When tenderizing beef you can use acids (like lemon juice, vinegar, wine, etc) or alkaline (like egg whites and baking soda). Traditionally, most Western cooking techniques use acids while Eastern cooking techniques use alkaline.

The traditional Chinese method of tenderizing meat for stir-fry uses egg whites and cornstarch as the texture improving components. Egg whites chemically tenderize the meat while the cornstarch adds the silky mouthfeel we associate with Chinese takeout.

Baking soda can be used in place of egg whites but it is less forgiving (because it's more potent).

Try these ratios for a start and adjust as you see fit:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 egg whites, 1 tbsp oil per 1 pound of meat. Marinade for roughly 30 minutes.
• 2 tbsp baking soda and enough water to coat the meat per 1 pound of meat. Soak for roughly 15 minutes. Rinse off the baking soda before flavoring/cooking.

What flavors you combine with the tenderization methods are up to you.