Recipe: Make Tio Lucho’s Lomo Saltado
Lomo saltado might be the best known Peruvian dinner dish and there’s a good reason for that. Tender beef slices in a rich sauce with onions and tomatoes. Plus french fries. Plus rice. I think Tio Lucho’s version is the best. Will they share the recipe? — Brad Young, Decatur
Lomo saltado is a popular Peruvian stir-fry dish, part of the country’s Chinese Peruvian culinary tradition. The dish of stir-fried steak, onions and tomatoes is served with french fries which may be stirred into the sauce or served alongside. As our reader mentions, rice is part of the dish as well.
This recipe requires having quite a few components ready all at once. Tio Lucho’s co-owner Arnaldo Castillo was happy to provide his recipe and recommends having the french fries and rice ready prior to cooking the beef.
At Tio Lucho’s, they make the lomo saltado with teres major, a cut that comes from the shoulder or chuck of the cow. It has a big beefy flavor, less fat than tenderloin and is very tender. The initial step of coating the beef with cornstarch and baking soda is called velveting, a Chinese technique that makes the beef even more tender. A specialty butcher like Shield’s Meat Market near Emory University can special order teres major for you, or you can substitute beef tenderloin. Aji panca and aji amarillo pastes can be found online or at large international markets like the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
When he shared the recipe Castillo noted, “The way the beef is prepared gives a very tender result. We always cut the onions into large pieces so they hold up in the high heat, and in season, we like to use heirloom tomato varieties.” In addition, Castillo prefers to prepare the meat over a gas flame. “The smoke and fire from the gas flame are characteristic of a good lomo,” he said.
In the photo, the lomo saltado is garnished with cilantro microgreens and the rice is garnished with fried garlic chips and chopped parsley. Cilantro microgreens are available at many farmers markets, or substitute cilantro leaves. At the restaurant they make the garlic chips, but Castillo says it’s fine to substitute prepared garlic chips, available from stores that carry Asian groceries.
Tio Lucho’s Lomo Saltado
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound teres major, cut into 3-by-1-inch slices, 1/4-inch thick
- 7 tablespoons tamari
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Pisco
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 4 1/2 teaspoons aji panca paste
- 3 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, or as needed
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 pound prepared french fries, for serving
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and Cilantro microgreens, for garnish
- 4 cups cooked jasmine or other long grain rice, seasoned with chopped garlic to taste as it is cooking
- Fried garlic chips and chopped parsley, for garnish
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to beat together the egg whites, cornstarch and baking soda, making sure no lumps remain. Add beef strips and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Make lomo sauce: In the jar of a blender, combine tamari, water, vinegar, Pisco, garlic, aji panca paste, aji amarillo paste, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
- When beef is ready: In a large wok, heat canola oil over high heat. Have chicken stock near the cooktop.
- Swirl wok to coat sides evenly with oil and, using tongs, slide the beef slices into the hot oil then move them to the sides of the wok so all slices are in contact with the hot wok. Let the beef sear 1 minute without moving the pieces, then add red onion. Begin stirring the beef and onion. Add the lomo sauce and quickly stir. As the sauce begins to caramelize, 1 minute, add enough chicken stock so the sauce does not burn and the beef and onion stay saucy. Add the tomatoes and let the mixture cook 1 minute, adding more chicken stock if needed, until the tomatoes are heated through. The total cooking time should be no more than 5 minutes.
- Remove wok from heat and stir in cilantro. Divide french fries between four rimmed serving dishes. Top with beef mixture and divide sauce from wok between dishes. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cilantro microgreens. Serve rice separately, garnished with fried garlic chips and chopped parsley.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, without prepared french fries, drizzled extra-virgin olive oil and cooked jasmine rice: 401 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 29 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 23 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 77 milligrams cholesterol, 2,538 milligrams sodium. Per serving, entire recipe: 1,692 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 46 grams protein, 194 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total sugars, 17 grams fiber, 80 grams total fat (18 grams saturated), 81 milligrams cholesterol, 3,807 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Tio Lucho’s, 675 North Highland Ave., Atlanta; 404-343-0278, tioluchos.com.
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