Peru · Main · Medium
Lomo Saltado
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Lomo Saltado, in 5 ideas
- Dry beef sears, wet beef steams. Pat the strips with paper towels until no moisture remains. This single step decides the whole dish.
- Cut everything before the heat goes on. Once the wok is hot, there is no time to chop. Mise en place is not optional here.
- Fries go in last. They only need one toss to pick up the sauce. Any longer and they go soggy.
- Day old rice works too. Fresh steamed rice is classic, but this is excellent over fried rice if you have it.
- No aji amarillo, no problem. A jalapeno or serrano gives the heat. The fruity flavor is nice but the dish survives without it.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into thick strips
- 4 large russet potatoes, cut into fries, or 1 lb frozen fries
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 aji amarillo or jalapeno, seeded and sliced (optional)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked white rice, for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Cook the fries first. Fry fresh cut potatoes in hot oil until golden and crisp, or bake frozen fries until crunchy. Salt them and set aside.
- Pat the beef strips very dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, pepper, and cumin. A dry surface is what gives you a real sear.
- Heat a wok or your largest skillet over the highest heat until it just starts to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and sear the beef in a single layer, about 90 seconds per side. Work in two batches so the meat browns instead of steams. Set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the hot wok. Toss in the onion wedges and cook 2 minutes until the edges char but the centers stay crisp.
- Add the tomato wedges and chile. Toss 1 minute. The tomatoes should soften slightly but hold their shape.
- Return the beef to the wok. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar around the edges so it sizzles. Toss everything hard for 1 minute until glazed.
- Add the fries and toss once more, just to coat. Shower with cilantro and serve immediately over white rice.
The wok must be violently hot. If it is not smoking, the beef steams and turns gray. Let the pan recover its heat between batches.