Cantonese tomato beef is one of those dishes that make me nostalgic for Hong Kong. They can be found on the menus of western-style cafés all over the city, next to other east-west classics such as wok-fried spaghetti and macaroni with canned meat in Chinese chicken broth. While it’s also a fast dish that families whip up at home, I can’t help associating it with a cozy, slightly worn, Formica-laden interiors of Hong Kong diners.
Sometimes, your tomato beef comes to the table still hot on sizzling platter. Those were the best, the kind that reminded me of sizzling fajitas at stateside Tex-Mex restaurants. But even if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet at home to serve this in, the dish will still come out great. The recipe is rather fool-proof, and great for nights when you need a fast dinner.
The best kind of beef to use is flank steak, which stays incredibly tender if you marinate it with the cornstarch mixture below, and stir-fry it for a few short minutes. (Be sure to slice against the grain. Also, freezing the beef for 15 to 20 minutes slicing the beef a lot easier.) Tomato beef is usually served with white rice, but try some boiled or pan-fried egg noodles if you’re in the mood.
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Cantonese Tomato Beef
Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 as a main dish
- 1 pound flank steak, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound tomatoes, cut into wedges
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- Marinate the beef: In a large bowl, stir together soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Toss the sliced beef in the marinade to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors absorb.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl the pan to coat the base and sides. Add the beef and sear until light brown on the outside but not yet cooked through, about 2 minutes. Scoop the beef from the wok and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the wok and swirl to coat the sides again. Add the onions and garlic and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes; they should soften but still be sturdy enough to hold their shape. Stir the sauce into the wok. Return the beef to the wok and stir-fry for another minute until the beef is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice or noodles.
Oh yes please! This sounds just delicious.
I remember having this in Hong Kong too. Thanks for the recipe!
Coincidence that I was craving tomato beef morning when I saw this. Can’t wait to make it.
This looks great. Can’t miss with beef and quick stir-frying.
Can you use dark soy sauce here instead of regular soy sauce?
Tara – Yes, you can use dark soy sauce. It’s a little less salty and a tiny bit sweeter than regular soy sauce, but you won’t notice much of a difference in such small quantities, if any at all. Hope that helps!
The fact the you posted the recipe makes me want to send you a marriage proposal.
Signed,
Fellow Chinese person
This is marinating as i write this, but, i was now reading the comments and i started wonder if i ruined it by using mushroomsoysauce? at least smell is nice and i have to wait and see:)
This is a classic Hong Kong dish that I grew up with it. My mum often cooked for us at least once a week.
Thanks for the shout-out.
I have just made this for tea and I must say, it’s absolutely delicious! I’ve been staring at it in my foodgawker faves list for ages & thought it was about time i made it. Thanks so much for the post. Yum-ee!!
I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!! I’ve noticed that a lot of of your recipes have rice wine in it and i was wondering if there is anything non-alcoholic that i could substitute for it??
OK, I want to make this recipe. It is the first one I found that uses regular onions versus green onions and I’m used to it with regular onions. I hope it’s somewhere in the realm of what I remember. Thank you so much for posting the recipe!
Worcestershire sauce? That doesn’t seem very authentic…
Cyberia – Actually, Worcestershire sauce has been a common ingredient in Hong Kong since the late 1800s, when it was introduced by the British. It’s used as both a marinade and a sauce in a variety of dishes, most notably dim sum and beef dishes. (The flavor is not far off from that of fish sauce, so it fits into Cantonese cooking perfectly.) It’s also a commonly used ingredient in Shanghai.
Glad I found this recipe! My boyfriend is Chinese and his mom was showing me how to make it. … but I completely forgot. This looks really similar except I know that she adds a bit of ketchup if the tomatoes aren’t sweet enough. Going to give it a try!
When do you add the sauce…? I can’t find it in the recipe.
Katherine – It’s in Step 4, 3rd sentence from the end. Enjoy the recipe!