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
From the menu of ... Tio Lucho’s, 675 North Highland Ave., Atlanta; 404-343-0278, tioluchos.com.
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