When I was first looking into this recipe, I was surprised to find out that its roots are more Asian than it might seem at first glance. A famous and traditional dish in Peru, Lomo Saltado actually finds its origin from the Chinese immigrants to Peru from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who were mainly brought over as indentured servants, with many of them serving as cooks. Once their contracts were fulfilled, many began opening restaurants, which eventually established the Peruvian-Chinese culinary tradition, known as chifa, by the 1920s. And now, with its increased popularity as well as population growth, Chinese immigrants have also opened chifa restaurants in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and even in Spain, establishing this unique blend of Cantonese and Peruvian cooking as its own distinct style of food.
With being limited in terms of importing and cultivating Chinese ingredients, the newly immigrated chefs had to adapt to their new home by creating new dishes using Peruvian ingredients. But as Chinese imports increased, ingredients such as soy sauce became more commonplace in both chifa as well as traditional Peruvian restaurants, resulting in dishes such as Lomo Saltado. In fact, some dishes like Lomo Saltado managed to become so popular that many places began cooking them as an extension of traditional Peruvian food, which has resulted in most Peruvian restaurants around the world to include this fusion dish, even if they don’t offer other chifa cuisine.
Lomo Saltado, literally meaning stir-fried loin meat, finds its fusion within the stirfry itself, combining the chinese soy sauce and vinegar with tomatoes and peppers originating from Peru to create a literal fusion of flavors from both the Old and New World. And fusion elements can be seen in the dish’s use of two starches as well, with the potatoes originated in Peru and the jasmine rice originated from Asia. Although a bit time consuming to make all of this for one dish, each element is important to reflect its blending of two cultures into one delicious dish. You of course are welcome to exclude certain elements of the dish if you don’t have time, and you can even buy them frozen if you still want to experience this dish in full without having to spend too much time in the kitchen.
This dish was recommended by a fan of the show a few months ago to make and I thought that this month was the perfect time to make it, especially with the dish’s multicultural origins. One of my favorite things about cooking is discovering the origins of dishes and how it has impacted the lives of those who created them, and of course also the people who consumed them. So, if you have any dishes to recommend me checking out, I will gladly make a video about making it, as well as exploring any fun facts that it may contain.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sirloin (or other steak)
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce (I recommend using chinese soy sauce, but you can use normal soy sauce if that’s all you have)
- 1-2 tbsp white/rice vinegar
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium red onion
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 1-2 aji amarillo peppers (or other chili pepper) –or– 1 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- Some salt and pepper
- Some french fries (I’ve made a few different fry recipes over the years, but for this recipe, I’ll be showing a sweet potato fry recipe, which you will need)
- 2-3 sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp oil
- Some salt and pepper
- Some garlic powder
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups water
- Some parsley/cilantro/green onions for garnish (optional)
Step 1: Prepare Meat & Marinade
First, we’ll prepare the meat since we need to marinate it. So, slice your meat into thin slices against the grain and then add this to a bowl or ziptop bag along with the soy sauce, vinegar, and some of the garlic minced. Give this a mix to evenly distribute the marinade. Then, set this aside while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2: Prepare Rice & Fries
Next, since it’ll take some time to cook, we’ll prepare the rice now. So, give it a rinse and then add it along with the water to your rice cooker and cook it.
Then, since the fries will also need to cook for longer, we’ll prepare these next. So, first preheat the oven to 400°F.
Then while we wait, we’ll prepare the potatoes, so give them a wash and then chop your potatoes into thick fries.
Then, place them in a bowl and add the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and/or any other seasonings you prefer, and then give this a mix. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then layer your coated potato slices in a single layer onto the pan.
Once your oven is done preheating, place the fries into the oven and let them bake for 15 minutes or so and then flip them and bake them for another 15 minutes, or until they crisp up.
Step 3: Prepare Rest of Ingredients & Stir Fry Beef, Tomatoes, Onions, & Peppers w/ Soy Sauce & Vinegar
While the rice and fries are cooking, we’ll cook the stirfry portion of this dish, so in a wok or skillet, add in some of your oil and heat this up to medium-high heat.
While we wait for this, we’ll quickly slice the onion and tomatoes into 1/2 inch wedges. Also, if using, dice up your peppers as well, removing the seeds if you wish to reduce the spice level.
Then, once the pan’s hot enough, add in your marinated beef and stir fry this for a few minutes until the beef is fully browned. You’ll want to get some char on the steak for flavor, so try to drain any liquid if needed so that you sear the steak rather than steam it. This is why I recommend using Chinese soy sauce since it tends to be more viscous and clings to the meat better, keeping the liquid from boiling the meat rather than stir-frying it.
But in either case, once it’s browned to your liking, set the meat aside and then add in the sliced onions and some more oil if needed and saute this for a few minutes until the onions start to soften and brown.
Then, add in the remaining minced garlic along with the sliced tomato and minced chili pepper (or chili paste) and let this cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften but are still firm.
Then, add in some more soy sauce and vinegar to deglaze the pan by pouring it on the sides of the wok or pan.
Let this simmer for a few minutes and then toss your cooked steak back in to warm it back up and coat it in the sauce. Season this with some salt and pepper if needed, and then turn the heat down to keep the meat from overcooking if you still need to wait for the rice and fries.
Step 4: Once Your Stir Fry, Rice, & Fries are all Done, Plate Food, Garnish, & Enjoy!
Once your fries are done, you can toss these into the stir fry as well, but I prefer to have them separate so they don’t get all soggy, so I’ll leave them out for now. Then, once all of your components are finished cooking, serve your beef stir fry with the rice and fries, garnishing as desired, and with that, your Lomo Saltado is ready to eat.