Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 675 g (1 1/2 lb) stewing beef
• 2 medium onions
• 2 leeks
• 6-8 medium tomatoes (must be firm0
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
• 4 slices root ginger
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
• 500 ml (1 Pint) stock
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) lard (use oil if not available)
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) peppercorns, crushed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) corn flour blended in 45 ml (3 tablespoons) water

Serve 6-8

** Free Chinese Recipes **

Method:

1. Cut the beef into 3.75 cm (1 1/2 in) cubes. Cut the onion into thin slices and the leeks into 2.5 cm (1 in) sections. Douse the tomatoes with boiling water. Remove the skins, cut into quarters, and sprinkle them with sugar.

2. Place the beef in a casserole. Add the onion, ginger, salt and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, turning the contents every 20 minutes. By this time the liquid in the casserole should have been reduced to a third or a quarter of its original volume.

3. Remove from the heat and lift out the beef pieces with a perforated spoon. Heat the lard in a large frying pan. When the fat is very hot, add the beef and peppercorns to stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes.

4. Add the leeks, garlic and soy sauce and turn and stir with the beef for 2 minutes. Finally add the tomatoes; turn and stir with the other ingredients, still over a high heat for 1 minute.

5. Pour the blended corn flour into the sauce in the casserole and bring to the boil. Pour the thickened sauce into the frying pan. Mix it with the beef and tomatoes.

6. Bring to a high boil, and pour the contents into a deep-sided dish and serve. Another favorite for rice-eaters.