Traditional Peruvian Dishes
Peruvian Lomo Saltado
Discover how to prepare an authentic Peruvian lomo saltado: golden brown beef strips cooked over high heat, red onion, tomato, yellow pepper, sillao, and vinegar, accompanied by crispy fried potatoes and white rice. A homemade, abundant, and contrasting dish.
Lomo saltado is one of the most representative dishes of Peruvian Creole cuisine and reflects the Chinese influence in the use of quick stir-frying, intense heat, and soy sauce. The key is to brown the meat without drying it out and preserve the texture of the vegetables.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓600 g of beef strips in thick strips
- ✓4 large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
- ✓2 cups of cooked white rice
- ✓1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
- ✓2 firm tomatoes, cut into wedges
- ✓1 fresh yellow pepper without seeds, cut into strips
- ✓2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- ✓4 tablespoons of sillao or soy sauce
- ✓2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- ✓2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- ✓1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- ✓1 teaspoon of salt for the meat, plus the necessary for the water and potatoes
- ✓1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- ✓Abundant oil for frying potatoes
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Have all ingredients cut and ready
Have all ingredients cut and ready. Dry the meat well with paper towels to favor browning.
- 02
Heat abundant water with salt in a pot
Heat abundant water with salt in a pot. When it boils, cook the potato sticks for 4 or 5 minutes, without softening them completely.
- 03
Drain the potatoes and let them rest for a few minutes to lose humidity
Drain the potatoes and let them rest for a few minutes to lose humidity.
- 04
Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat
Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and place the meat in a single layer. If necessary, cook it in two batches.
- 05
Season the meat with salt, pepper, and cumin
Season the meat with salt, pepper, and cumin. Brown it for approximately 1 1/2 or 2 minutes on each side, until it is golden brown on the outside and juicy in the center. Remove it and reserve it.
- 06
Add the other tablespoon of oil to the same skillet
Add the other tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Incorporate the red onion and yellow pepper, and stir-fry them for 1 minute, moving energetically, until the onion starts to soften but retains firmness.
- 07
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 08
Incorporate the tomato wedges and stir-fry them briefly, ensuring they heat up and release some juice without breaking too much
Incorporate the tomato wedges and stir-fry them briefly, ensuring they heat up and release some juice without breaking too much.
- 09
Return the meat to the skillet
Return the meat to the skillet. Add the sillao and red wine vinegar, and mix for 1 or 2 minutes, gently scraping the bottom to integrate the flavors.
- 10
Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro
Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro. Mix just at the end. If the preparation seems too dry, you can add 1 tablespoon of hot water.
- 11
Heat abundant oil to around 175 °C
Heat abundant oil to around 175 °C. If you don't have a thermometer, check that a small bubble surrounds a potato stick without the oil smoking.
- 12
Fry the potatoes in batches for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their thickness, until they are golden and crispy
Fry the potatoes in batches for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their thickness, until they are golden and crispy. Drain them and season them with salt while they are still hot.
- 13
Serve a portion of white rice and fried potatoes along with the lomo saltado
Serve a portion of white rice and fried potatoes along with the lomo saltado. Place the meat, onion, tomato, and pepper in a visible way, and serve immediately.
- Dry the meat very well before cooking and brown it in batches to avoid cooking it in its own juices.
- Stir-fry the vegetables briefly to preserve their texture and avoid them falling apart.
- The sillao or soy sauce already adds salt; taste the preparation before adding more.
- Add the cilantro at the end to preserve its fresh aroma.
- Serve the dish immediately so the sauce doesn't moisten the potatoes too much.
- If you can't find fresh yellow pepper, you can use yellow pepper paste in moderation and add it along with the garlic.
- The yellow potato provides a creamy texture, although you can also use white or russet potatoes.