An ode to lomo saltado

This blog is going to be relatively simple- I just cannot leave Peru without fully acknowledging my newfound adoration for a Peruvian dish that I miss already: lomo saltado.

Lomo saltado is a relatively simple dish, but do not let that fool you. Composed of beef or steak doused in salty, juicy marinade and stir fried with various vegetables, lomo saltado is served over white rice and papas fritas. You’ve got your protein, and plenty of carbs. There is nothing better to eat after hiking Machu Picchu, or a 12 hour day tour of Lima, then a steaming plate of lomo saltado. However, do not be fooled. In our day tour of Lima, we had a cooking class (consistently mainly of them cooking and us drinking and eating) where one of the dishes taught was lomo saltado. At this point, all I knew was that it was delicious, not that it was stir fried. So low and behold when flames started flying up from the meat, and I realized that this was not something I could make in a dorm sized kitchen, the misery sat in. At the cooking class, our cook demonstrated the ingredients listed above, and showed how they use pisco in the pan to accomplish their uniqueness in this Peruvian dish. In addition to pisco, they also used vegetable oil, and the stir fry did not take long. Both of these factors I believe accomplishes the juicy tenderness that every single lomo saltado I tried had. However, I am determined to be able to make it at some point in time. This is a staple at almost every restaurant- lomo saltado regular, or a lomo saltado sandwich, it comprised up to 40% of my meals while in both Cusco and Lima.

If you are reading this and coming to Peru in the near future: you MUST try the lomo saltado at La Feria Cocina Tradicional Peruana. 11/10 and the best one I had in all of the country. Similarly, the lomo saltado sandwich at Café Plaza (the best café in all of Cusco): 10/10.