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Tomato Beef Brisket Recipe

Tomato beef brisket features a rich, tangy, and sweet sauce, with tender and aromatic beef, making it a perfect match for rice. Beginners typically need 90 minutes to complete this dish.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Tomatoes
  • Beef brisket
  • Gas stove (for peeling tomatoes)
  • Pressure cooker / Casserole / Regular aluminum pot (Iron wok)
  • 2cm long scallion segments (2 pieces), ginger slices (2 pieces), chopped scallions (10g), minced ginger (10g)
  • Light soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, cooking wine (Liaojiu/Huangjiu), 3 small star anise pods
  • Beef brisket (choose cuts with a good balance of fat and lean meat for better texture)

Quantities per Serving

  • Tomatoes: 3-4 pieces (approx. 200g each)
  • Beef brisket: 500g
  • Cooking oil: 20-30ml

Instructions

  • Cut the beef brisket into strips or cubes (2cm x 2cm x 2cm). Place in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes to remove impurities. Remove and rinse thoroughly.
  • In a separate pot, bring 2L of water to a boil. Add the 2cm scallion segments, 2 ginger slices, star anise, and 5-10ml of cooking wine. Add the blanched beef, cover, and simmer (1 hour in a casserole, 45 minutes on the pressure cooking mode of a pressure cooker). The meat is done when a chopstick can easily pierce through it.
  • Peel the tomatoes: Make a cross-shaped cut on the top of the tomato down to the waist. Insert a chopstick or fork into the stem end. Use low heat on the gas stove, rotating the tomato while roasting. Check frequently and remove once the skin starts to peel. Tear off the skin and cut into small pieces. The smaller, the better.
  • Be careful of heat when peeling. Peeled tomatoes are very slippery; cut slowly for safety.
  • Heat oil in a wok. When the oil reaches 70% heat, add the 10g of scallions and ginger. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry until they release their red color and become soft. Add the cooked beef brisket and its broth. The broth should just barely cover the meat.
  • Season with salt, sugar, and light soy sauce according to taste. Cover and simmer.
  • Once boiling, increase the heat and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes.
  • When the tomato sauce reaches a medium consistency, turn off the heat. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve.

Additional Notes

  • Pay attention to fire safety. Pay attention to fire safety. Pay attention to fire safety.
  • When stewing meat in a casserole/aluminum pot, reduce to medium-low or low heat after boiling. For pressure cookers, see Learning to Use a Pressure Cooker.
  • The tomato peeling method described above is the fastest method I have personally practiced.
  • Absolutely no tomato paste and minimal seasonings are used to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.