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Tomato beef brisket (fan qie niu nan)
番茄牛腩 fan qie niu nan: Cantonese beef brisket slow-stewed with lots of tomato
Many Cantonese families in Guangzhou and Hong Kong grew up on this pot of beef brisket stewed slowly with a mountain of tomatoes until the meat falls into soft, gelatinous chunks and the sauce turns rich, tangy and bright red; it's a weekend dish, served ladled over rice or noodles, and better still the next day. The mistake is using only fresh tomatoes and ending with a thin, pale sauce; a spoonful of tomato paste and a long simmer give it body and colour. Chef's tip: add half the tomatoes at the start to melt into the sauce and the rest for the last 30 minutes, so there are still soft pieces.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb beef brisketcut into 4 cm chunks
- 8 ripe tomatoescut into wedges
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 onioncut into wedges
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlicsmashed
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ⅔ oz rock sugaror 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 potatoes (optional)peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 spring onion (optional)sliced, to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb beef brisket in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes until grey scum rises. Drain and rinse well.
10 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 5 slices fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic and 1 onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add 2 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 1 minute until it darkens.
4 minStep 3: Add half the 4 ripe tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, pressing them, until they collapse.
5 minStep 4: Add the beef, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ⅔ oz rock sugar and enough hot water to just cover. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes.
90 minStep 5: Add the rest of 4 ripe tomatoes, 2 potatoes and ½ tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, for 30–40 minutes more, until the beef is tender enough to break with a spoon and the sauce has thickened.
40 minStep 6: Skim off excess fat, taste for salt, scatter with 1 spring onion and serve over rice or noodles.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tomato beef brisket (fan qie niu nan) take?
- About 170 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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