Tomato season is here! One of my favorite ways to use tomatoes is to make a dish called Nqaj nyuj qhaa zum ntsug txiv lwg suav. It’s shredded smoked beef that’s been mixed with roasted tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. This dish brings me back to my childhood. I remember my grandma making this for us when we had too much smoked beef in the freezer. Shredded smoked beef is usually eaten as is over rice but the roasted tomatoes and herbs brings it to a whole new level. It’s aromatic and super flavorful over fresh steamed rice. A little bit goes a long way. I still love it till this day. Yum!

Tomatoes I grew this year includes: Roma, Bumblebee, yellow pear, champagne, and sweetie.

Main Ingredients

Smoked beef: Also known as Nqaj Nyuj Qhaa. Nqaj Nyuj means beef and Qhaa refers to as the cooking method. Beef is sliced into strips, seasoned, and cooked over wood charcoal for over 1 hr to dry it out a bit and give it a nice smoky flavor. In the Hmong culture, this is a way for us to preserve and store beef when a big chunk of it is given to us by a family member during an event/special occasion. It can also be made any time of the year when we crave it

Smoked beef is stored in a bag and be put into the freezer so it can used in soups, stir fry, salads, or just eat it as is.

Check out my smoked beef recipe here : https://chawjcreations.com/2021/08/07/hmong-smoked-beef/

Cut into smaller pieces and cook again to dry out the beef for easier shredding This is tomato love! Look at all the beautiful tomatoes I grew this year. So beautiful!  Herbs & Spices: Green onions, cilantro, chili peppers, and cherry tomatoes Make sure to roast the tomatoes and peppers to give this dish extra flavor  Pound and mix well with the beef and enjoy over fresh steamed rice
So tasty! Aromatic and full of flavor  This dish taste best the next day! Enjoy with sticky rice or fresh steamed rice. 

Happy Cooking and Enjoy!

-Cindy Her (C.HerCreations)

Shredded Smoked Beef With Tomatoes And Herbs: Nqaj nyuj qhaa zum ntsug txiv lwg suav

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 10-15 minutes Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes 25-30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs seasoned smoked beef (sliced into bite size chunks)
• 2-2.5 cups cherry tomato (exact measurement = 1 lb 8oz cherry tomatoes)
• 4-5 Thai chili (more or less)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Optional: Sliced ginger & Lemongrass

Instructions

Cooking the beef in the oven

Cut the smoked beef into smaller chunks. Continue cooking the beef in the oven under broil 400' for about 10 minutes , flip them over and then another 10-15 minutes on the other side. It should be nice and dryish. Take it out and let it cool. Once cooled, place into a food processor or a blender. Blend the beef small portions at a time until it shreds apart (depending how big your blender or processor is add more or less beef for easy blending) Shred and blend all the beef and pour into a bowl. Set aside.
You can also cook the beef in an air-fryer under roast 375'F for 10 minutes, stir and another 10 minutes.

MAKING THE TOMATO PEPPER

In a baking pan lined with foil, roast the tomatoes and pepper until broil 550' for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely roasted. Once roasted, add the peppers in a mortar n pestle along with 1/2 tsp of salt. Smash until the peppers are all smashed up. Then add in the roasted tomatoes, fish sauce and smash well. Then add in the shredded beef, cilantro and green onions.  Mix well and taste. Transfer into a bowl and serve with sticky rice or fresh steamed white rice. Enjoy!

This dish is also amazing the next day. Make sure to store in an airtight container and place in the fridge.