveting tip, I used rump steak to make your chow mein and it was fantastic. Place the dried meat in a bowl and pour the velveting mixture on top. Thanks for the tips, Give it a try, Raymund, the extra step will make a big difference in your stir-fries . Water blanching is much more friendly (and healthy) for home cooking. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. Ad Choices. Boneless beef chuck steak is a more economical choice for beef stir fries. We always give important details in all of our recipes, including preparation and cooking, but I thought it was time to write a post focused on preparing beef properly for the wok! To tenderize beef, the Chinese adopted a specific cooking method. When it turns opaque, cook for an additional 10 seconds (the chicken will be cooked 80% through). While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. Thats the whole point, but it can only be done if the meat is thinly sliced. However, I discovered two infallible and easier ways to perfectly velvet beef, with soy sauce and baking soda. For fish, velveting adds an extra silky texture.. In Chinese stir-fry cooking, the way ingredients are cut should be consistent with each other. Add about 2 teaspoons of each per pound of beef. cornstarch: this small amount is more than enough for 1 lb. Velveting meat is used for making tender beef in Chinese stir-fry recipes. (Note 3). Log in, Tenderize Chicken For Stir Fry. Have you ever tried to make a stir-fry at home, but the meat comes out dry and not at all like what youve been served in Asian restaurants? 2. In that time, most of the liquid will be absorbed into the chicken. The tenderizing step makes any beef soft and moist, while marinating the beef gives it more umami flavor and that velvety coating you experience when eating at Chinese restaurants. I often use it to break down the fibers of meat and therefore tenderize it. However, its up to you. So the beef flavour will only be as good as the cut you use. Bring to a boil. If using beef for noodle dishes or dishes like Beef and Pepper Stir Fry, an extra step to slice beef into thin strips (julienne) is required. Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy, Chuck beef, gravy beef, oyster beef and other traditional stewing beef - 30 minutes, Economical steak cuts (eg. The flavour of the beef is not affected by the tenderising. Then you will allow the beef cuts to rest for about an hour. At home, I use a liquid to cornstarch ratio of 2:1, with 1 Tbsp. Bring the water to a boil and add about 1 teaspoon of oil. If you like, you can make use of chemical methods such as baking soda, salt, or dairy products to tenderize meat. Velveting starts with making a slurry: For 1 pound thinly sliced meat or alternative protein (it can be anything really: chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, tofu, or even mushrooms), combine 1 Tbsp. Rinse beef well with tap water. Place chicken in a bowl and sprinkle baking soda all over the surface. Ill try the quantities in your recipe as Im cheating with the red/white wine and probably using too much cornflour (?). And then position each piece to cut them so the long fibers are cut short. * It sounds counterintuitive to tenderise steaks because one would assume if beef is sold labelled as steaks, that indicates theyre good for quick cooking (eg grilling) so it should be good for stir fries. After 30 minutes, take the meat out. Step 2: Coat the chicken and let it sit Meat or seafood is marinated and pre-cooked in oil (or sometimes poached in boiling water). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); For the first time I velveteen chicken first and blanched vegetables,than made it all come together with slurry of oyster sauce,soy sauce white pepper salt and apiece of sugar and little cornflour.It was absolutely delicious. Let stand 1-2 hours. Cornstarch, of course, added in the last minutes of cooking, or better yet, used to velvet the ingredientsto coat the pieces themselves in a cornstarch-based slurry. Obviously, not everyone has a 12-inch butchers knife, but you need a long, sharp knife. Its about giving the beef an extra juicy texture. Andrea Buck. Ill show you how its all done. I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if youre short on time and cost conscious. Add oil, oyster sauce/soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (optional), and cornstarch to the beef. Step 1. Whisk the cornstarch, soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl till smooth. Give it a gentle shake to combine. But velveting works with any kind of meat, so long as the meat is cut into thin strips or small pieces. In a bowl, combine egg white, Chinese wine, oil, cornstarch and salt. High Temperature Eye-of-Round Roast R. Author: Mary Claire Lagroue Published: Dec 16, 2019 Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins . Tag me on Instagram at. In this photo, you can see the pattern of meat and fat where the grain runs vertically. Simply boil enough water to cover the amount of meat you are velveting, then add the meat and cook until it becomes opaque. You can also use tenderised beef in place of chicken or pork in any of the stir fries. Increase the cornstarch and youll end up with something thicker and more substantive, maybe a slurry better-suited to a stew or soup, like the Chinese Filipino misua I grew up with. However, chemical compounds like baking soda can leave some taste in the meat. The thin gelatinous coating seals in the beef juices which keeps it moist and gives it a slippery mouth feel, hence the name velveting! Other tenderising methods include marinating in a cornflour/cornstarch sludge then frying in oil before using in the stir fry, chemical tenderisers and egg white marinates. He grew up in upstate New York, working through high school and college in restaurants with his father, a chef. Pour Sauce and water into the skillet and quickly mix. Its all thanks to velveting, a technique that gives Chinese dishes their signature texture. Its also the primary ingredient in making a slurry to coat the meat. However, I wouldnt advise that you use chopped beef for this preparation. Directions. Submit your question or comment below. I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Order kung pao chicken or beef with broccoli at any Chinese or Chinese American restaurant and youll notice the texture of the meat light, tender, succulent and flavorful. Ill show you how to velvet beef in both procedures. I recently made velveted beef for my Thai green curry recipe. Have a question? When it starts to smoke lightly, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the surface of the wok. But it certainly made it taste legit! The meat was so tender, silky, and smooth. Seafood like fish, shrimp, and scallops can also be velveted though there are a couple things to keep in mind. Add the cornstarch and vegetable oil and mix again until everythings incorporated and the chicken is uniformly coated. Learn how to make the beef in your stir-fry soft and silky like the restaurants. Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and Salting. TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. Love this idea,wish could print it.Can not find printer icon to click on. Whisk together until smooth and frothy. Next, you need to coat the meat in baking soda and freeze it. Usually it is easier to do two steps - brine/tenderize then velvet. Nagi x. Hungry for more? I am proud to say that your genealogy has been the sole tutorial for my Asian-inspired culinary adventures for years; probably since you began. Weird I know! I learned the answer the first time I worked in a Chinese restaurant kitchen as a prep guy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you're unsure for your cut of beef, go for 35 minutes. Korean cuisine is known for its impressive spreads of banchan a.k.a. Velveting is a critical Chinese cooking technique. The chicken breast in this photo was partially frozen for easy slicing. Learn how to velvet chicken for stir-fry to get tender, juicy pieces of chicken just like the restaurants! This works mainly because of the egg whites, which are naturally alkaline. Adding water also helps the soy sauce or oyster sauce to further tenderize, penetrate and add an extra layer of flavor to the chicken. 3. Master this marinating technique, and youll successfully prepare Chinese stir-fry dishes at home. With its intense beefy flavor, all you need to do is make sure you slice and marinate it properly to make a great stir-fry. You just need to cook clever and get creative! She said while there are a few different methods to tenderise beef, the easiest way is to sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate soda) on 250g of . Give Vivian Chans Chicken Stir-Fry or Jet Tilas Beef and Broccoli a try. Here are a few recipes I use this method: Did you make this? Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. To ensure the beef remains tender and juicy after cooking, stir-fry the marinated beef over high heat until 70% cooked. Were Sarah, Kaitlin, Judy, and Bill a family of four cooks sharing our home-cooked and restaurant-style recipes. Blanching meat in oil comes from the Chinese phrase zu yu in Mandarin or jau yau in Cantonese, which means passing through oil. It simply refers to shallow frying or deep-frying. do you completely rinse off the marinade from your meat before continuing with cooking? This method, known as oil-blanching, ensures ingredients dont clump together and stick to the wok when stir-frying. Although I dont think its relatable enough or a perfect analogy to describe velvet beef, that should give you an idea about what were trying to do. Egg whites are a common ingredient which helps the cornstarch adhere to the meat, but I hate having egg yolks lying around and choose to use Shaoxing wine instead. All it takes is a teaspoon or two of cornstarch per pound of meat. Much like browning in French cuisine, velveting locks in the original flavour and texture of the protein before it is finished in the next cooking step. Is velveting also useful for using chicken in a soup, or only for stir frying? Your return on that investment just isnt worth the trouble. So, velveting makes cheap cuts tender. Add sliced chilis (optional). These are the best cuts of beef to tenderise: economical steaks* any type, like good value rump, porterhouse, sirloin, round bottom etc. Rinse the beef thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Then you have to coat it in baking soda for some minutes. The first step is to add a good amount of baking soda to the beefabout 1 rounded teaspoon per pound (450g). Bring water and oil to a boil in a pot over high heat. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. When you feel its time to stir-fry the velvet meat, cut the onions into very thin strips and the chives into rings. Everybody told me, I am a good cook. Velveting is the secret! So whether chopped or sliced, you can freeze it for up to 4 months. The process of searing or frying meat in oil varies a little for different kinds of meat and the volume of what you are working with, says Leung. We individually stir-fry the ingredients because our home stoves generally arent as powerful as those in restaurants. This skips the rinsing step, and will also do a fine job tenderizing! Long strands of noodles like you have in Beef Lo Mein require beef to be cut into similar long thin strips. Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more. Ever notice how the beef at Chinese restaurants is so incredibly tender, and how your stir fries at home are just never the same? The marinade acts as protective coat which seals moisture and keeps the meat from overcooking, resulting in meat morsels that are silky soft and lusciously tender. On rare occasions, you may get a tough chicken breasta condition called woody breast, caused by hardened muscle fibers. Patricia Kelly Yeo is a freelance food and health journalist based in L.A. 2023 Cond Nast. Marinade and stir fry as part of your recipe. If too much egg white is used, the mixture wont be absorbed and seal the meats juices well. Besides tenderizing the meat, velveting also helps form a coating that promotes even browning and helps the sauce to adhere to the meat. Make each slice 1/4 thickeach piece will be tender and bite-sized. Cuttingagainstthe grain means cutting across those strands, so the long strands of muscle can be made shorter to create small, tender pieces. Im a fan of Chinese stir-fry dishes and brisket cooking. Set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes, and then your beef is ready to use. Hi Nagi and Dozer, Rinse well in colander to remove baking soda. But its not even steaks range from economical to high quality. Meat or seafood are marinated in a mixture of egg white, cornstarch and rice wine, and then briefly blanched in oil or water before finishing off in the stir-fry process with other ingredients. Clingy, glossy sauce! I feel there are merits to having both moist hydrated beef or a drier beef for some stir-fry dishes. Subscribe for the latest updates on new recipes, and get started with our family's Top 25 Recipe eBook! Happy cooking! Whisk together one egg white, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Jet Tila's Beef and Broccoli for the Master Your Menu episode of The Kitchen, as seen on Food Network. Velveting beef begins with the steps we have explained above (involving tenderizing the beef and then marinating it with seasonings, oil and cornstarch). Before slicing them, I put them into the walk-in freezer until they were partially frozenfirm but not solid. Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks! I use one egg white, big sprinkle of salt, 3 teaspoons of cornflour, tablespoon of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of wine (have used both red and white wine, dont have rice wine). Stir beef for 10 seconds, then add garlic and ginger. How to Velvet Beef in 2 Foolproof Methods. Beef can be marinated or seasoned before cooking, stir fried or deep fried, and it will be soft and tender, "velvet" like. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. The velveting technique is very easy and gives amazing results. What happens is that soda or whatever velveting ingredient youre using itches away at the fat molecules. One of my favorite things about American Chinese food is how easy it is to eat: the pieces are bite-sized, the flavors are addictive, and the meat is always tender and easy to chew. Excess water dilutes the effectiveness of the coating, according to Young. 6. Make the cornstarch slurry. 1 tablespoon cornstarch (use 1 1/2 tablespoons when velveting shrimp) 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon peanut oil (use 1 1/2 tablespoons when velveting shrimp) ~ Step 2. As opposed to regular marinades, velveting allows you to. He grew up in upstate New York, working through high school and college in restaurants with his father, a chef. However, if youre velveting chopped beef, note that chopped ground beef has a shelf life of 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Velveting does more than tenderize your glistening orange chickenit creates an even protective coating that browns meat more evenly, seals in its juices, and improves overall sauce adhesion. Oil velveting is a common practice Chinese restaurants use as a first cooking step. What Is Velveting & Why Does It Work? Often times, we dont oil- or water-blanch proteins and the meat texture is still tender though not restaurant-quality level, Lau says. The equivalent Chinese phrase, zu yu () in Mandarin or jau yau in Cantonese, means passing through oil. It essentially refers to deep-frying. Mix everything well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour to allow time for the cornstarch to transform into a thin gelatinous layer. I consider it a privilege to share it with others! Bon Apptit may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 1 tablespoon cornflour or fine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water Step 1 - Slice the beef against the grain - this helps the velveting process as it gets into the fibres better. I feel like I just got a peek at the da Vinci code! Flank steak is flavorful, relatively reasonably priced, and readily available. This is unnecessary. Young suggests using about two tablespoons of egg white for every one pound of meat, poultry, fish or shellfish. Wen agrees and says, I would recommend mixing all the marinade ingredients together very well before adding in your meat. Try velveting meat and shrimp for noodle favorites such as. Next, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water (per pound of beef), and massage the beef so the baking soda and water is uniformly distributed. Make sure to browse around and pick a favorite dish or two. Here youll find hundreds of delicious Filipino and Asian recipes. Add 1 tbsp of stir-fry sauce mixture and follow with garlic and onions. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, Marinating. My stir fry turned out awesome because of this tip. Velveting is a Chinese method of marinating meat in a cornstarch-based . Cook over high heat while stirring until the sauce thickens. Next, you have to wash the meat. Make a marinade with acidic componentssuch as citrus juice, buttermilk, Velveting. Randys dad still applies the water-blanching method when cooking soups. Add one tablespoon each of cornstarch, light soy sauce, one tablespoon each of vegetable or light sesame oil, mixed egg whites, and a dash each of sugar and salt to one pound of . While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Cornstarch is the foundation of Chinese cooking and this magical pantry ingredient is commonly used to thicken soups, stews and sauces. Then, remove from the wok. Try not to put too much in because it can become slim, which is not what youre after. Add the chicken in one layer, and allow to sear for 20 seconds. It's also done for, stewing beef or other economical beef cuts, Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. Yes, tough meat cuts used for stir-fries, braising, and smoking react excellently to velveting. Add beef and spread out, leave for 1 minute until browned. There are several methods available, I've introduced the cornstarch/par-boil method in my ' How to Velvet Chicken ' post. Tenderizing your beef is the first step of the traditional process of velveting beef practices by Chinese chefs. With just one extra step, Im my own favorite take-out joint. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes (you can even leave to macerate overnight in the refrigerator). Three pastry professionals share how to safely decorate with fresh blooms. Read Also: Can Cats Eat Corn Husks There are a few methods, but this is the easiest way: Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts. Instructions. You can try mechanical or heat methods. To complete the velveting process, youd technically need to dunk the marinated protein in hot oil or water, which, according to chef Lucas Sin of Junzi Kitchen, activates the layer of starch and gives the meat its characteristic slippery texture. Remember, in both scenarios, you will be cooking the chicken again in your stir-fry, so avoid overcooking it during the pre-cook process! Mushroom Slow Cooker Roast Beef 3. Velveting is a critical Chinese cooking technique. Alcohol is one of my favorite ways to add complex, savory flavor to a dish. What to Serve with Beef Tenderloin (23 Ultimate Choices). This layer of cornstarch forms a barrier against the heat that the pan introducesbut also prevents the moisture from inside of the meat from escaping.