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Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian stir-fry that was influenced by the Cantonese-Chinese community that migrated to Peru. This Chifa dish consists of beef tossed in a sauce made up of simmered tomatoes, red onion and soy sauce. Serve it with my Aji Verde for the ultimate Peruvian dinner.
This recipe comes from my Peruvian grandfather. He used to make this every Sunday for our big family dinners. I love Peruvian food; it’s no surprise. I love everything from tallarines verdes to chicha morada. It truly is my favorite cuisine of all-time.
A lot of people are surprised to learn that Peru has a large Asian community. As a result, this Asian presence–over generations and generations–has had a huge influence on “traditional” Peruvian cuisine, basically making it into what it is today. This particular dish was derived from a Cantonese stir-fry. The potatoes make it unique to Peru, along with the spices and thick sauce.
Ingredients for Lomo Saltado
What is Lomo Saltado?
Lomo Saltado is the national dish of Peru. It’s most easily described as a stir-fry; a latin stir-fry! This Lomo Saltado recipe includes strips of beef, red onion, tomatoes, French fries, ginger simmered in a sauce flavored with soy sauce, beer and ginger.
What is Chifa?
Chifa is a type of cuisine in Peru that was created and influenced by the Chinese population living in Peru. This cuisine often times combines ingredients and dishes from Chinese and Cantonese backgrounds and fuses them with indigenous Peruvian ingredients such as aji amarillos (spicy yellow peppers) and Andean potatoes.
What Cut of Beef Should Be Used?
My favorite cut of meat for this Lomo Saltado recipe is sirloin. I then cut this sirloin into 1/2-inch thick strips. Iโve been to fancier Peruvian restaurants and theyโve used tenderloin. As a result, let me tell you, itโs delicious! Recently Iโve been on a kick of using grass-fed beef (itโs what I used pictured) and it is AMAZING.
Lomo Saltado Ingredients
- French fries. Potato is prevalent in so many Peruvian recipes, including this one! I choose to fast food-buy my French fries. This saves on clean-up, heating up oil. AND, we all know baked potatoes aren’t as good as fried ones.
- Beef. I like using grass-fed, organic sirloin.
- Red onion. I like to cut it into quarters or eighths.
- Roma tomatoes. This will contribute to its sauciness.
- Aji amarillos. Traditionally, aji amarillos are used, but since they’re difficult to find in the U.S., you can also use serrano peppers. Feel free to use a teaspoon or two of aji amarillo paste, if you have it.
- Garlic. I like to measure garlic with my heart. I use an ample amount because FLAVOR.
- Soy Sauce. This gives it a delicious savory flavor.
- Beer (or Beef Broth). Pick your flavor. I like to deglaze the pan with a bit of lager beer. If you want to skip the beer, you can use beef broth in its place.
How to Make Lomo Saltado
- Get the fries. Hereโs the truth–because frying can be a pain–I go to McDonald’s and buy French fries from the drive-thru. My parents figured out to do this after years of frying their own potatoes.
- Salt and prep the strips of meat. Trim off any fat.
- Sear the meat. Until it’s browned on both sides. And then remove it and set it aside.
- Cook the onions and tomatoes. I like to cook them just until slightly softened. As a result, this will extract some of their juices and thicken the sauce.
- Add the diced pepper, garlic, spices, tomato paste and soy sauce.
- Deglaze the pan. And pour in the beer and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon. As a result, the little bits of beef will go into the sauce, which will translate into flavor. Salt to taste.
- Mix in the beef and fried potatoes. And then toss everything together. In addition, I plate it with rice and top with Italian parsley.
Tips and Tricks
- Aji amarillos are a staple flavor in lomo saltado. If you can’t find them, then feel free to substitute them habanero peppers or serrano.
- French Fries are a pain to make in the kitchen; trust me, I know. On occasion I’ll make them homemade but I usually rely on store-bought frozen French fries or I go to good ol’ McDonald’s. No shame!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you can’t find aji amarillos or you don’t have the paste, you can use jalapeรฑos, serrano or scotch bonnet. The flavor will be different but it will add an element of spiciness.
By all means! I love using filet mignon as a treat. It lends well to this dish.
Yep, feel free to replace it with more beef broth if needed.
More Peruvian Delights
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Lomo Saltado Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
Lomo Saltado:
- 2 cups French fries , (from a fast food place OR from frozen, see below for directions)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, (I used avocado oil)
- 1 pound sirloin or beef tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- Kosher Salt
- 1 red onion , peeled and quartered
- 2 roma tomatoes, core removed and cut into quarters
- 2 aji amarillos (or serrano pepper) , de-seeded and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup beer, (or beef broth)
- Handful of cilantro or Italian parsley leaves, minced, as garnish
Instructions
To Cook the Lomo Saltado:
- *French Fry Instructions: I used French fries I bought from McDonalds. I needed about 1 order of large French fries for this recipe. I preheated an oven to 200 degrees F and put them on a baking sheet in an even layer so they'd stay warm while I made the rest of the dish. Alternatively, you can fry your own or use frozen French fries.
- Slice the sirloin into 1/2-inch thick strips. Trim off any thick fat caps, if they exist. Season both sides of the meat with a liberal amount of salt.
- In a large skillet, set over medium-high heat, add the neutral oil. Add the meat to the oil and cook on first side for 1-2 minutes, until browned. Flip and cook on opposite side for an additional minute or so. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
- Add an additional tablespoon of oil, if needed (I didn't need any) and toss in the onions and tomatoes. Cook until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Throw in the diced pepper, garlic, cumin, tomato paste and soy sauce.
- Pour in the beer and deglaze the pan, using a spoon. Cook mixture for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the alcohol is cooked out of the beer and the sauce has thickened. Give it a taste and adjust the salt. I didn't need any because of the type of soy sauce I used.
- Add in the cooked beef strips and French fries, and toss together. Serve atop steamed rice and garnish with minced Italian parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You show ginger in the picture and even speak on it but in the recipe itself it does not say to add it. So do you use ginger?
I had never even heard of this dish until my husband and I went to a Peruvian restaurant and my husband ordered it. The meal was so good I immediately came home to look for a recipe. My husband said this was A+ and he wants it out in the dinner rotation. So good.
Hello – ๐ What beer would you suggest for the Lomo?
This recipe is SO delicious. I usually tweak recipes but I made this one exactly as you wrote it, and it is perfection. I will definitely be making it again! Such a delicious flavor.
Hi Laura, so glad you loved it. YAY!!!
Hi, I am going to make this tonight. However, I noticed you added ginger, but it is not listed in the step-by-step instruction. I assume it’s mixed in with the ingredients in Step 4?
I stir-fry the beef in a very hot, smoking, wok.