Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Tenderloin Stir-Fry) Recipe

Servings: 2-4
Prep time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours

for the slurry:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups|700 ml beef stock
¾ cup|150 grams water

for the Chinese pancake:
¾ cup|175 ml milk
5 ounces|150 grams rice flour
2 ½ ounces|70 grams all-purpose flour
¼ ounce|16 grams thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

for the lomo sauce:
¾ cup|200 grams soy sauce
5 ounces|150 grams oyster sauce
½ cup|100 grams veal jus
¼ cup|60 grams red wine vinegar

for the pickled chilies:
3 ½ ounces|100 grams fresno chilies, thinly sliced
3 ½ ounces|100 grams jalapenos, thinly sliced
3 ½ ounces|100 grams serrano chilies, thinly sliced
3 ½  ounces|100 grams long banana peppers, thinly sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon|coriander seeds
¾ ounce|20 grams ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup|237 ml white balsamic

for the rocoto crema:
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
3 ½ ounces|100 grams red onion
6 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons|50 grams evaporated milk
3 tablespoons|50 grams red bell pepper purée
3 tablespoons|50 grams rocoto purée
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
½ cup|120 grams sunflower oil
1 teaspoon huacatay

for the rice:
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons|45 grams unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups|325 grams Jasmine rice

for the beef:
12 ounces|350 grams beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
kosher salt, to taste
¼ cup|60 ml canola oil
7 ounces|200 grams lomo sauce
2 ½ ounces|70 grams slurry
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
2 scallions (white part cut into 2-inch pieces, green part thinly sliced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small habanero, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 small handful cilantro
6 ounces|160 grams french fries (cooked according to package instructions)
4 ¼ ounces|120 grams rocoto crema
½ avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
4 ¼ ounces|120 grams white rice
5 pancakes
5 grams pickled chilies

1. Make the slurry: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 10 grams1 tablespoon of water. Bring the beef stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced by ¾, 25 to 28 minutes. (You need to have about ¾ cup|150 grams. Set aside ½ cup|100 grams, keep ¼ cup|50 grams in the saucepan) Add ¾ cup|150 grams water and simmer. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thick, 3 minutes.
2. Make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients with ¾ cup|175 grams water until smooth. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Add ¼ cup batter and swirl the batter so that it spreads out in the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides, 3 minutes total. Keep warm between a towel until ready to use. Makes 10.
3. Make the lomo sauce: In a medium bowl, stir the reserved veal jus with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and red wine vinegar and set aside.
4. Make the pickled chilies: Place the chilies in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium skillet, toast the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorns, and coriander seeds until fragrant, 3 minutes. Place in a cheesecloth along with the ginger and garlic. In a small saucepan, heat the spice bundle with the salt, sugar, and ¾ cup|150 grams water over medium heat until infused, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the spice bundle, and stir in the vinegar. Pour the pickling liquid over the chilies and set aside.
5. Make the rocoto crema: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly caramelized, 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the evaporated milk, rocoto purée, red pepper purée, salt, and egg yolk and purée until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream in the oil until it is emulsified, then add in the fresh huacatay.
6. Make the rice: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, 2 minutes. Add in the rice and cook, stirring, until all of the grains are coated in oil and shiny. Stir in 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff. Keep warm.
7. Season the meat with salt. Heat the oil in a wok over high. Add the beef and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 2 minutes. Add the red onion and scallion whites and cook for 45 seconds more. Add the garlic and cook 45 seconds longer, then add the cherry tomatoes, habanero, and cilantro. Mix, stirring, to catch the pan on fire (take care not to burn yourself or set yourself on fire). Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 seconds. Stir in the lomo sauce and slurry and bring to a boil. Spoon the mixture onto a plate and pour the sauce on top. Cover with fries, drizzle with the rocoto crema, and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve alongside the white rice, pickled chilies, and avocado slices.

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