From Aji Peruvian Cuisine in Long Beach
(Replay) Peruvian Cuisine at Home: Lomo Saltado
I admit it. I’m not a beef eater. Now. But, when I did, I remember eating Lomo Saltado at one of the many Peruvian restaurants in Washington, D.C. For those novices out there, the very popular Peruvian dish is a traditional one. Wikipedia describes it as “A stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin, or other beef steak, with onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients, served with fried potato slices (french fries) and rice.”
Peruvian food is not common in Long Beach. But, when you do find it, look for the Lomo Saltado.
This is from an essay I found online about Lomo Saltado. They described it as “A Dish of Nation Building.”
“It is a cross-cultural marriage of a beef stir fry with indigenous, Peruvian potatoes called Lomo Saltado.
Translated literally, the name seems to mean “jumped loin” or loin made to jump about. The image is much more poetic and precise than the English stir fry, since the chef does make the beef jump in a hot fry pan or wok.
But a wok? Stir fry? This is Peru, not China. How come words that suggest the other side of the Pacific Ocean are used to talk about the almost prototypical Peruvian dish?
We enjoyed watching Chef Mitto Barriga cook us up a dish of Lomo Saltado.
HOME COOKING: RECIPE FROM AJI PERUVIAN RESTAURANT
Lomo Saltado is a popular, traditional Peruvian dish with Chinese influences that is cooked in a wok. You can use a pan if you don’t have a wok.
Ingredients
- Beef Tenderloin, Cut In Cubes
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Cumin
- Fresh Red Onions
- Aji Amarillo (Peruvian Yellow Chile Pepper)
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Chopped Fresh Garlic
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- A Little Demi-Glace Made With Beef Stock )You Can Use Water Or Chicken Stock As Substitutes)
- Chopped Cilantro
- Steamed Rice
- French Fries
Heat the wok (or pan). Once it’s very hot, pour the olive oil into the wok. Add the tenderloin. Let it brown. Add salt and pepper. Cumin is next. Let it brown. Add the red onions. Then, the Aji Amarillo. Throw in the fresh tomatoes. A little garlic comes next. Stir the ingredients in the wok. Then, comes the rest quickly. Red wine vinegar. Soy Sauce. A little demi-glace. And a little cilantro. Stir until cooked.
Then plate the dish with steamed rice. Add the French fries to the top of the Lomo Saltado. Sprinkle some Cilantro on the rice and you’re ready to eat a traditional Peruvian dish.