So prototypical for a Peruvian menu is an order of fries for a hamburger. Fried life it is one of Peru’s most popular global dishes, second only to ceviche.
Literally translating to “leap of beef,” the dish uses unexpected elements in traditional Peruvian cooking. Alas, the “jumping” part of the title doesn’t come from having to jump up and down while cooking Lomo Saltado. Nor does it contain meat from a rare breed of jumping cattle. He jumped instead it refers to the frying method used by the Cantonese chefs responsible for its conception.
Lomo Saltado at Villa Peru (Credit: Jackie Tran)
Secondly, Lomo, or beef, is rarely seen as the protein of choice in Peruvian meals. The Spanish introduced it to their newly conquered land in 1538 and at first it was only affordable for the wealthy.
Given these factors, how did this Chinese-inspired, beef-centric delicacy launch into the mainstream and become the poster child of Peruvian cuisine?
A fusion of cultures
The South American country’s location along the Pacific Ocean, Spanish colonization, and extensive geographic features make Peru an epicenter for cultural fusion, and it has the benefit of influence from nearly every continent. Often overlooked by Americans when it comes to cuisine, Peru has quickly gained recognition as a culinary powerhouse from the rest of the world.
And they have the awards to prove it.
Peru’s credentials range from “World’s Best Culinary Destination” to “World’s Best Cultural Destination”, making it attractive to foodies and travelers of all kinds. Its capital Lima has also been called the “Gastronomic Capital of Latin America”. Rightfully so, as home to some of the highest ranked restaurants in the world.
As the country’s list of accolades continues to grow, so does the demand for its signature dishes. While Ceviche is representative of Peru’s biodiversity, Lomo Saltado is relatively representative of the diversity of its people.
A symphony of flavors synchronized in perfect unison, Lomo Saltado is not just a plate of delicious food, but an embodiment of the cultural fusion that makes Peru, Peru.
Chinese
The mid to late 1800s saw a boom in trade across the Pacific Ocean and Peru became a player in the game. A need for workers brought the Chinese diaspora to the country, accounting for why nearly 5% of today’s population can trace their ancestry to at least one Chinese relative.
A Sino-Peruvian hybrid culture, referred to as Creole, formed as the flood of immigrants adjusted to their new homes in a new country. From criollo, a new cuisine was born. Borrowing the term Mandarin chi fan or “to eat food”, couple uses elements of Chinese cooking with ingredients indigenous to Peru.
Peru, meet the wok.
Chifa creations include fried rice, chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and of course, salty loin.
Culinary genealogists and the curious can find the earliest Saltado recipe in a cookbook published in 1903. Inside is a version of the dish with meat, rice and potatoes, but no onions and tomatoes. Cantonese chefs later added vegetables, giving the final touch to the modern Lomo Saltado.
Spanish
Flashing back a few centuries to the 1500s, the Spanish were on their conquest tour of the Americas and had just reached Peru. With them they brought Catholicism, the Spanish language and cows.
The high cost of the newly introduced meat made it difficult for the plebeian class to access, resulting in only a few beef-based dishes in Peruvian cuisine. Over the years, its scarcity decreased along with its price.
By the time chifas (Chinese restaurants) began to take over the food scene in the early 1900s, steak was much more affordable and included on their menus. Although no specific cut is unanimously accepted as the best, quick-cooking cuts of beef such as sirloin and skirt steak are often used.
Important to make a good stir-fry is to use a high enough temperature so that the chosen protein is fried, not boiled.
Nobody likes a chewy steak, and what kind of Lomo Saltado would it be if the lomo didn’t make the saltado?
Walter Salazar – Garnishing Lomo Saltado (Credit: Jackie Tran)
Incans
No Lomo Saltado dish is complete without the Incan contribution of yellow potatoes.
The love affair between potatoes and Peru began nearly 8,000 years ago with the domestication of potatoes by cultures that predated the Inca civilization. Abundant and stomach-filling, the tuber was considered essential, paving the way for early food storage, preservation methods, and medicine.
Prepared as a French fry, the quality of the starchy and mostly Peruvian ingredient has the power to determine the overall quality of a Lomo Saltado.
There are different ways to serve potatoes. You can throw them in the wok and baste the fritters with any leftover marinade juices, or they can be left fresh and placed next to the meat mixture.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a good fry. As much as people hate a chewy steak, the only thing they hate more is a limp potato.
Jump Back (Photo by Adam Lehrman)
Where to find it in Tucson
Culturally different from each other, geographically 3,000 miles apart, Peru and Tucson probably have little in common. Where the two intersect is in their gastronomic endeavors.
Tucson was named the first City of Gastronomy in the United States in 2015, a credit to its agricultural history and the creativity of its chefs. The city’s food scene is rapidly attracting the attention of the culinary community worldwide.
Sound familiar?
With a reputation for being serious about its food, it’s no wonder our restaurant landscape is rapidly growing and becoming more diverse.
Keep saving for that plane ticket, but in the meantime, check out these two local spots that transport Tucsonans to Peru with their take on this national staple.
Villa Peru
1745 E. River Rd. #165
Villa Peru rang in its fifth year of business on Friday, August 12 with live jazz music and a ceviche festival. Fighting the urge to go for the ceviche, I ordered the entrée listed at the top of the menu. You guessed it – Lomo Saltado.
Neatly divided into three distinct portions, the fried filets, fries and rice were laid out in a pyramid shape so that no single ingredient could outshine the others.
My first spoonful went into the stir fry.
The beef was cut into shorter strips, slightly longer than a cube, and sat in a pool of dark brown soy sauce. Thick slices of red onion and tomato were thrown in. Enough that he couldn’t miss it, but not so much that they passed his flesh.
Lomo Saltado at Villa Peru (Credit: Jackie Tran)
Having had plenty of experience with hard fillets, I braced myself and bit into it. Warmth washed over me almost instantly. There’s a reason Lomo Saltado is considered the nation’s comfort food, and I was experiencing it myself.
The taste of soy sauce added to the flavor of the meat, making it more delicious. It also contributed to the tenderness of the beef, making chewing enjoyable rather than a chore.
Slightly wilted but firm enough to deliver a textural experience, the red onions and tomatoes in the stir-fry would make any chef proud.
To enter Peru in your own backyard, simply enter Villa Peru.
For more information, visit villaperutucson.com.
Peruvian cuisine of the Incas
6878 E. Sunrise Dr. #130
A restaurant will notice the differences between Villa Peru and Peruvian cuisine of the Incas the moment they are given a menu. The first simply lists its articles with brief descriptions under each heading. Inca’s, on the other hand, gives their guests a multi-page book filled with vivid images of Peruvian food, landmarks and its colorful owner, Fatima Campos.
Guy Fieri even comes out.
Campos fell in love with Peru and her husband during a trip to South America. By marrying him, she gained not only a husband, but also a mentor in her mother-in-law.
A firm believer in “a man’s heart is through his stomach,” she learned how to cook her father-in-law’s dishes and fell in love all over again—this time with Peruvian cuisine.
Lomo Saltado at Inca’s Peruvian Kitchen (Credit: Jackie Tran)
Throughout its menu, you will find elements drawn from family recipes in various dishes. One of these is in Lomo Saltado. Beef stir fry? Check. Chips? Right there under the calf. Rice? Double check. Beans? Yes, it’s… wait, did you say beans?
Although unexpected, the beans add a rich layer to the dish that complements the already delicious dish. Generously portioned, a legume lover won’t be disappointed when they see the helping they get with an order of Lomo Saltado from Incas.
Don’t forget to wash your meal down with a Pisco Sour. I heard it’s a favorite of Fatima’s.
For more information, visit incasperuviancuisine.com.
A mix of Peru’s greatest hits
Peru’s path to gastronomic royalty was laid before them even before the Incans wandered the Andes mountains. With customs from several continents as the vehicle and a colorful group of foodies as the driver, the rest of the world would take notice of Peru’s extraordinary delicacies.
While ceviche is commonly recognized as the Peruvian staple, Lomo Saltado follows closely behind as the nation’s comfort food and a tangible model of the ethnic mix seen in the country today.
It can even be said that it is while dancing on top.
Drawing ingredients from the Incans and the Spanish, then bringing them to a crescendo with Chinese cooking techniques, Lomo Saltado is a celebration of thousands of years of history – all in one dish.
