Receta Para Lomo Saltado

Peruvian cuisine, with its rich blend of Asian, South American and European flavors, is under-appreciated in the States. One of my favorite dishes is lomo saltado, a sauteed savory-sweet mixture of beef, tomatoes, onions and other veggies. Here's a recipe I tried tonight:

Ingredients:

-- 1 pound petit sirloin steak, sliced thin
-- 1 small red onion, sliced thin
-- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
-- 1 ají amarillo (a moderately spicy yellow Peruvian chile -- often available at Latin stores, but if not a mixture of sliced yellow bell pepper and serrano chile should serve well)
-- 2 cloves garlic
-- 1 cup white rice
-- 2 small potatoes, sliced thick
-- small bunch parsley, chopped
-- 1/2 lime
-- white cooking wine (1/4 cup) or white wine vinegar (2-3 tbsp)
-- dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce sweetened with a teaspoon of sugar)
-- salt and pepper
-- vegetable oil (little less than 1/4 cup)

Preparation:

1. In a small pot, mix the rice and 2 cups water with a dash of salt. bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. fill a small pot about 1 - 2 inches with vegetable oil. put over high heat until the oil is very hot (but not smoking). fry the potatoes until golden, then set to dry over paper towels. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. heat the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. add sliced beef and fry, stirring occasionally, until browned and seared. remove the beef from the wok but leave the drippings behind
4. over medium heat, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ají to the leftover drippings and stir gently for 2-3 minutes. add the cooking wine and the soy sauce. stir gently for another few minutes until the sauce thickens, then add tomatoes and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
5. add the fried potatoes and the beef to the mixture and stir well. add the parsley, stir through again.
6. serve the mixture over the white rice and garnish with lime wedges. serves 3 voracious eaters, easily 4 normal individuals.

Enjoy!