普羅旺斯的天空下 Living in Provence

這是我們家很喜歡的中式燉菜之一, 老公把這道菜取名為 - ' 中式勃艮第牛肉 ' (Boeuf Bourguignon - Asian version)。因我通常是使用和做勃艮第牛肉相同部為的牛肉來做此道蕃茄牛腩。

我所用的材料有:

800克 - 1斤牛腩或任何適於用來慢燉的牛肉部為
4-5 個紅蕃茄 (自然熟透為佳), 使用滾水燙數分鐘、去皮、略切
3-4 公分大的薑, 去皮、切薄片
1顆洋蔥, 切小塊
2-3 瓣大蒜, 去皮
20-30ml  紹興酒
100-110 醬油
適量滾水
1匙濃縮蕃茄糊

1.  將琺瑯鑄鐵鍋用中火加熱, 慢慢炒香洋蔥、薑和蒜

2.  另起一鍋水、燒滾, 將牛肉塊川燙約10秒 (此步驟可以幫助去除多餘的血水和雜質。)

3.  將牛肉塊瀝乾, 加入琺瑯鑄鐵鍋

4.  轉大火, 由鍋邊加入酒, 燒煮數分鐘

5.  加入醬油、蕃茄和滾水(醬汁需蓋過肉塊)

6.  醬汁先煮滾, 加蓋, 轉小火慢燉 2-2.5小時 (若想縮短燉煮時間, 可事先將肉塊切小。)
7.  待肉塊軟嫩後, 拌入1匙濃縮蕃茄糊, 將醬汁燒煮數分鐘或至稍微濃縮即可

(如圖所示, 我還使用了豆腐塊, 我愛吸滿醬汁的豆腐; 若是要使用豆腐, 請在收汁前取出適量的醬汁, 在另一鍋中與豆腐塊加熱至滾, 然後將豆腐塊和醬汁浸泡一晚。食用前, 先煮滾然後和2次加熱的牛腩混合即可。之所以不將豆腐直接加入牛腩鍋中是因為豆類製品容易使肉類變質。)

English Version:

Braised beef with tomatoes

This is one of our favorite Asian dishes, and my husband calls it "Boeuf Bourguignon - Asian version."  I usually use the same beef cuts as I would do for making the real boeuf bourguignon.

Ingredients used are:
800g - 1kg of beef brisket or beef cuts for long braising
4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped
3-4cm knob ginger, finely sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
20-30 ml of Chinese cooking rice wine (Shaoxing wine)
100 - 110 ml of soy sauce
some hot water
1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1.  Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and slowly fry the onion, ginger and garlic until fragrant.
2.  In another saucepan, bring some water to the boil and blanch the beef for 10 second.  (This process help to remove any impurities prior to braising.)
3.  Drain beef chunks well and add them into the heavy-based saucepan.
4.  Increase the heat to high and add a splash of Chinese cooking rice wine.  Let it cook for a few minutes.
5.  Add the soy sauce, tomatoes and enough hot water to cover the meat.
6.  Bring braising stock to the boil.   Put the lid on and then turn the heat down to low for a 2-2.5 hour slow braising.
(You can also cut the beef into smaller chunks so it will take less time for braising.)
7.  Once the beef is tender, stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a few more minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Serve with some steamed rice and vegetables.  

As shown in pictures,  I also added some tofu as I love how the tofu takes up some of the braising sauce.  If you would like to add some tofu, please reserve some braising stock (prior to adding tomato paste) from the main saucepan and cook the tofu with reserved braising stock over a medium heat until boiled.  Leave the tofu to soak over night for a maximum flavour.  The next day, bring the tofu and stock to the boil prior to mixing with reheated braised beef.