Beginner's Stir Fry Beef with Onions & Tomatoes 🇨🇳

 

If you ask me what I have most often for dinner at home, I would say probably something stir fried with plain rice.  It's quick, delicious and you get your protein, grains and vegetables all on one plate.  I have dozens of recipes for stir fries that are constantly evolving, but you can do wonders with just a few ordinary ingredients, like in this recipe with onions, tomatoes and mince beef, which saves you the trouble of slicing meat.  There are a few aspects of stir fries you should know about: cutting everything into bite size, marinating the meat, using aromatics such as ginger, garlic and spring onions, but most important of all, timing.  Ingredients must hit the wok in the correct order and temperature so nothing is overcooked, or undercooked.  Simple instructions are there for you to ensure success for this 'beginner's'  stir fry dish.  Equipment wise, all you need is a wok and a metal spatula.  Let me know how you go.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 250g / 9 oz mince beef
• vegetable or olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, each sliced into 8 wedges
• 1 spring onion, cut into 3cm / 1¼" lengths, white and green parts separated
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar or malt vinegar

For marinating the beef:

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxin wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

METHOD

1. In a bowl, marinate beef mince with light soy sauce, wine, sugar, cornflour and chopped garlic for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok on high until very hot.  Add the white parts of the spring onions and the beef and spread them out in the wok with a spatula .  Let them sizzle undisturbed for 30 seconds before tossing them around to cook through. Remove to a bowl. 
3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same wok and sauté onions over medium heat until soft.  Add tomatoes, and sauté until slightly softened.  Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vinegar.  Mix well.
4. Return the cooked beef and green parts of spring onions to the wok.  Toss everything together.  Remove to a plate and serve hot with plain rice.