Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Stir-Fry with French Fries)

About This Recipe

Lomo saltado is the most beloved dish of Peruvian chifa cuisine — the fusion food born when Cantonese laborers arrived in Lima in the mid-19th century to work the sugar plantations and brought with them the wok, soy sauce, ginger and the stir-fry technique, which collided spectacularly with Peruvian ingredients like ají amarillo (the bright yellow Peruvian chili), red onion, tomato, vinegar and the absolutely unique Peruvian decision to garnish the dish with hot French fries tossed directly into the sauce. The result is one of the great cross-cultural dishes of the Americas: strips of marinated beef sirloin (lomo) flash-seared in a screaming-hot wok, joined by wedges of red onion and tomato that cook for just 60 seconds so they keep their crunch, deglazed with soy sauce, red wine vinegar and ají amarillo paste, finished with cilantro, and served over a generous mound of white rice with golden, crispy French fries half-buried in the sauce — fries that have somehow remained crisp despite being soaked in the savory liquid for a minute. Lomo saltado is Peru's casual everyday dish: served in cafes, at family dinners, and even at Peruvian beach kiosks. It represents the openness of Peruvian cuisine — the willingness to absorb foreign techniques and ingredients and make them genuinely Peruvian. The wok-hei (breath of the wok) char on the beef, the bright punch of the ají, the satisfying carbohydrate double-whammy of rice AND fries — there is no other dish quite like it.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gbeef sirloin or tenderloin, cut into 1.5 cm thick strips
• 2 tbspsoy sauce (for marinade)
• 1 tbspred wine vinegar (for marinade)
• 1 largered onion, cut into thick wedges
• 3 mediumripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbspají amarillo paste (Peruvian yellow chili paste)
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 small pieceginger, grated
• 3 tbspsoy sauce (for the sauce)
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar (for the sauce)
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 3 tbspneutral oil (peanut, vegetable)
• 1 small bunchfresh cilantro, chopped
• 600 grusset potatoes, cut into 1 cm batons (or 600 g frozen Belgian-style fries)
• neutral oil for deep frying
• salt and pepper to taste, plus steamed white rice to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the beef

   Pat the beef strips very dry with paper towels — moisture prevents a good sear. Toss with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, a pinch of salt and a generous grind of pepper. Let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature. Bringing the meat to room temperature gives a much better sear.

2. 2

   Fry the potatoes

   Heat 5 cm of oil in a deep pot to 180°C. Fry the potato batons in two batches 5–6 minutes per batch until golden and crisp on the outside, tender inside. Drain on paper, salt while hot, and keep warm in a low oven. Use frozen Belgian-style fries if you want a shortcut — they're entirely acceptable.

   For the crispest fries, double-fry as in Belgian moules-frites: blanch first at 140°C for 5 minutes, then crisp at 180°C for 3.

3. 3

   Mix the stir-fry sauce

   In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste. Whisk smooth — this goes into the wok at the end and is the dish's flavor finish.

4. 4

   Heat the wok screaming hot

   Set a wok or wide heavy skillet over the highest heat your stove will produce. Wait until it's smoking lightly — proper stir-fry needs intense heat for the wok-hei char that defines Chinese-Peruvian cooking. This step matters more than any technique.

5. 5

   Sear the beef hard

   Add 2 tbsp oil and immediately add the beef in a single layer (work in two batches if your wok is small — crowding ruins the sear). Sear undisturbed 60–90 seconds, then toss vigorously another 60 seconds. The beef should have visible char and still be medium-rare inside. Lift onto a plate.

6. 6

   Stir-fry aromatics and onion

   Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the still-screaming-hot wok. Add the garlic, ginger and remaining 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste; stir-fry 20 seconds. Add the red onion wedges and toss 60 seconds — they should char at the edges but stay crunchy.

7. 7

   Add tomato and deglaze

   Add the tomato wedges and toss 30 seconds. Pour the prepared sauce around the edges of the wok (so it sizzles immediately, not steams). Return the beef and any juices to the wok. Toss everything together for 30 seconds — the sauce should reduce slightly and coat everything in a glossy lacquer.

8. 8

   Toss in the fries and serve

   Add the hot French fries directly into the wok and toss once or twice — just enough to barely coat them in sauce without making them soggy. Pull off the heat immediately. Scatter cilantro generously over the top and serve at once over a mound of steamed white rice, with extra ají on the side for those who want more heat.

Variations

• •

  Pollo saltado: substitute chicken thigh strips — popular at Peruvian cafes for lunch.

• •

  Lomo saltado vegetariano: substitute portobello mushroom strips and add a tablespoon of mushroom seasoning for depth.

• •

  Tallarín saltado: the same stir-fry tossed with thick wheat noodles instead of served over rice — Peru's answer to chow mein.

• •

  Lomo saltado al pisco: deglaze with 2 tbsp of Peruvian pisco brandy along with the sauce — adds an extraordinary perfumed depth.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers refrigerate 2 days but the fries will go soggy. Reheat the beef and vegetables in a hot pan, and crisp fresh fries to serve alongside. Do not freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions