Lomo Saltado

2 servings | 30 minutes including prep

Lomo saltado is a tangy and savory combination of sirloin steak, fries, onions, and tomatoes with a slightly sweet spice from ají amarilo paste. Since lomo saltado is a Chinese-Peruvian dish that marries some of the best flavors of both cultures, I decided to take it a bit further in my recipe by using baking soda to tenderize the meat, a technique frequently used in Chinese Cantonese cooking. This results in a much more tender steak while still using a budget cut. I also highly encourage you to add white vinegar, soy sauce, and ají amarillo to taste. I like my lomo saltado on the more sour and spicy side.

Ingredients

• 1 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
• 1 medium tomato or 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch slices
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste, or 2 tbsp for a more spicy flavor
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, more to taste
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar, or more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 10 oz frozen french fries or fresh hot french fries
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• white rice or brown rice to serve

Steps

1. Start by prepping all the ingredients.
   • Slice the sirloin steak into thin 1/4 inch thick strips that are about 3 inches long against grain. Mince the garlic cloves, cut the tomatoes, and onions.
   • If you are using frozen french fries, air fry the frozen fries for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy.
   • Mix the baking soda, steak slices, and 2 tbsp water in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
   • After 10 minutes, rinse the baking soda off the meat and add soy sauce, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon powder. Let it sit and marinate for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
2. Heat a pan on high heat, add 1 tbsp of neutral cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the steak and stir fry for 2 minutes on each side until the outside is seared. Remove the steak from the pan and onto a plate.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of neutral cooking oil in the same pan. Once hot, add the onions and garlic and stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes into the pan and stir fry for another 20 seconds until softened. Add the ají amarillo paste and the half-cooked steak. Stir fry together for 30 seconds.
4. Add the ground black pepper. Add more soy sauce and ají amarillo paste to taste.
5. Turn off the heat and add the hot fries, white vinegar to taste, and chopped cilantro. Stir fry everything together.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy over rice!

Something you might notice is that using baking soda to tenderize meat causes the meat to stay pink even after it is fully cooked. So if you notice that don’t be alarmed, as long as the meat has reached 165F it is fully cooked. That being said, if you use fresh good quality steak, 150F for a medium rare steak is perfectly safe too for most healthy adults.