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In many cultures, celebrating any holiday means food. For Hispanic Heritage Month (which runs September 15 through October 15), I am always thrilled to highlight the rich food tapestry in Latin America and in my family personally. My mom and maternal grandma were fantastic chefs and taught me to make the food of their ancestors and adopted home – Syrian food, Southern food, Tex-Mex, and dishes from Mexico City. My dad was born and raised in Peru and emigrated to the U.S. at 25 years old. My parents have been married for 44 years, and my mom enthusiastically and expertly makes ceviche, arroz con pollo, and lomo saltado. I was born and raised in Miami, where the rich tapestry of Latin American cuisine abounds.
Peruvian cuisine is world-renowned for its incredibly complex and unique flavors, rooted in its indigenous communities and influenced by Peru’s large Chinese and Japanese immigrant population as it sits on the Pacific Ocean. With climates from the coast, to the Amazon jungle, to the Andes mountains, the cuisine is truly diverse and award winning.
Given my love of food and its central role in culture, I chose to go to culinary school in Florence, Italy after college. A fun fact about me is that I took the LSAT at a convent in Rome. I served on the board and as president of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC (HBA-DC) and have led cooking classes on Zoom for HBA-DC.
I am happy to share my original recipe for Lomo Saltado. I tested it multiple times so I feel it’s accurate (and my husband appreciated the repeated tests). Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian stir fry (there is that Asian influence!) with beef tenderloin, world famous Peruvian potatoes and the Peruvian spicy yellow pepper, aji amarillo.
Lomo Saltado
3/4 – 1 pound skirt steak, flank steak, or beef tenderloin, sliced into 1/2 inch strips against the grain
3-4 tablespoons high heat cooking oil like safflower oil or vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato (roma is best)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if preferred)
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, preferably low-sodium
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
1-2 teaspoons aji amarillo paste (optional but recommended, can also use chipotle paste, found online or in Latin American grocery stores)
1 small seeded pepper serrano very finely diced (optional for heat if desired and no paste, added to sauce),
1/2 yellow bell pepper (optional)
fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
4-6 medium waxy potatoes (yukon gold for example)
2 cups white long grain rice (basmati is a good option)
Turn oven to 425 F.
Make the rice with salt.
Slice the potatoes in strips, lightly coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan spaced apart and put in the oven. Bake for 16-18 minutes until able to be pierced with a fork. Broil the last 2-3 minutes (so in oven 18-21 minutes total).
Prep the onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and peppers if used.
Put 1-2 tablespoons of high heat oil in the pan. Add the onion to the wok/skillet and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften to your desired doneness and caramelization, 8 to 10 minutes. After onions cook for 5 minutes, add any pepper slices. In the last 2-3 minutes, add tomato slices.
While the onions and peppers cook, in a bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon of the cilantro/parsley, the vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, some black pepper and aji amarillo paste if you have it. If no aji amarillo paste, add a little more soy sauce and vinegar. Whisk together. Set aside.
Remove onions and peppers and tomatoes when tomatoes are soft and no tomato liquid is in the wok or skillet.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan ever so if it’s small, do this in batches with the beef. This is where you’re going to work quickly if you’re using beef. In the wok or large skillet over high heat, add more high heat oil as needed and heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the beef and sear until it’s deeply caramelized, about 2 minutes total. Don’t stir for one minute, then stir once to sear the other side of the beef strips.
Add the whisked sauce for 1 minute.
Pull out the potatoes (if not already completed) and add to the onions and tomatoes (and peppers). Add vegetables to the wok/skillet for 1 minute. Beef is cooking 4 min total max. [If it’s beef tenderloin/filet mignon, cook even less, like 3 minute total so cook the whisked sauce for 30 seconds and then vegetables for 30 seconds.]
Plate the stir fry.
Add fresh lime juice and garnish with cilantro (or parsley if you don’t have/care for cilantro).
Serve with white rice. You may add butter to the rice.
Yields 2-3 servings.
Hongos Saltado
2-3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 strips
3-4 tablespoons high heat cooking oil like safflower oil or vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato (roma is best)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if preferred)
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, preferably low-sodium
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
1-2 teaspoon aji amarillo paste (optional but recommended, can also use chipotle paste)
1 pepper small seeded serrano very finely diced (optional for heat if desired and no paste, added to sauce),
1/2 yellow bell pepper (optional)
fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
4-6 medium waxy potatoes (yukon gold for example)
2 cups white long grain rice (basmati is a good option)
Turn oven to 425 F.
Make the rice.
Slice the potatoes in strips, lightly coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan spaced apart and put in the oven. Bake for 16-18 minutes until able to be pierced with a fork. Broil the last 2-3 minutes (so in oven 18-21 min total)
Prep the onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and peppers if used.
Put 1-2 tablespoons of high heat oil in the pan. Add the onion to the wok/skillet and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften to your desired doneness and caramelization, 8 to 10 minutes. After onions cook for 5 minutes, add any pepper slices. In the last 2-3 minutes, add tomato slices.
While the onions and peppers cook, In a bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon of the cilantro/parsley, the vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, some black pepper and aji amarillo paste if you have it. If no aji amarillo paste, add a little more soy sauce and vinegar. Whisk together. Set aside.
Remove onions and peppers and tomatoes when tomatoes are soft and no tomato liquid is in the wok or skillet.
Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. You should have about 12-18 strips. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan ever so if it’s small, do this in batches if needed. In the wok or large skillet over high heat, add more high heat oil as needed and heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the mushrooms and sear until they’re caramelized, about 2 minutes each side.
Add the whisked sauce for 1 minute.
Pull out the potatoes (if not already completed) and add to the onions and tomatoes (and peppers). Add the other vegetables to the wok/skillet for 1 minute with the mushrooms. Total cooking time for mushrooms is 5-6 minutes.
Plate the stir fry.
Add fresh lime juice and garnish with cilantro/parsley
Serve with white rice.
