Passport & Plate - Lomo Saltado con Quinoa
Peru | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 2 photos
Ingredients
1/2 lb lean sirloin, cut into small, thin strips
salt, to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into thick strips
1 large bell pepper
1 large jalapeño, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tomato, sliced into wedges
1 1/2 tbsp sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro
Bake French Fries
2 cups cooked white quinoa
1 cup cooked, shelled edamame
(Traditionally lomo saltado is served over rice, but I like using quinoa. Not only is quinoa originally from Peru, but it gives the dish a great texture. I add the edamame for a extra splash of color.)
How to prepare this recipeSeason meat with salt, pepper and cumin.
Heat a large wok over high heat. When hot add the oil and the steak, cook about 2 minutes, until browned on both sides. Add the onions, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic and cook 2 minutes.
Add the tomato, soy sauce and vinegar and cook 1 more minute. Season with more salt as needed, remove from heat and finish with cilantro.
Divide quinoa and edamame evenly between two plates. Spoon stir fry over quinoa mixture. Serve immediately with french fries on top.
The story behind this recipeThe first time I traveled to Peru was in 2004. At the time, I was studying abroad in Chile and made the trip north to check Machu Picchu off my bucket list. After just a few hours in the country, I knew that I was in love with Peru. I loved the contrast it provided to Chile – its colorful, indigenous population, its melting pot of cultures, and of course its amazing food. I had been living off of empanadas in Chile, and didn’t know what to do with myself in the face of Peruvian cerviche, pollo a la brasa, arroz con pato, cabrito con frijoles, conchas a la parmesana, and pachamanca.
Before heading to Cuzco, a few friends and I traveled to Lake Titicaca. We planned to spend a few days on a small island in the middle of the lake called Armantani, volunteering with a water and sanitation project. A generous widow offered to put us up while we worked on the project. She lived in what we adoringly called ‘the dollhouse.’ She couldn’t have been taller than 4 feet and all of her doors were about the same height. Her native language was Quecha and she spoke zero Spanish, so we did all of our conversing via sign language. The first night after a full day of digging ditches, our group sat around the miniature table sharing stories by candlelight. We heard some heavy breathing outside and turned to watch the widow struggle through the door with a serving platter overflowing with something that smelled AMAZING. (Her kitchen was in a back shed.) When she set it on the table, I realized that she had sacrificed what was likely one of the few cows on the island for our dinner. This was my first encounter with the traditional Peruvian dish, lomo saltado. Even though we couldn’t communicate, I could feel the widow’s gratitude and friendship in each bite.
