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A quick, delicious mashup of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine
Peruvian Steak Stir-Fry with Onions and Tomatoes (Lomo Saltado)
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Peru’s lomo saltado, a quick stir-fry of soy-marinated beef, tomatoes and onions, is part of chifa cuisine—Asian-influenced dishes created by indentured Chinese workers in the late 19th century. For our take, we developed deeper flavor by mixing ground cumin into the soy sauce marinade. Tenderloin is often used here, but we preferred sirloin tips (also called flap meat) for their meatier flavor as well as lower price. And we seared the meat instead of stir-frying. Readily available jalapeño peppers made a good substitute for the traditional yellow ají peppers. If you prefer little to no spiciness, halve and seed the jalapeño before slicing it into half rings. Classic lomo saltado is frequently served over french fries; your favorite, frozen or otherwise, would be a good choice here. Steamed rice is an equally good accompaniment.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't cook the beef without patting it dry. Marinating in soy sauce adds flavor, but also moisture. Drying the beef helps ensure that the slices sear nicely, rather than steam. Also, cook in two batches; crowding the pan inhibits browning.
35 minutes
1 1/2 pounds sirloin tips, trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces and sliced against the grain into ½-inch strips
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
1 large red onion, halved and cut into ½-inch half rings
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rounds
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
Ingredients
-
1½
pounds sirloin tips, trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces and sliced against the grain into ½-inch strips
-
1½
teaspoons ground cumin
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
5
tablespoons soy sauce, divided
-
3
tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
-
1
large red onion, halved and cut into ½-inch half rings
-
¼
cup red wine vinegar
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2
medium garlic cloves, minced
-
1
jalapeño chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rounds
-
1½
cups grape tomatoes, halved
Milk Street Recipes
Peru’s Simple Steak Stir-Fry
Directions
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01In a medium bowl, combine the beef, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. Pat the meat dry and set aside.
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02In a 12-inch skillet over high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until barely smoking. Add half of the meat in a single layer and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and the remaining meat.
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03In the same pan over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
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04Stir in the vinegar and remaining soy sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, the meat and any accumulated. Cook until the meat is just warmed through, 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Tip: Don't cook the beef without patting it dry. Marinating in soy sauce adds flavor, but also moisture. Drying the beef helps ensure that the slices sear nicely, rather than steam. Also, cook in two batches; crowding the pan inhibits browning.
More
Mains
Reviews
August 8, 2022
Delicious and authentic
I have made this recipe several times now, it is a family favorite. My husband lived in Peru for over a year and visited for long stays many times, he said this dish is the real thing. I even made it with my own garden grown cherry tomatoes, garlic and red onions, really, really good.
Made this last night using flank steak, because that's what is easiest to find. It was delicious; I should left the seeds and ribs in the jalapeno as it was milder than I would have liked, but I added red pepper flakes at the table to compensate. Served with white rice and steamed green beans.
Hi Maureen -
As mentioned in the headnote of the recipe, sirloin tips are sometimes sold as flap meat, however it can also be sometimes be called bavette steak. If you can't find flap meat you can also try this with skirt, flank, or flatiron steak as some have mentioned in previous comments. These cuts are slightly more lean than flap meat, but should still work fine in the recipe.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Does anybody think this recipe could be adapted for use with lamb? If so would any adjustments to the other ingredients be needed?
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I've made this several times it is so much better than the local restaurant version and is really easy. I recommend this recipe.