Lomo saltado is one of the great fusion dishes of world cooking — a Peruvian stir fry born from the Chinese immigrants (Chinos) who arrived in Peru in the nineteenth century. Beef, tomato, and onion are stir-fried at very high heat with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and ají amarillo, then served over steamed rice alongside crispy chips (also called lomo saltado fries). Chinese wok technique meets Peruvian ingredients.
Tallow at high heat produces the wok hei that makes lomo saltado taste like a restaurant dish rather than a sauté. The beef should be seared, not steamed. The vegetables should have char, not just softness.
Lomo Saltado Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g (1.3 lb) beef sirloin or strip steak, sliced against the grain into 1cm strips
- 3 tbsp beef tallow
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
- 1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
- 2 ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chilli) or 2 banana peppers, seeded and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Fresh cilantro to serve
- Steamed white rice and tallow-fried potato chips to serve
Method
- Heat the tallow in a wok or large skillet over the highest heat available until smoking.
- Season the beef. Add in a single layer — in batches if needed. Sear for 2 minutes without moving. Toss once. Remove.
- Add the tomato wedges and onion to the smoking wok. Sear for 2 minutes without moving. Remove.
- Add the garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Return the beef, tomatoes, and onion. Add the soy sauce and red wine vinegar.
- Toss everything together over high heat for 1 minute. Everything should have colour and char.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice, alongside tallow-fried chips. Scatter with fresh cilantro.
Is lomo saltado seed oil free?
Yes with tallow. Most restaurants use canola or vegetable oil.
What is ají amarillo?
A Peruvian yellow chilli with fruity, moderate heat. Available in paste form at Latin grocery stores and online. Banana pepper is a reasonable substitute.
Why chips alongside rice?
This is the defining feature of lomo saltado. Both starchy sides are traditional — the chips absorb the sauce from the stir fry.
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