The dish I am sharing with you today is called Lomo Saltado which is a Peruvian Beef Stir-Fry. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I don’t often post recipes for actual meals (unless cake is a meal for you), but I decided to try something different. This recipe is from the book Ceviche by Martin Morales and it features all kinds of authentic Peruvian recipes. Continue reading for my full book review plus the recipe!
In all honesty, I was more than a bit hesitant about ordering this book. I have never made ceviche, never even tried ceviche and, though I would love to taste it, I think I need to live in a different part of the world to be able to properly experience this dish. Living in the middle of Michigan, I have no idea where I can buy freshly caught fish; many ceviche recipes are made with raw fish, requiring something very fresh.
I guess that makes it pretty obvious of what I didn’t make (ceviche). Luckily, despite the title, there were plenty of other recipes in the book that I knew I would be able to make. Being that I specialize in pastries, I looked in the back of the book first, quickly finding the dessert section. There were plenty of recipes that looked amazing, judging by just the photos, but I opted for something else this time.
My choice was a Peruvian beef stir-fry. Now, this recipe, as written, was still something quite difficult to make. Again, living in mid-Michigan, it is hard to find many of these Peruvian staples at my local grocery story. Where was I supposed to get the chiles amarillos? And the pisco? I guess I could have tried a liquor store, but they didn’t have anything remotely similar to pisco at the grocery store when I went shopping for the recipe. That being said, I made substitutions as I saw fit and I think my creation turned out pretty nicely. Instead of the chiles, I simply added bell peppers (I know, this isn’t quite a just substitution, but it was the best I could do). Since the recipe also called for red wine vinegar, I decided that red wine would be a nice substitution for the pisco. After these changes, making the dish was far from difficult; I marinated the meat overnight, then cooking the next day only took about 15 or 20 minutes.
Overall, I think that if you’re willing to try new dishes and know how to make smart substitutions (because you, like me, can’t find all the ingredients), this book will be a great addition to your collection. The pictures are beautiful and will not leave you guessing how the final product should look. Plus, not all of the dishes are completely exotic. Stir-fry, for instance, is made pretty frequently (at least in my household), and there are also recipes for cakes and ice cream. In short, this is a beautiful book with a wealth of authentic recipes that make the book well worth the price!
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/3 lb (600g) fillet steak, chopped into small cubes
- olive oil, for frying
- 3 tbsp red wine
- 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, halved and seeded, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 of a yellow bell pepper
- cilantro and parsley, to serve
- Begin by preparing a marinade at least four hours before cooking the meat (preferably the night before). In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin, water, salt and papper, and steak. Cover the bowl with a lid and let sit in the fridge. If possible, at least once mid-way through the meat’s marination.
- When ready to cook, start by heating a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the pan is hot, place the meat and most of the marinade on the pan. Stir and allow to cook. Once the meat is cooked or almost cooked, carefully add the red wine. Add all the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked, the dish is ready. Serve with cilantro and parsley.
- Serve warm; is great accompanied by white rice.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
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