Lomo saltado of beef
In my blog on Peruvian cuisine, I already wrote about chifa dishes. Well, lomo saltado is one of those classic chifa dishes that you absolutely must try when you are in Peru. Only there you can eat it as it shoud be: with tender, delicate alpaca meat. And trust me, it's a lot tastier than it sounds.
What is lomo saltado?
As mentioned above, lomo saltado is a kind of stew with alpaca meat. That makes it a must-try, because in Europe alpaca meat is not available. Its taste really can't be matched by beef or lamb. Lomo refers to the part of the animal that is used: the loin. That meat is very tender and juicy and cooks quickly.
Peru and alpacas
Alpacas are incredibly cute animals, but they have a particularly unpleasant trait: they spit. Something I experienced myself when I tried to pet an alpaca on my trip through Peru.
Alpacas live mostly on the Altiplano or high plateau of the Andes. They are smaller than llamas, and are primarily bred for their very light, warm wool. Once a year the animals are sheared, but otherwise they roam freely in their natural habitat at 4000 meters above sea level.
How to make lomo saltado of beef with black pepper sauce
In Peru, I had the pleasure of cooking this classic chifa dish with Chef Nacho, the chef at our hotel. Chef Nacho's trick is to flambé the meat with wine vinegar. A tip: when flambéing, you have to work very carefully. Be sure to turn off the hood and hold the pan at an angle away from you.
Let's get cooking! Since I can't get alpaca meat in Belgium, I use beef or lamb tenderloin for this recipe. During winter, venison tenderloin is the best choice. I finish the dish with black pepper sauce. The ingredients for this recipe are enough for four people.
Ingredients for black pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped black pepper
- 1 tablespoon crushed pink berries
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 splash brandy or pisco
- 1 splash red wine
- 500 ml demi-glace
- ½ tablespoon butter
Ingredients for lomo saltado
- 600 g lamb or beef tenderloin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 yellow ajì amarillo or other chili peper
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 250 ml black pepper sauce
- Freshly ground pepper and salt
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Step 1: making the black pepper sauce
First, heat the oil in a sauce pan and sauté the onion until glazed. Then add in the black pepper, pink berries and mustard. Heat and flambé with the brandy or pisco. Add the red wine, and reduce the liquid.
Next, add the demi-glace. Reduce until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the sauce through a fine sieve. Now cut the butter into pieces, stir into the sauce to achieve texture and shine.
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Step 2: preparing the meat
First, cut the lamb or beef tenderloin into strips 1 cm thick. Roughly chop the onion and tomatoes. Finely chop the chili pepper.
Heat the oil in a pan and quickly sear the meat.
Time to flambé. Add the red wine vinegar, turn off the hood and hold the pan a little way away from you.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and immediately remove it from the pan.
In the same pan, add the pieces of onion, tomato and chili pepper. Let them simmer over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, cilantro, black pepper sauce and continue to simmer for a few minutes more.
Now add the meat back into the pan. Mix the lomo saltado well and heat through for another minute. The meat should remain medium rare for a nice juicy flavor.
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Step 3: serving
Typically, you serve lomo saltado with steamed rice and fries.
Time to set the table, uncork a bottle of South American wine and you're done. Bon appetit!
![SG 50 lomo saltado]()
