Peruvian Persuasion

Passport & Plate - Lomo Saltado

Peru | Thursday, March 5, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and more for frying
- 2 garlic cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound beef tenderloin
- 2 red onions, cut in to fourths
- 1 hot yellow pepper, sliced 1.5 inches thick
- 1 large red pepper, sliced 1.5 inches thick
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Cook a cup of white rice as the directions call for (1 cup dry rice to 2 cups water - add some olive oil for taste and softness)
2. Prep your Veggies: peel/cut potatoes (french fry style) and place in ice water. Cut peppers and onions.
3. Cut beef into thin 1.5 inch strips.
4. Sauté the garlic with the cumin in a bit of vegetable oil for a minute. Add the beef and cook on medium until browed on all sides.
5. Remove beef from pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the onions and yellow pepper to the same pan (there should still be some garlic/cumin oil in there) and cook for a few minutes until the onions start to soften (I like mine to stay a little crispy).
7. Add the vinegar, soy sauce and red peppers. Cook everything for a few more minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
8. In a separate pan, fry the potatoes in 1 to 2 inches of veggie oil until golden. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
9. Add the beef to the pan with the onions/peppers and heat for a few minutes.
10. Some people like to add the french fries to the stir-fry but I prefer to have them on the side. If you prefer them in the stir-fry then throw some in the pan. If not, grab a plate, serve a bit of white rice in a little mound, add a nice portion of the stir-fry next to it and add a handful of french fries next to the rice... and walaa!! ENJOY!! :)

 

The story behind this recipe
I was less than 48 hours in to the 4.5 months I would be spending in South America learning Spanish. I had taken a leave of absence from university to study and travel with a small language school and my first stop was Lima, Peru. I arrived without much of a Spanish vocabulary and, still adjusting to my new home, I managed to make it through my first day of classes. When I finished my first day I was starving. I left school in search of food and stumbled upon a tiny cafe filled with locals. I spotted a small table in the corner and sat down. I looked over the five or six options they had handwritten on a board by the door and couldn't understand anything besides maybe pollo and ceviche. As I'm not a picky eater and always adventurous with food, I decided it was best to not bother the busy waitress with all the questions I had and ended up just choosing something at random. That random choice ended up becoming one of my favorite Peruvian dishes: Lomo Saltado.

As I waited for my food I sat back and took in my surroundings. There I was, 21 years young, all by myself in a foreign country surrounded by people I was determined to be able to understand and communicate with in a few short months. I felt nervous and excited all at the same time! When the waitress brought out my plate I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it looked, and my mouth was happy to conclude that it tasted just as delicious too! I was starving, but I consciously made an effort to savor every bite and bask in the flavors I was experiencing. My heart was so happy. It is such a simple dish but it is so, so good. When the waitress came back with my bill I managed to tell her how good it was, but I think she would have understood anyway by the huge smile I had on my face. The whole meal came out to less than 5USD, too! Gotta love a good, cheap meal! :)

So, thank you, Peru, for pure culture and amazing cuisine. I miss you all the time. <3