#69 - Lomo Saltado

We found this recipe in Food & Wine magazine for something called Peruvian Steak and Potato Stir-Fry. But Johnny had this once at our local Mexican place Azúcar, and we know it's really called Lomo saltado.

Lomo Saltado

From Food & Wine Lomo saltado is steak and french fries cooked together with some tomato, onions, and peppers. No wonder Johnny ordered it at Azúcar - the fries are just mixed in with everything else! The first thing you need to do is marinate the meat, so you slice up some skirt steak, chop some onions, and mix it with the marinade of olive oil, cumin, coriander, and garlic. Then while that's getting ready, it's time to cook up your french fries. This part is ridiculously dangerous, because the recipe didn't say to put them in a deep fryer, and putting frozen fries in hot oil leads to crazy bubbling and popping. (Frozen = ice = water = hot oil's enemy.) Once the steak and onions have marinated for awhile, you start stir-frying that with some pickled jalapeños. Then you gradually add the tomatoes, the fries, and some cilantro, and keep stirring everything together. And then you're done. Oooh! This was surprisingly good. It came out really well, and except for the scary french fry frying wasn't too difficult to make.

You really taste the cilantro/coriander flavor, and even though cumin is a spice that isn't usually associated with Latino cuisine, it added a nice layer to the dish. The whole thing was really good and a fun alternative to your usual Tex-Mex kind of meal. If you're in the steak and potatoes mood, but want to head south of the border, take a stab at this.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 lb skirt steak
• 1 red onion, halved and slivered
• Vegetable oil
• 8 oz frozen french fries
• 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, coriander, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Cut the steak into 4-inch pieces, then slice the steaks across the grain 1/2 inch thick.
3. Add steak and onions to the bowl, and let marinate for 10 minutes.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering over high heat.
5. Add the french fries and fry until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes.
6. Drain cooked fries on paper towels.
7. Heat a large griddle until very hot.
8. Add the steak, onions, and pickled jalapeños, and stir-fry over high heat until the meat and onion are cooked through and lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Add the tomato and cook until softened and beginning to char, about 1 minute.
10. Add the french fries and cilantro and flip with a spatula to combine.