Lomo saltado (Peruvian steak stir-fry)
Seared steak, charred onion and juicy tomato in a tangy soy sauce, tossed with crispy fries and served with rice, just like in Lima.
- 35 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $5.63 a serving
- 700 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb frozen French fries
- 1¼ lb sirloin steak
- 1 red onion
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 packages microwave rice pouches, 8.8 oz pouches
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
From your pantry
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Each serving has about 700 calories, 39 g protein, 76 g carbs and 27 g fat, and costs about $5.63 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No sirloin steak? New York strip steak or ribeye steak works.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven and the fries as the package says, usually 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 22 min
Cut the steak across the grain into and them with the salt, pepper and cumin.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Cut the onion and tomatoes into thick wedges, the jalapeño into strips, and the garlic.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large over high until it just smokes. the beef in two batches, 1 to 2 minutes each, until browned with no red left, and move it to a plate.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Sear. Searing means cooking the outside of meat or fish in a hot pan, without moving it, until a deep brown crust forms. The crust is packed with flavor, and it only forms on a dry surface.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the moment it goes in, and it lets go of the pan on its own when the crust is ready.
High heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Add the rest of the oil with the onion and jalapeño and 2 minutes, until the onion is at the edges but still crunchy.
Stir-fry. Stir-frying means cooking small pieces fast over high heat in a little oil, stirring almost constantly. It moves quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before the pan gets hot.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the whole time, and the vegetables turn bright and tender-crisp in minutes.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
High heatTimer: 2 min
Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook 1 minute, just until the tomatoes begin to .
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
High heatTimer: 1 min
Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar, return the beef and its juices, and 30 seconds, until saucy.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
High heat
Heat the rice pouches in the microwave as the package says.
Timer: 1 min 30 sec
Right before serving, the hot fries and cilantro into the pan and serve with the rice alongside.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Add the fries at the very last second so they soak up the juices but keep a little crunch.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Beef and cabbage stir-fry
35 min
Ground beef and frozen vegetable stir-fry
35 min
Panang beef curry
35 min
Pepper steak
35 min
High-protein dinners ›Easy stir-fry recipes ›What to make with rice and tomatoes ›What to make with steak and rice ›