Beef Tomato Stir-fry

Method11 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix the sliced 1 lb beef with the marinade’s 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp cornstarch, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp neutral oil and 2 tsp oyster sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, combine all 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp sesame oil and ⅛ tsp white pepper for the sauce base. Before heating the wok, prepare the ginger (2 slices), garlic (1 clove), shallot (¼ cup), scallion (1) whites and greens, and tomato wedges. In another small bowl, mix the finishing slurry’s 1½ tsp cornstarch with its separate 1 tbsp water.

   Check cold beef marinade · 30 minUses 1 lb flank steak, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces · 1 tbsp water for the beef marinade · 2 tsp cornstarch for the beef marinade · 1/4 teaspoon baking soda · 1 tsp neutral oil for the beef marinade · 2 teaspoons oyster sauce · 2 tablespoons soy sauce · 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Coat the wok with the first 1 tbsp frying oil and heat until just smoking. Spread the marinated beef from step 1 around the wok and sear for about 1 minute, turning as needed. Lift it onto a plate while still partly cooked, retaining the juices and wok drippings; it will finish cooking later.

   Lift partly seared beef · 1 minUses First 1 tbsp frying oil · All marinated beef from step 1

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tbsp frying oil to the wok drippings from step 2. Add both prepared ginger slices from step 1 and fry for 10 seconds.

   Add garlic and shallot · 1 minUses Wok drippings after lifting the beef · Remaining 1 tbsp frying oil · Both ginger slices from step 1

4. 4

   Step 4: Raise the heat to high. Add the prepared garlic, ¼ cup shallot and scallion white parts from step 1 to the ginger in step 3. Toss for 10 seconds.

   Add ketchup · 1 minUses Ginger and wok oil · All prepared garlic, ¼ cup shallot and scallion whites from step 1

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add all 2 tbsp ketchup to the aromatics from step 4 and fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

   Add tomato wedges · 1 minUses Ginger, garlic, shallot and scallion whites in oil · 2 tablespoons ketchup

6. 6

   Step 6: Add all the prepared 2 lb tomato wedges from step 1 to the ketchup and aromatics from step 5. Spread them in an even layer and sear for 15 seconds.

   Add stir-fry wine · 1 minUses Ketchup-fried aromatics · All 2 lb tomato wedges from step 1

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Pour the 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine into the tomato wok from step 6 and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Push everything to one side of the wok.

   Add the sauce base · 1 minUses Tomatoes seared with ketchup and aromatics · 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

8. 8

   Step 8: Pour the separate sauce-base bowl from step 1 into the cleared space of the wok from step 7. Stir until it bubbles, then mix it through the tomatoes.

   Uses Tomatoes and aromatics with wine · The sauce-base bowl from step 1

9. 9

   Step 9: Return all the seared beef and plate juices from step 2 to the saucy tomatoes from step 8. Stir-fry over high heat for about 20 seconds, until mixed and sizzling, then continue as needed until the beef is fully cooked to at least 63°C. Keep the tomato wedges as intact as possible.

   Check beef and tomato mixture · 1 minUses Tomatoes and aromatics mixed with sauce base · All seared beef and plate juices from step 2

10. 10

    Step 10: Toss the scallion green parts reserved in step 1 into the fully cooked beef and tomatoes from step 9. Stir the slurry bowl from step 1 again, then add it a little at a time only until the sauce has the desired thickness; any unused slurry can be discarded. Let the bubbling sauce cook for 15 seconds after the final slurry addition so the starch cooks through.

    Finish thickening sauce · 1 minUses Fully cooked beef and tomato stir-fry · All scallion green parts from step 1 · Enough slurry from step 1 for the desired thickness

11. 11

    Step 11: Take the finished beef and tomatoes from step 10 off the heat and rest for at least 3 minutes after the beef reaches 63°C. Serve as four portions with the separately prepared steamed rice.

    Rest cooked beef and tomatoes · 3 minUses Finished thickened beef and tomato stir-fry · Ready steamed rice for serving