Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado just might be my favorite dish of all time. I grew up eating it and to this day, I almost always order Lomo Saltado whenever I go to a Peruvian restaurant. The funny thing is that, at its core, this famous Peruvian dish is actually rooted in Chinese cooking.

Lomo Saltado is a stir fry of beef, onions, tomatoes, and fried potatoes, cooked in a wok, made with soy sauce and served with rice. While the cooking technique and foundation of the dish are undeniable Chinese, the addition of fried potatoes, aji amarillo and tomato are what also make it undeniably Peruvian. This dish really illustrates how Peruvian cuisine is the result of many different cultures settling in Peru over the past few hundred years.

A few things I believe to be necessary for a good Lomo Saltado:

This dish needs to be cooked hot and fast. Cooking a portion of Lomo Saltado should not take more than 3 minutes (but preferably 2) once you start stir-frying, This is probably the most important aspect of this dish. As this is traditionally cooked in a hot wok, you need to make sure however you cook lomo saltado, you cook it over high heat and quickly. The beef should be browned and not overcooked. The tomatoes and onions should be lightly caramelized but still maintain their structure without getting overly soft. And if you can get a few CONTROLLED flare-ups in the pan while tossing, you will be rewarded with that nice smokey flavor that wok cooking is known for (wok hei).

Expanding on above, do not attempt to cook Lomo Saltado for more than 2 people at once unless you feel comfortable working in batches and stages. I have a very powerful wok burner at home and 2 portions is the maximum that I would cook at one time. If you are cooking for 2 people on a home stove, I would suggest stir frying your meat and veggies separately over very high heat and then quickly combining them at the end with the sauce. This will avoid having the dish simmer instead of stir fry.

Make sure you have everything ready before you start stir frying! Because the stir frying only takes 2 or 3 minutes, you need to make sure all of your meat, veggies, herbs and sauce ingredients are cut and ready. I also like to make sure the rice and french fries are both hot and waiting on a warm plate when the stir-frying begins.

The fried potatoes (french fries) should be served beneath or tossed into the stir fry. The texture and flavor of crispy fried potatoes that have become partly soggy with delicious Saltado juice is one of the best parts. Some people seem to like the potatoes on the side but to me that like having stir fried beef with a side of rice AND a side of french fries. When the potatoes are incorporated into the stir fry, they become a PART of the dish.

The rice should be served on the same plate as the Lomo Saltado. One of the best parts of eating lomo saltado is the rice that has mixed with the delicious cooking juices that have seeped out of the stir fry.

A few notes…

Lomo Saltado would traditionally be made with beef tenderloin. While tenderloin is great for this dish, today we will be making this dish with hanger steak. Hanger is a bit tougher but it has great flavor and lends itself to stir frying. You could really use ANY cut of reasonably tender beef for this dish. I have used skirt steak, strip loin, ribeye…all with great results. Just make sure you try to cut your strips of beef across the grain if possible.

Aji Amarillo is the pepper that is typically used for this recipe. While the flavor of aji amarillo is quite distinct, It can be almost impossible to find fresh here in the US. You can purchase frozen aji amarillo or jarred aji amarillo puree in many Latin American stores but today I just used some spicy red peppers that I found at the market. You could substitute any hot pepper you like.

Because they are being stir-fried, the tomatoes that you use should not be the ripe super-soft heirloom tomatoes that you might use for a summer salad. Instead, use any ripe yet moderately firm tomato. Halved cherry tomatoes would work as well.

I will explain a quick french fry method in this recipe but you could also use good quality frozen french fries or even just roasted potatoes. Make sure you use a starchy potato for your fries such as russet or kennebec.

If you cook this recipe correctly, it will most likely set off your fire alarm unless you have a great kitchen exhaust or an outdoor kitchen. This is a stir fry and it will create a lot of smoke and maybe a few licks of flame when done correctly. Please be careful. Don’t start a fire. Make sure you have fully read the procedure so you don’t have to look at the recipe while you are actively stir frying. If you don’t feel comfortable with the high heat you could do it at a lower heat, just know that the results will not have that appealing smokey flavor.

Serve with:

• Peruvian Garlicky Rice

Lomo Saltado

A Peruvian stir-fry of beef, tomatoes, onions and fried potatoes

3.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Cooking french fries 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

French Fries

• 350 grams russet potato 2 medium potatoes
• as needed neutral flavored frying oil (canola, corn, vegetable…) between 2-4 cups, depending on the pot
• to taste kosher salt

Stir Fry

• 400 grams Hanger steak (or tenderloin, skirt, rib-eye….etc) 14 oz
• 150 grams red onion 1/2 large red onion
• 250 grams whole tomato 2 small-medium tomatoes
• 5 grams cilantro, chopped , plus more for garnish if desired 2-3 sprigs
• 15 grams scallion, thinly sliced, green and white parts 1 scallion
• as needed salt and black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp neutral flavored oil (canola, corn, vegetable…) for stir frying

Stir Fry Sauce

• 7 grams minced garlic 2 cloves
• 2 grams minced ginger 1 teaspoon
• 15 grams finely chopped aji amarillo (or any other spicy pepper) 1.5 tablespoons
• 35 grams soy sauce 2.5 tablespoons
• 25 grams red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons

2 portions Peruvian Garlicky Rice

Instructions

 

Prepping the french fries

• The potatoes will be fried twice, once now and once again just before cooking the lomo saltado. If using frozen french fries, you will only need to do the final fry, ignore these instructions.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick french fries
  
• Soak cut potatoes in cool water for at least 10 minutes to wash away some starch
  
• In a medium pot or wok, Preheat oil to 320 Fahrenheit. Use enough oil to comfortably submerge the potatoes. Do not fill the pot or wok more than 1/3 of the way up to avoid splashing hot oil.
• Remove potatoes from water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Carefully add potatoes to the hot oil.
  
• Once potatoes are added, temperature will drop. Adjust heat to maintain around 290 Fahrenheit while cooking. Cook potatoes for about 6 minutes, until just cooked through. They should not be getting much color.
• Remove potatoes from oil and allow to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the stir fry.
  
• Save your fryer oil for the final fry later on.

Prepare the stir fry ingredients

• Cut the beef into roughly 1 x .5 x .5 inch strips. Try to cut the strips against the grain if possible
  
• Season the beef with 2-3 grams salt (about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt) and a few grinds of black pepper. Set beef aside.
• Cut the onion into 1/2 inch wide "petals". Start by cutting the onion in half, pole to pole. Remove stem and root ends and then cut the onion into wedges, as shown. Separate layers of onion by hand.
  
• Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch wedges. Set aside
  
• Place chopped cilantro and scallion together in a small container and set aside

Stir fry sauce

• Place garlic, ginger and chili into small container
  
• add soy sauce and vingegar and set aside
  

Final Assembly

• Make sure you have all of your ingredients cut and within reach. Also make sure your pot of rice is cooked before starting to stir fry.
  
• In a medium pot or wok, Preheat oil to 360 Fahrenheit. Use enough oil to comfortably submerge the potatoes. Do not fill the pot or wok more than 1/3 of the way up to avoid splashing hot oil.
• Add the par-cooked (or frozen) french fries to the hot oil.
• Once potatoes are added, temperature will drop. Adjust heat to maintain around 350 Fahrenheit while cooking. Cook potatoes while stirring until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
  
• Remove potatoes from hot oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Season with salt.
• Place the hot potatoes and some cooked rice on a warm plate.
  
• Now you can start the actual stir fry…..
• Place a large saute pan or wok on the hottest burner you have.
• Preheat about 2-3 tablespoons of oil over the highest heat possible. You will stay at maximum heat the whole time.
• Once oil just begins to smoke, add the beef to the pan and allow to brown, stirring or tossing occasionally. A few controlled flare ups throughout this whole process is a good thing. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF.
  
• Cook beef approximately 30 seconds.
  
• If using a home stove, remove beef from pan now, and set aside. Clean out the pan and get very hot again with fresh oil before proceeding to next step
• Add onions and stir fry for an additional 20 seconds
  
• Add tomatoes and stir fry for an additional 20 seconds
  
• Add sauce around the edges of the pan or wok, allow to sizzle and continue tossing or stirring for 15 seconds.
  
• If you removed beef from pan, add it back in now and stir fry for 20 seconds before moving to next step.
• Add cilantro and scallions.
  
• Stir fry about 20 more seconds until everything has come together.
  
• Turn off heat. There should be some sauce at the bottom of the pan at this point. Adjust seasoning with a little salt if you like.
  
• Serve saltado and its juices on top of the french fries and enjoy!