🍅🥩 Tomato Beef - Super delicious with rice, classic home-cooked Hong Kong style

Editor's Preface

Tomato beef is a staple in Hong Kong homes! The beef is tender, the sauce is appetizing, and the tomatoes are sweet and tart—a dish everyone craves. Both cha chaan (tea restaurant) and family-style restaurants offer delicious versions. Here, we've compiled tips from cha ji chefs and stay-at-home moms to ensure you'll have the most authentic Hong Kong flavor, perfect with rice or pasta!

🛒 Ingredients preparation

• 300-500g beef slices/tenderloin

• 3 tomatoes (ripe)

• 1 onion

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 shallots (sliced)

• Scallions (for garnish)

Beef marinade

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (secret for super smoothness)

• 1 teaspoon oil

Beef and tomato sauce

• 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce

• 1-2 tablespoons of eggplant paste

• 1.5 tablespoons of sugar or brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon Maggi/Worthy Sauce

• 1 teaspoon chicken powder

• 200ml water/chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar (optional for flavor)

• Cornstarch water (for thickening)

🍳 Detailed cooking process

1. Corned beef

• Cut the beef slices against the grain, add the marinade, baking soda and water, stir well in one direction, and let it marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the meat is tender and flavorful.

2️⃣ Processing tomatoes

• Cut a cross on the bottom of the tomato, blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute, remove the skin, and cut into large pieces for later use (it doesn’t matter if you don’t peel it).

• Dice onion, slice shallot, and cut green onion into sections.

3️⃣ Quick stir-fried beef

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and fry the beef in batches over high heat until half cooked. Do not fry the beef too long to prevent it from becoming tough.

4️⃣ Tomato juice

• Add more oil to the wok, sauté onion, shallot, and minced garlic over medium heat until slightly fragrant.

• Add tomatoes and stir-fry, then add tomato juice, tomato paste, sugar, chicken powder, dark soy sauce, Maggi (you can add vinegar to enhance the flavor), then add 200ml water or chicken broth, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and the juice is dissolved.

5️⃣ Re-wok beef

• Return the beef to the wok and stir-fry evenly (cook for about 1 to 2 minutes longer). You can add a little water if it feels dry.

• Taste the sauce and add sugar if it is too sour, tasting the sauce halfway through.

• Finally, add cornstarch water to make a thin starch, stir-fry until the sauce is thick and the beef is wrapped in tomato sauce.

6️⃣ Garnish the dish

• Sprinkle with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and a little sesame oil for flavor. Serve immediately hot and spicy!

💡 Editor's Tips

• The beef should be cut against the grain, marinated thoroughly, and then added with baking powder for super tenderness.

• Adjust the amount of tomato sauce and paste according to your preference.

• Onions and shallots double up the sweetness, it doesn’t matter.

• The beef and tomato with rice is so good that you can’t stop eating it. It is also great with pasta or macaroni!

😋 Eating experience

A plate of Hong Kong-style beef and tomato sauce, with tender beef, sweet and sour tomatoes, and sauce soaked up every last drop of rice—a perfect home-cooked meal, a must-have for everyone! 🍚🍅🥩

If you don’t feel like going out tonight, try the Hong Kong-style tomato beef at home. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!