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From American-"Chinese" restaurants, I usually order a dish called "Pepper Steak with Onions". This seems to be a simple enough dish, mostly a straightforward stir-fry, except for one unique characteristic: the beef comes out soft and easy to chew, much like chicken.
How is this achieved? Is it a certain cut of meat? A certain cooking technique?
Meat in stir-fries is often velveted. That makes for a supremely soft chunk of meat, and it can be done with any type of meat. This answer actually addresses chicken: How to cook extremely soft chicken?, but it applies just as well to beef. It's usually done with egg and cornstarch, but sometimes it's done with a small amount baking soda instead, as in this recipe for Beef and Broccoli.
In addition to @Jolenealaska's answer the beef is cut across the grain, and very thin. It also helps to start with a tender cut like sirloin or rib.
