Tomato Beef Brisket

Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Beef brisket
• Natural gas stove (for peeling tomatoes)
• Pressure cooker / Clay pot / Ordinary aluminum pot (Do not use cast iron)
• 2 stalks green onion (2cm long), 2 slices ginger; 10g chopped green onion, 10g chopped ginger
• Soy sauce, White pepper, White sugar, Cooking wine / Rice wine, 3 small pieces of Star anise
• Beef brisket (triple fat and lean combination for better texture)

Steps

1. Cut the beef brisket into strips or blocks, each about 2cm in length, width, and height. Place in a cold pot of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes to remove blood. Remove, rinse clean with water.
2. In a separate pot, bring 2L of water to a boil. Add 2 stalks green onion (2cm long), 2 slices ginger, Star anise, and 5-10ml of cooking/rice wine. Add the blanched beef. Cover and stew (stew in clay pot for 1 hour, stove top for 45 minutes, or pressure cooker cycling). If a chopstick pierces the beef easily, it is done.
3. Skin the tomatoes: Cut a cross on the top of the tomato down to the waistline. Insert a chopstick/knife fork through the stem end. Turn on the gas stove with low heat, rotate the tomato frequently, and check frequently. Once the skin starts to blister/split, peel it off. Cut into chunks. The smaller, the better.
4. Be careful not to get scalded while peeling. Peeled tomatoes are very slippery, take it slow for safety.
5. Heat oil in a wok/pot until 70% hot. Add the 10g choped green onion and ginger. Add tomatoes and stir fry until broken down and red tomato juice is released. Add the stewed beef brisket and the remaining cooking liquid (just enough to cover the beef).
6. Add salt, sugar, and soy sauce to taste. Cover.
7. Keep over high heat and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes after opening the lid.
8. Turn off the heat when the tomato sauce reaches a medium thickness. Sprinkle scallions and serve.