Velvet Pot Beef Stew (Tomato and Potato)

Velvet Pot Beef Stew (Tomato and Potato)

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Chinese

Onion is what defines Velvet Pot Beef Stew (Tomato and Potato), a home meat dish.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced
Estimated Calories

827 kcal

Ingredients

  • 500-700g Beef (Brisket)
  • Onion
  • Garlic cloves
  • Scallion
  • Cooking Wine
  • Sichuan Peppercorns
  • Star Anise
  • Bay Leaf
  • Sugar or Rock Sugar
  • Light Soy Sauce (opt.)
  • Dark Soy Sauce
  • Black Pepper (or White Pepper)
  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Tomato Paste or Canned Tomatoes

Steps

  1. Prep Ingredients:
  2. Peel potatoes and cut into 5cm large chunks, set aside
  3. Cut tomatoes into a cross shape, blanch in boiling water, peel, remove the core, and cut into 3cm small chunks, set aside
  4. Chop 4g of green onions and break the rest into 5-8cm large segments
  5. Soak beef in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood, or blanch in cold water until surface turns white, remove and skim foam
  6. Dice onion 0.5-1cm
  7. Cooking:
  8. Over medium heat throughout
  9. Fill pot with cold water covering the beef. Place in pressure cooker, add scallions and ginger. Add 20g cooking wine, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes
  10. After removing beef, cut into 5cm large chunks. Remove ginger. Strain the soup into a large bowl for later use
  11. Heat oil. Once oil is 40-50% hot, add peppercorns, star anise, and bay leaf. Remove them after fragrant before they burn
  12. Add beef, ginger, and scallion. Fry until fragrant (time does not matter much). If it looks like it is about to burn, scoop 10ml of soup and add (as below)
  13. After frying, add 15ml soy sauce, 15ml cooking wine, pepper, 5-10g tomato paste, canned tomatoes, or just one can/tomato. Fry with onion until transparent
  14. (Optional) Add a tiny pinch of salt to help onion release water and prevent burning. Don't add too much, add more seasoning later
  15. Add tomatoes, fry until melted and soft, pour in the remaining soup
  16. Stewing:
  17. Turn to medium heat once boiling, then all low heat
  18. Add potatoes and season 30-40 minutes before serving
  19. Season with sugar and salt according to taste
  20. Serve once the beef is soft and tender enough to be pierced by a chopstick!

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Notes

A classic home-cooked stew with a sweet and sour taste that stimulates the appetite. Rich sauce, soft beef, and dense potatoes. Beef provides high-quality protein, and tomatoes are rich in lycopene. With potatoes and onions, the nutrition is balanced. Simple operation and easy for beginners to handle. Takes about 1 to 1.5 hours from prep to finish.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 827 kcal
Group: Tomato and Potato Beef Stew

Calculations:

  • Beef 500-700g
  • Aromatics
  • 1 whole scallion, 4 slices of ginger, cooking wine
  • 3g peppercorns
  • 1 (half) Star Anise
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Oil 15ml (If using brisket, can reduce to 10ml based on preference)
  • Condiments
  • White Sugar or Rock Sugar
  • Soy Sauce (e.g., Qianhe brewed light soy sauce, no additives), Dark Soy Sauce
  • Black Pepper (White is fine) 2g
  • 2-3 Potatoes (according to preference, fill the pot as much as possible)
  • 2-3 Tomatoes, medium size (size of fist)
  • 1 Onion, larger than fist size
  • Ensure the soup added for cooking is warm
  • Do not cover the lid when stewing, otherwise the potatoes will rot
  • Stir occasionally when stewing to avoid burning the bottom
  • A clay pot tastes best. If using a clay pot, do not use high heat before boiling to avoid cracking.
  • Do not use MSG or chicken essence, it will steal the beef's fresh flavor

If you find issues or areas for improvement following this guide,

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Cuisine: Chinese