Lomo Saltado
Peru's signature stir-fry: thin strips of beef seared with red onion, tomato, soy sauce and aji amarillo, tossed with crispy fries and fresh coriander.
Overview
Beef strips are marinated briefly in soy and aji amarillo paste. Fries are cooked separately, pre-fried, set aside. The wok hits high heat; beef is seared in batches; red onion and tomato are added briefly so they keep their bite; soy, vinegar, lime and stock are poured in to sauce. The fries go in last, just before serving, a 30-second toss so they pick up flavour without going soggy.
Ingredients
Beef and marinade
- 600 g beef sirloin (or rump, cut into 1 cm strips)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (Peruvian; or 2 tsp sambal oelek)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 cm fresh ginger (grated)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Fries
- 800 g floury potatoes (Maris Piper; cut into 1 cm sticks)
- 800 ml vegetable oil for frying
- Salt
Stir-fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red onion (large, cut into wedges)
- 4 tomatoes (medium, deseeded; cut into wedges)
- 2 long green chillies (sliced)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons beef stock (or water)
- 1 lime (juice)
- A small bunch of coriander (chopped)
- Black pepper
To serve
- Cooked white rice
Method
Stage 1 - Marinate the beef
- Mix the marinade ingredients; add the beef; rest 15 minutes.
Stage 2 - Fries
- Heat the oil to 165°C in a deep pan.
- Fry the potato sticks in batches 5 minutes until just-tender; drain.
- Heat the oil to 190°C.
- Re-fry the chips 3 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on kitchen paper; salt; keep warm.
Stage 3 - Sear the beef
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over the highest heat until smoking.
- Add half the beef in a single layer; sear 60 seconds untouched; toss 30 seconds; lift out.
- Repeat with the rest of the beef.
Stage 4 - Vegetables
- Add the second tablespoon of oil to the wok.
- Add the red onion wedges; toss for 90 seconds (should still have crunch).
- Add the tomato and chillies; toss for 60 seconds.
Stage 5 - Sauce
- Return the beef and any juices.
- Pour in the soy, vinegar and stock; toss for 30 seconds - the sauce should coat without pooling.
- Off the heat, add the lime juice.
Stage 6 - Combine with fries
- Tip the fries into the wok; toss 30 seconds (just to coat - don't let them go soggy).
- Stir in the coriander; grind in pepper.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Pile onto plates with white rice on the side.
Notes
- High heat is the dish: Lomo saltado lives or dies on wok hei (the smoky char from a properly hot wok). Cook in batches if your hob can't sustain the heat.
- Fries last: Adding them earlier turns them limp. They go in for 30 seconds at the end, no more.
- Aji amarillo: A fresh-tasting yellow Peruvian chilli sold as paste at Latin grocers. Sambal or sriracha is a poor but functional substitute.
Storage
- Best fresh; the fries don't reheat. Don't make ahead.
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