Peruvian Stir-Fried Beef and Potatoes – Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado for Unearthed 193 Course Meal – Peru:

I am a big fan of Unearthed foods and so when I heard about their 193 challenge, cooking a meal that involves recipes from 193 countries I was keen to join in by donating a recipe.  But, the obvious choices of Italy and Spain went quickly – and so I stuck my hand up and picked Peru.  Why?  Well, actually because I like Ceviche and I have made it on a number of occasions.  So that’s what I was planning.  The fates conspired against me in the nicest possible way when I was sent a fabulous case of meat from Heggies of Hereford.  It contained a lot of fabulous beef –  mostly the sort that I’d really rather not freeze.  So, in the interest of avoiding food waste I started doing a little research and found  a dish called Lomo Saltado.  

I know from eating in restaurants like Coya that Peruvian food is often a fusion of traditional South American ingredients with Japanese cooking techniques.  Peru was the first South American country to accept Japanese immigrants  who started to arrive from Yokohama in 1899.  The influence of the Japanese immigrant population is evident in fish dishes like Tiraditos, a kind of hybrid Sashimi and Ceviche.  And in this rather wonderful beef stir fry with potatoes, Lomo Saltado.  I found several recipes on the internet, most of which asked for chips or french fries and served the final stir fry on a bed of rice. This version, which I adapted from the about.com recipe here relies on excellent quality beef, like the sirloin steak sent to me by Heggies, which shouldn’t be over-cooked.  And, I used roast new potatoes in an effort to create something just a little healthier than the original dish.  I also left out the rice completely.

Did you know that there are over 3,800 varieties of potato in Peru – historically one of the staple foods of the Incas and early Peruvian cultures.  The Spanish Conquistadors brought the potato back to Europe from Peru and other Latin American countries around 1570.  Lacking both time a sense of adventure this time, my version of this dish uses baby new potatoes from the supermarket, though I’d be quite happy to visit Peru and try making a more authentic version!

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Beef Saltado – Peruvian Stir-Fried Beef and Potatoes

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: South American

Servings: 1

Author: Fiona Maclean

Ingredients

• 80 g Sirloin Steak cut into strips about 2cm by 1/2cm
• 1 Red Pepper de-cored and finely sliced
• 1 Small Red Onion finely sliced
• 1 clove Garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 2 New Potatoes cut into halves or quarters
• 1 Red or Yellow Chili Pepper de-seeded and chopped finely
• 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Wine Vinegar
• 2 Small Tomatoes cut into segments
• 1 teaspoon Sunflower oil
• 2-3 shots 1-cal oil
• 1 handful Parsley or Coriander to garnish

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes in a small ovenproof tray sprinkle with salt and spray with 1cal. Place in the oven at 180c for 15-20 minutes.
2. When the potatoes start to brown (after about 15 minutes), heat the oil in a wok and then add the cumin and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the red onion and chilli to the wok and stir fry for a minute.
   
   
4. Add the soy, vinegar, chilli, tomato and red pepper to the wok and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
   
   
5. Take the vegetables from the wok and keep warm.
6. Stir fry the beef quickly and return the vegetables to the pan. Mix well and cook for a further minute
7. Serve with the potatoes on top, garnished with parsley or fresh coriander

I really loved this dish.  It’s quick to make and very comforting.  The soy and vinegar makes a rich sauce with the cumin adding piquancy.  I like spicy food but if you have a more sensitive palate, you may want to reduce the amount of chilli.  I’d recommend it as a way to make one good sized steak feed two people (unless you are feeling greedy) with style – using steak in a stir fry is a great way to use high quality meat.   You can tell this particular sirloin was a good one, look at the marbling and the colour.  And, it is beautifully thick which made it easy to cut into strips for the stir-fry itself.

Thank you to Heggies for my hamper of meat.  So far highly recommended, the beef is sourced to the farmer and comes nicely packaged in 2 portion sealed bags lined with waxed paper.  Hereford beef is known for excellent quality and unique flavour and although this recipe had quite a piquant sauce, the flavour of the beef cut through very well .  I will be making a few more dishes over the next week, but if you are already yearning for some, please do check out the Heggies website.