One of the typical Creole dishes of Peru, the lomo saltado (stir-fried beef loin) has carried forward the flag of Peruvian cuisine for a long time now. It is a creation that Peruvians are proud of every time it is made and every time it is eaten. It holds on high our pride in our country and heritage.
Not only is this dish well recognized within Peru, it is also spreading around the world. Many Peruvian chefs, including famous ones such as Gastón Acurio, have promoted it in country after country. Fine chefs show such passion and skill in the moment of creating it that their lomo saltados are able to please even the most demanding of palates.
The preparation of this dish should be very consistent. It requires ingredients such as beef, onions, yellow aji, tomato, soy sauce, salt, pepper, etc. The fusion of these ingredients makes up a good lomo saltado.
Rice and french fries are also important. The rice is an accompaniment and the potatoes the bed on which the dish is served. Preparing a lomo saltado is very easy and at the same time difficult, an apparent contradiction. The dish should be cooked stir fried in a wok, but you can improvise and do it in a fry pan.
The dish in its classic form is wonderful, but have you ever tried a lomo saltado sandwich?
You taste the rich combination of beef, tomatoes, onions, and so on, but contained in a split french roll or some such. The only difference with the standard dish is that the sandwich does not have either french fries or rice. Everything else is the same.
You might wonder about that, since rice and potatoes are so important in Peruvian cuisine. The taste might be a little naked or might just be that of a fillet with its juices and onions.
When you taste the sandwich, you will see that the bread has absorbed some of the juice and has become a cover for the meat. It maintains the concentrated temperature of the dish. That well maintained moisture and heat stays within the bread’s walls. In this way it seems there is nothing missing at all from the lomo saltado.
Besides being an interesting and tasty variation, the lomo saltado sandwich means that we can enjoy a good lomo saltado now for breakfast or any other meal. Of course you could always have the standard dish, but the lomo saltado as a sandwich is easy and quick. You could also have it as the filling of an empanada. Whichever way you eat it, the lomo saltado is a central and traditional dish within our ancient culture.
