Beef with Fresh Tomatoes and Egg

It's summer and all those garden tomatoes are ripening at once. There are only so many tomato sandwiches one can eat. So what can we make to use up more? Try this deliciously saucy tomato and beef dish. My mom used to make it with or without egg. Delicious both ways! The sauce from the sun ripened tomatoes is so nice over rice! For me, this is about the tomato sauce and not the beef but if you like meat, feel free to use a larger piece of beef. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did growing up. Even my daughter who isn't a fan of tomatoes loves this dish over rice. Pictured below is the version with an egg. You can also make without egg but the egg gives it such a nice slippery texture and richness.

Beef with Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients (serves 4)

3/4-1 lb flank steak, sliced thin against the grain into 2"x1" slices

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons rice cooking wine

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

3 Tablespoons vegetable or other non-flavored oil like avocado oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3-4 large fresh ripe tomatoes (1.5-2 lbs), sliced into wedges (more is fine, makes more sauce!)

3 Tablespoons oyster sauce

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 green onion, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions

Marinate beef. Place sliced beef, soy sauce, sugar, wine, garlic and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed large skillet over high heat. Add oil. When oil is shimmery add the marinated beef and stir quickly and constantly for about 1-2 minutes until beef is brown but not cooked through. Important not to cook through and let some pink areas remain. Remove to a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet add the onions and stir fry for about 2 minutes until onions start to soften. Add the fresh tomatoes then mix thoroughly. Turn heat down to medium high, cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes until the tomatoes break down and are very soft and a nice sauce is bubbling away. In the meantime make the cornstarch slurry by combining 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

When the tomatoes are nice and saucy, add the oyster sauce, beef with any liquid that might have come out, and stir to combine. Add cornstarch slurry and bring back to a boil to thicken sauce. Crack in 2 eggs. Wait about 20-30 seconds before breaking yolks and mixing everything together gently. Once the eggs form delicate opaque strands turn off heat. Should be quick like 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with green onions if desired.

Serve with steamed rice and your favorite side of stir fried greens!