Lomo Saltado

Ingredients

• For the marinade and beef
• 700 g beef sirloin, cut against the grain into strips approximately 1 cm thick
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided: 2 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for the wok
• 1 tbsp Peruvian spirit vinegar, for the marinade
• 30 ml pisco, Peruvian brandy, for flambéing on first contact in the wok
• For the stir-fry
• 1 ají amarillo chilli, seeds removed, cut into thin strips
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges, seeds retained
• 1 tbsp vinegar, Peruvian spirit vinegar, added to the wok
• 15 g fresh coriander, leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped
• 30 ml neutral oil, high smoke-point, for the wok
• For the fried potatoes
• 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into batons, fried separately at high heat until crisp
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying the potatoes
• To serve
• 300 g long-grain white rice, cooked by absorption method, kept warm

Method

1. 1
   Combine 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a bowl. Add the beef strips and turn to coat. Leave for exactly 10 minutes — no longer, as the acid continues to denature the protein beyond this point. The surface of the beef should appear lightly darkened and glossy.
2. 2
   Fry the potato batons in neutral oil at high heat until the exterior is fully crisp and golden. Drain on paper and hold uncovered in a warm place. The crust must yield an audible crack when pressed — softness at this stage cannot be recovered.
3. 3
   Heat the wok over maximum flame until it begins to smoke visibly. Add the oil and allow it to shimmer and haze. Lift the beef from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and lay the strips in a single layer. Add the pisco immediately — the alcohol will ignite or flash rapidly, caramelising the beef surface and developing the fruity, lightly woody aromatic that distinguishes this preparation. Do not move the beef for 30 seconds. The exterior must show a dark, charred sear; any grey or steamed surface means the heat was insufficient and the dish is already compromised.
4. 4
   Turn the beef once. Add the ají amarillo strips and red onion wedges. Toss continuously for 60 seconds over sustained maximum heat — the onion edges should colour and blister at the tips while retaining structure at the centre.
5. 5
   Add the tomato wedges, the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, and the tablespoon of vinegar. Toss for a further 30 seconds. The tomatoes must soften slightly and release their juices into the pan without collapsing; they must not steam the meat. The wok should hiss sharply with each addition.
6. 6
   Add the fried potatoes to the wok in the final 30 seconds. Toss once or twice to coat them lightly in the pan juices. They must retain their crispness under the fingertip — any yielding texture means they were added too early or the wok heat had dropped. Scatter the coriander over the top and remove immediately from the heat.
7. 7
   Serve directly onto warmed plates alongside a portion of white rice, so that the charred cooking juices and soy-vinegar sauce are positioned to be absorbed simultaneously by the rice and the fries. The dual starch structure is the dish's cultural identity and is not rearranged.