Chinese Beef Tomato Rice

This recipe was made by Christine for the inaugural October 2009 Local Eats dinner as a tribute to her Chinese heritage. Mom makes this all the time and while this is close, it's not quite the same because we all know mom's make things best :).

Chinese Beef Tomato Sauce Over Rice
(Source: modified from About.com)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef, such as flank steak
• 4 large or 6 medium tomatoes
• 2 green onions or 1/2 a regular onion
• 2 slices ginger - I prefer to leave this out
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1 egg, optional
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Splash of sesame oil, optional
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices that are approximately 1 1/2 inches long. Add the marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. While meat is marinating, prepare the remainder of the vegetables. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Scald the tomatoes, plunging them briefly into the boiling water, then remove the skin and cut each into 4 to 6 equal-sized wedges (bigger for chunkier sauce, smaller for smoother sauce - note: the tomatoes will shrink and cook down).
3. Cut the green onions along the diagonal into sections about the same length as the beef or slice regular onion.
4. Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and if desired, the ginger. Cook briefly until aromatic, then add the beef. Let brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color and is 80 percent cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove from the wok. Clean out the wok if necessary.
5. Add the tomato wedges. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over top. Add ketchup. Cover and bring to a boil.
6. If adding egg, crack into the tomato sauce and let begin to set before breaking apart (should form egg strings as in egg drop soup).
7. Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick re-stir. Uncover the wok and push the tomatoes up to the side. Add the cornstarch and water mixture in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the meat back into the pan. Mix everything together and bring to boil to thicken. Add more cornstarch/water mixture if not thick enough.
8. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve hot over rice.