Peruvian Lomo Saltado: 25-Minute Beef, Tomato and Fry Stir-Fry for Busy Weeknights

Start the fries first, following the package directions, so they finish crisp right as the stir-fry comes together.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb sirloin or flank steak, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 aji amarillo pepper, seeded and sliced, or 1 jalapeno
• 3 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 12 oz frozen French fries, baked or air-fried until crisp
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Start the fries first, following the package directions, so they finish crisp right as the stir-fry comes together.
2. Pat the beef dry and season with the salt, pepper and cumin. A dry surface is what gives you a hard sear instead of gray, steamed meat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large wok or cast-iron skillet over the highest heat until it just begins to smoke. Add half the beef in a single layer and sear without moving for 1 minute, then toss for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.
4. Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion wedges and cook 2 minutes until the edges char but the centers stay crisp. Add the garlic and aji amarillo and stir 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomatoes and toss just 1 minute so they blister but hold their shape.
6. Return the beef and its juices to the pan. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar around the edges so they hit the hot metal and sizzle. Toss everything for 1 minute until glossy.
7. Turn off the heat, add the crisp fries and cilantro and fold gently so the fries catch the sauce without going soggy. Serve immediately over rice.
8. Lomo saltado is the signature dish of chifa, the Chinese-Peruvian cuisine born when Cantonese laborers arrived in Lima in the 1850s and married their wok technique to the tomatoes, chiles and potatoes of the Andes. The result is a stir-fry unlike any other: French fries tossed straight into the sauce, sitting beside a mound of rice, two starches on one plate and no apologies. For a weeknight it is close to ideal, with ten minutes of knife work and under ten minutes at the stove, and the trick is simply cranking the heat as high as your range will go so the beef and onions char rather than stew.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Protein: 40g
• Fat: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 1050mg