Lomo Saltado

Flash-seared beef meets blistered vegetables, ají amarillo, and a ginger-laced soy reduction in this bold Peruvian staple. Served with crisp fries and rice, it’s a study in contrast—smoky wok heat, bright spice, and layered savory flavor.

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Category: FEAST

Cuisine: Peruvian

Course: Main Course

Keyword: Ají Amarillo, Beef, Chifa, Ginger, Red Onion, Stir Fry, Tomato

Prep: 20

Cook: 15

Total: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 335kcal

Author: TastyDaddy

Equipment

Ingredients

Marinade

2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger (ground or paste)
¼ tsp baking soda (or meat tenderizer; optional, for tenderizing)

Sauce

4 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1 tbsp Ají amarillo paste
1 tsp ginger (ground or paste)
1 tsp cornstarch

Stir Fry

1 lb steak (sliced medium thin)
1 whole red onion (sliced in wedges)
4 tsp garlic (minced)
3 whole roma tomatoes (sliced in wedges)
1 whole Ají amarillo pepper (sliced)
SUBSTITUTION: Fresh Ají amarillo peppers aren't easy to find, so if you can't find one in your area, feel free to substitute a small yellow or orange bell pepper.
5 stalks green onions (ends trimmed, cut into 1" pieces)
¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)

Garnish

2 stalks green onions (finely chopped)
2 tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)

Instructions

Slicing the Steak

Using a butcher's block and a Santoku knife, slice your meat into medium thin slices—thin enough that they won't take a long time to cook, but thick enough so they won't overcook when seared.

TIP: As with any meat, it slices better when a bit firmer. I place my steak in the freezer for about 12-15 minutes before slicing.

PRO TIP: While the meat is chilling in the freezer, move to next steps and prepare the marinade and sauce.

Marinade

Combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste.

TIP: If you selected a tougher cut of meat, add ¼ tsp baking soda to your marinade. Baking soda will help loosen the protein fibers, making it easier to chew. You can also use meat tenderizer.

Pour prepared marinade over sliced meat in a marinade dish and marinate in refrigerator at least 10 minutes.

TIP: If you used baking soda in your marinade due to a tougher cut of meat, increase your marinating time to 1 hour.

Sauce

In a 2-cup measuring glass (spouted), combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp red wine (or rice wine) vinegar, 1 tbsp Ají amarillo paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, and 1 tsp cornstarch.
Blend with whisk and set aside.

Vegetable Prep

Wash all vegetables before cutting.
If you've already sliced your meat, wash your butcher's block (or cutting board) before prepping your vegetables.
You'll be using your Chef's knife to prep the vegetables.
Slice red onion into ½" wedges and set aside in a ramekin (or small bowl).
Cut top (stem side) off roma tomatoes and slice into ½" wedges. If your tomatoes are particularly seed-heavy, remove them an add them into your sauce mixture. Set tomato wedges aside in ramekin (or small bowl).
Slice Ají amarillo pepper (or bell pepper, if substituting) and set aside in ramekin.
Trim white ends off 7 stalks of green onions.
Slice 5 stalks into 1" pieces, setting aside in ramekin.
Take remaining 2 stalks and coarsely chop, setting aside in separate ramekin for garnish later.

PRO TIP: If you leave at least 1½-2" of green stalk above the white root end, you can wrap a rubber band loosely around the bunch to hold together and add to a shallow dish of water. The onion stalks will regenerate after a few days and you can plant in a small pot to put in a windowsill to always have fresh green onions on hand.

Remove cilantro leaves from stems (discard the stems) and coarsely chop leaves, setting aside about ¼ cup in one ramekin and about 2 tbsp in an additional ramekin for garnish later.

Cooking the Stir Fry

Remove marinated sliced beef from fridge and strain marinade from meat; this will prevent excessive splatter while searing
Add about 1 tbsp of vegetable (or canola) oil to wok over high heat until it starts to shimmer.
Sear the meat in batches for about 2 minutes, flipping as needed to ensure an even cook. Remove from heat and add to mixing bowl or plate (I opt for a bowl because adding the meat in batches means the top layer will hold the heat in for the layers below it.

TIP: I leave my meat pretty pink in the middle for two reasons: 1) The meat will continue to cook a bit more as it rests in the bowl or plate; 2) The meat is added back to the wok in the final steps, and adding it to a bubbling sauce will cook it slightly more. You don't want to overcook your meat and make it tough.

Once all meat is seared, drain excess oil and juices from wok. Add 1 tbsp of fresh oil to wok and bring back to med-high heat until it starts to shimmer.
Add the ramekin of onions and sauté for 1 minute.
Add in 4 tsp minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add in ramekins of tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions and cook for another 2 minutes or until tomatoes are slightly tender but still have their shape.
Add sauce to pan and bring to a low simmer to thicken the sauce.
Turn off heat and add meat back into wok, mixing and thoroughly incorporating with other ingredients until sauce coats the meat.
Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

Nutrition