The answer to the question regarding what action should be taken when a recipe says beat is to introduce air into the mixture of ingredients. A lot of people think that mixing and beating are just the same thing, but they are wrong. While it is true that mixing and beating is the process of combining ingredients, it should be noted that beating is a more intense process which normally requires an electric mixer or a whisk.
When you beat something when you are cooking or baking, you need to introduce as much air as possible into the mixture while also making sure that the mixture is completely smooth. Note: You should be careful not to overbeat your mixture because if you do so then you will make the mixture too tough or hard.