Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Stir-fried Beef with Tomato and Soft Scrambled Eggs
鮮茄滑蛋牛肉
Recipe overview
A Hong Kong home-style stir-fry with tender beef, juicy tomato wedges and soft egg curds. Slice the beef against the grain, marinate it briefly, sear it until nearly cooked, then return it to a lightly thickened tomato sauce. The eggs are folded in at the end so the dish stays soft, bright and not watery.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 300 g Tender beef (Tenderloin, chuck or quick-cooking beef; slice against the grain into 4–5 cm long, 3–4 mm thin slices)
- 4, about 500 g Tomatoes (Cut each into 6–8 wedges)
- 6 Eggs
- 1/2, about 100 g Onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 Scallions (separate whites and greens)
- 3 slices Ginger
- 3 tbsp Neutral cooking oil (use in batches)
Beef marinade
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce (marinate beef)
- 1 tbsp Water (marinate beef)
- 2 tsp Cornstarch (marinate beef)
- 1/2 tsp Sugar (marinate beef)
- 1 pinch White pepper (marinate beef)
- 1 tsp Neutral cooking oil (mix in last)
Egg seasoning
- 2 tbsp Water (season eggs)
- 1/4 tsp Salt (season eggs)
- 1 pinch White pepper (season eggs)
Tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Ketchup (mix sauce)
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce (mix sauce)
- 1 1/2 tsp Sugar (mix sauce)
- 3 tbsp Water (mix sauce)
- 1/2 tsp Cornstarch (mix sauce)
02
Tools
- Chef's knife
- Chopping board
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Whisk or chopsticks
- Whisk or chopsticks
- Deep wok or large frying pan
- Deep wok or large frying pan
- Wok spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen paper
- Serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut tomatoes and aromatics
Cut each tomato into 6–8 wedges. Thinly slice onion; separate scallion whites and greens; prepare ginger. Keep tomatoes in large wedges.
Step 2
Slice beef against the grain
Find the grain and slice beef against it into 4–5 cm long, 3–4 mm thin slices. Thoroughly wash hands, knife and board that touched raw beef.
Step 3
Marinate beef
Mix beef with the marinade soy sauce, water, sugar, white pepper and cornstarch; mix oil in last. Rest 10 minutes.
Step 4
Beat and season eggs
Beat eggs with egg-seasoning water, salt and white pepper until evenly combined.
Step 5
Mix tomato sauce
Mix ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir again just before using.
Step 6
Soft-scramble eggs
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil over medium. Add egg and gently push from edges to centre for 45–60 seconds. Remove when 80–90 percent set in large soft curds.
Step 7
Stir-fry beef until nearly cooked
Wipe the wok, add 1 tbsp oil over medium-high. Spread beef for 20–30 seconds, then stir-fry 1–1 1/2 minutes and remove at about 90 percent cooked.
Step 8
Sauté ginger, onion and scallion whites
Add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil. Sauté ginger, onion and scallion whites over medium for 1–1 1/2 minutes.
Step 9
Stir-fry tomato wedges
Add tomato wedges and gently stir-fry over medium for 1 1/2–2 minutes.
Step 10
Add tomato sauce
Stir sauce again, pour it in and stir-fry over medium for 45–60 seconds.
Step 11
Return beef to tomatoes
Return beef and juices; stir-fry over medium for 30–45 seconds. Beef must be fully cooked through with no raw red centre.
Step 12
Fold in soft eggs and plate
Return soft eggs, add scallion greens and fold gently for 15–20 seconds; do not break curds. For vulnerable diners, cook eggs fully. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat until hot.
Common mistakes
- Beef cut with the grain is chewy; slice thinly against the grain.
- Constant stirring as beef enters the wok makes it watery; leave it 20–30 seconds first.
- Eggs removed only when dry become tough after returning; remove at 80–90 percent set.
- Finely chopped tomatoes turn to paste; keep large wedges.
- Unstirred sauce leaves cornstarch at the bottom; stir thoroughly before pouring.
- Overcooked tomato sauce becomes gluey; add beef while it is lightly thick but flowing.
Tips
Chill beef for 15 minutes before slicing for cleaner thin slices.
For children, slice onion thinner and peel tomato if preferred, while keeping wedges.
Use tenderloin, chuck or hot-pot beef slices; reduce marinating time for very thin slices.
Ripe tomatoes with a little sugar can replace ketchup, but the colour will be lighter.
Fold eggs in only at the end to keep them soft.
Never use a bowl that held raw beef for cooked food until it has been washed.
