Lomo saltado
Lomo saltado is one of the best-known examples of how Chinese immigrants changed Peruvian cooking. Strips of sirloin seared over high heat with red onion, tomato and hot chilli, seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar, then tossed with chips. Rice comes alongside — yes, starch twice, and that is exactly how it is served in Lima. The cooking takes minutes, so everything must be cut and within reach before the pan heats. The keys are a very hot pan and cooking in batches: the meat should brown, not stew.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Cutting 20 min
- Rice 20 min
- Chips 20 min
- Stir-frying 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneCut the meat
Cut the beef into 1 cm strips, pat them dry with kitchen paper and toss with the salt, pepper and cumin. Dry meat browns; wet meat releases juice.
Ingredients: 500 g beef sirloin or rump · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp red wine vinegar · 3 cloves garlic · ½ tsp ground cumin · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 cm strips, well dried.Prepare vegetables and sauce
Cut the onion into thick wedges and the tomatoes into eighths, removing some of the seeds; slice the chilli into thin rings, chop the garlic and roughly chop the coriander. Mix the soy sauce with the vinegar.
Ingredients: 2 pcs red onions · 400 g tomatoes · 1 pcs yellow or red chilli (instead of ají amarillo) · ½ bunch coriander
Cook the rice
Add the rice to 400 ml of salted water, bring to the boil, cover and cook over low heat for 12 minutes, then leave covered.
Ingredients: 600 g potatoes for chips · 1000 ml oil for frying the chips · 200 g long-grain rice
Fry the chips
Cut the potatoes into 1 cm sticks and dry them thoroughly. Heat the oil in a pot about 20 cm wide to 170°C — it should come no more than a third of the way up. Fry the chips in two batches for 6–7 minutes until golden and crisp, and drain on a rack; allow about 15 minutes in total. Never drop wet potatoes into hot oil, it spits, and never leave the pot unattended. If the oil catches fire, never use water — cover the pot with a lid and turn off the hob.
Ingredients: 600 g potatoes for chips · 1000 ml oil for frying the chips · 200 g long-grain rice
Crisp chips waiting for the wok.Heat the pan
Heat a large pan (about 28 cm) or a wok with 2 tablespoons of oil until the oil just starts to smoke.
Ingredients: 500 g beef sirloin or rump · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp red wine vinegar · 3 cloves garlic · ½ tsp ground cumin · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
Sear the beef
Add half the meat in a single layer and sear without stirring for 1 minute, then toss and cook another 30 seconds. Move to a plate and sear the second batch the same way — about 5 minutes in total.
Ingredients: 500 g beef sirloin or rump · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp red wine vinegar · 3 cloves garlic · ½ tsp ground cumin · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
In batches — the pan must sizzle.Fry the vegetables
Add a tablespoon of oil, then the onion and chilli, and fry over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and tomatoes and fry one minute more — the tomatoes should soften but hold their shape.
Ingredients: 2 pcs red onions · 400 g tomatoes · 1 pcs yellow or red chilli (instead of ají amarillo) · ½ bunch coriander
Combine and serve
Return the meat to the pan, pour in the soy and vinegar and toss for 30 seconds until the sauce coats everything. Off the heat, fold in the chips and coriander and serve at once with the rice. If the pan is crowded, tip everything into a large bowl and fold the chips through there.
Ingredients: 500 g beef sirloin or rump · 3 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp red wine vinegar · 3 cloves garlic · ½ tsp ground cumin · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
Before you start
Ají amarillo
The authentic flavour comes from Peruvian yellow chilli paste, ají amarillo, found in Latin American shops. A stand-in is yellow chilli plus half a teaspoon of sweet paprika.
Oven chips
You can bake the potato sticks with 2 tablespoons of oil at 220°C for 30 minutes, turning once. Less crisp, but the dish is far lighter.
Storage
Lomo saltado must be eaten straight away — chips in sauce soften within minutes. Keep leftovers in the fridge up to 2 days and reheat in a pan, adding fresh chips.
