LOMO SALTADO (PERUVIAN STEAK AND FRIES)
WHAT WE THINK
We first heard about this dish while watching an episode of Padma Lakshmi’s ‘Taste the Nation’ on Hulu, and knew we had to create our own version of it. We’d give you a thorough review of the show except you don’t care about that shit and just want to get to the recipe, because hello, STEAK AND FRIES. So we’ll shut up now.
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 2-3, DO MATH IF YOU NEED MORE OR LESS)
1 lb. steak (we like to use boneless sirloin because it’s cheap, easy and works well for this), sliced thin
1 large or 2 medium russet potatoes, sliced into thin strips (you know, like french fry size)
1/2 red onion, sliced into large strips
2 roma tomatoes, sliced into large strips
2 jalapeno peppers
2 serrano peppers
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups cilantro
2 green onions, diced
olive oil
soy sauce
red wine vinegar
beef stock
cumin
cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
WHAT TO DO
PREP YOUR POTATOES
Take your sliced potatoes and toss them into a bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes, though we like to give them longer, 2-3 hours. After they’re done soaking, throw them into a single layer on a towel, periodically patting them with another towel until they are thoroughly dried. Once dry, toss them in a bowl and mix them together with a drizzle of olive oil and your choice of seasonings for your fries. We like to roll with a simple combo of salt, pepper and cayenne, but you can add garlic powder, other chili powders, or whatever else you’re into.
BLEND YOUR SAUCE
Toss the mayo, jalapenos, serranos, lettuce, 1 cup cilantro, and the juice from the lemon into a blender. Blend it (you’ll probably need the little plunger thingy to help get everything down to the blades). Taste it, then add salt as needed. We are obsessed with this shit and like to keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge to put on all kinds of things.
FRY those FRIES
We like to make french fries in our air fryer, so that’s what we’ll suggest here. You’ll likely have to cook them in a couple batches; lay the potatoes in a single layer (or as close to it as possible) in your air fryer basket and cook them for 15-20 minutes on 380, depending on how large your fries are. Do the rest of the recipe while the fries are cooking, but make sure to pop back over to your Air Fryer a couple times during frying to give the basket a shake.
SEASON YOUR MEAT.
Toss your steak strips into a bowl and season it all with a healthy dose of salt, pepper and cayenne. Get in there with your hands and make sure every piece of steak is seasoned.
SEAR YOUR MEAT.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once heated, lay your strips of steak in the pan (don’t overcrowd the pan, we’re not trying to steam that beef) and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from the pan and place into a bowl. You’ll likely need to do this in a couple batches.
VEGGIES, YOU’RE UP.
After all of your meat is browned and out of the pan, toss in your sliced onions. Give them 3-4 minutes to cook, until they start to turn translucent. Throw your tomato slices into the pan and allow this mixture to cook for another 2 minutes. Don’t let the tomatoes go too long; we want them to stay somewhat firm and not turn to mush.
GET SAUCY.
Combine equal parts soy sauce, red wine vinegar and beef broth into a bowl. We like to roll with 1/3 cup of each. Then toss in a teaspoon each of cumin and cayenne. Take this liquid and toss it into the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Let this bubble for a moment then toss in the cooked steak that you set aside and mix it all together, then turn the heat down to low just to keep things warm.
PLATE IT.
At this point you HOPEFULLY timed things properly so that your beautifully crispy fries are finishing up right as you add your steak to the mixture above. So here’s how we’re gonna build this:
Layer 1: Fries
Layer 2: Steak, tomato and onion mixture (yep, layer it right on the fries and don’t be afraid to include some of that liquid from the pan)
Layer 3: Generous drizzle of the pepper sauce (but bring the sauce to the table because you’re definitely gonna want more)
Layer 4: Garnish of cilantro and green onions
WHAT TO DRINK WITH IT
A cold beer is {chef’s kiss} with this dish, particularly a pilsner or light lager. Red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon works quite well too.
