Quick Answer: What Is Chinese Tomato Beef?
Chinese tomato beef stir-fry (番茄炒牛肉, fānqié chǎo niúròu) combines sliced beef, fresh tomato wedges and a savory, lightly sweet sauce. Cantonese-style versions often use ketchup alongside the fresh tomatoes, producing a saucy dish suited to rice.[3]
- Beef: Thin slices cook separately before the final toss.[1]
- Tomatoes: Brief cooking softens the wedges while preserving their shape.[3]
- Sauce: Ketchup and seasonings provide a base; starch thickens the tomato juices.[1][3]
This quick stir-fry is different from a long-cooked beef-and-tomato stew.
Choose the dish before choosing the beef. A rice-plate stir-fry needs thin slices and recognizable tomato wedges; a stew asks for a different cut, while a soup may use paper-thin beef.
Cantonese Stir-Fry, Stew or Thin-Beef Soup?
- Cantonese-style stir-fry: Sliced beef and briefly cooked tomato wedges meet a ketchup-seasoned sauce. This rice-plate preparation sits within Cantonese cuisine traditions, without defining every Chinese tomato-and-beef dish.[1]
- Tomato-and-potato braise: Beef chunks cook in liquid with tomatoes and potatoes. It is a home-cooked variation with a different texture and method; understanding Chinese red-braised beef helps when choosing meat for longer cooking.[4]
- Thin-beef tomato soup: Tomato-beef soup (番茄肥牛汤, fānqié féiniú tāng) can use paper-thin fatty beef, broth and mushrooms. Beef sold among hot pot (火锅, huǒguō) ingredients suits this approach; it is not the same as thick stew meat.[5]
These are useful distinctions in preparation, rather than three fixed recipes assigned to separate provinces. The remainder of this guide follows the stir-fry version.
Preparing the Beef and Tomato Wedges
Cut flank steak across the grain into roughly 3 mm slices; avoid thick chunks.[2]
Cut tomatoes into wedges that can be turned without immediately collapsing. Add them after the beef’s initial sear, and avoid stirring them as if making a smooth tomato sauce.[1][3]
Here, baking soda goes into the marinade and cornstarch into the sauce. Compare starch-coated velveting (上浆, shàngjiāng) methods when exploring other preparations.[2]
Ingredients for a Cantonese-Style Stir-Fry
For four servings with rice, use US tablespoons of 15 ml and teaspoons of 5 ml. Keep the marinade and cooking sauce in separate bowls.
- Beef: 500 g flank steak; ½ teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 30 ml water; 1 tablespoon each oyster sauce (蚝油, háoyóu) and soy sauce (酱油, jiàngyóu); ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, ground ginger and ground black pepper.[2]
- Sauce: 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 30 ml water; 60 ml ketchup; 2 teaspoons sugar; ½ teaspoon salt.[2]
- Pan ingredients: 500 g Roma tomatoes, each cut into six wedges; 5 minced garlic cloves; ¼ cup chopped shallot; 5 thin ginger slices cut into fine strips; 2 chopped scallions, whites and greens separated; neutral oil to coat the pan.[2]
How to Cook Tomato Beef
- Mix the beef with the baking-soda water, then its remaining marinade ingredients. Refrigerate for at least five minutes while preparing vegetables. Stir the separate sauce mixture until smooth.[2][6]
- Heat oil in a wide wok or deep skillet. Spread beef in one layer, searing in batches if necessary. Turn, then transfer it to a clean bowl before the final cooking.[1]
- Add a little oil if needed. Cook garlic, shallot and ginger until fragrant, then add tomato wedges. Toss for about 30 seconds, until the exterior softens while the wedges retain their shape.[2]
- Return beef and its juices. Re-stir the sauce and add it with scallion whites; toss until bubbling and thickened. Finish with scallion greens. Check beef reaches 145°F/63°C, then remove from heat and rest for three minutes before serving.[1][6]
FAQs About Chinese Tomato Beef
Is ketchup used in Chinese tomato beef?
Yes. It appears in Cantonese-style recipes together with fresh tomato wedges. It builds a sweet-tart sauce base rather than replacing the vegetable component entirely.[1][3]
Does this recipe need cooking wine?
Not in this version. Stock can replace wine in adaptations that call for it.[3]
Do I need a wok?
No. Use a large, deep skillet and sear in batches when needed.[2]
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Refrigerate in shallow containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C; the tomato wedges may soften further.[6][7]
Sumber
[1] The Woks of Life. Beef Tomato Stir-Fry
[2] Pailin Chongchitnant and ThinkBeef. Cantonese Beef Tomato Stir Fry
[3] Project Bread. Cantonese Inspired Beef and Tomato Stir-Fry
[4] Vicky Shi, University of Newcastle. Braised Beef with Tomato and Potato
[5] Omnivore’s Cookbook. Chinese Tomato Beef Soup
[6] CDC. Preventing Food Poisoning
[7] USDA FSIS. How Long Can You Keep Cooked Beef?