It’s the classic Peruvian dish of steak and fries – but this lomo saltado is actually Whole30 compliant!

As some of you know, we lived in Chile for 2 years.  And found the adage of ‘eat in Peru, drink in Chile’ to be quite accurate.  Because the food in Peru is, to be honest, AMAZING!  There is such a good mix of cultures there, with the Chaufa (combination of Chinese and Peruvian) being especially prevalent.  And you should be aware of our absolute love of aji de gallina – a yellow chicken curry – that is totally different to anything else in the Western world.  But also, our fondness of arroz con leche, or rice pudding.  I’m still working on the arroz con leche to be grain-free and refined sugar free to suit other dietary special snowflakes like myself, so stay tuned for that!

Now when we lived in Chile, we would often go to Peruvian restaurants.  And when we visited Peru, between the four of us in the family, would always order at least one dish of each aji de gallina and lomo saltado to share between us all.  But, one day, after having some lomo saltado, I looked up the recipe, and realized it contained soy sauce.  Which often contains gluten.  No wonder I wasn’t always feeling so good in my tummy after the deliciousness slid down …

Fast forward a number of years, to where I’m acutely aware of how many foods affect me, and how eating the Whole30 way actually makes me feel better on the inside.  Note, I do not eat Whole30 ALL the time, because (a) that’s not what it’s meant for and (b) I am quite fond of my baked goods!  But if I can adapt a recipe to be Whole30 compliant, I know I’m going to enjoy both the taste, and feel good inside after eating it too.

Thanks to my friend, Chef Freyka, I recently attended a cooking class with her, where she showed us how she makes lomo saltado.  Now, she’s Peruvian, so I knew it was going to be authentic.  I came home after that class, and immediately told the family I was cooking lomo saltado that weekend.  With a few modifications.  And the verdict – well, there was none left … and the sighs of delight from all members of the family showed I was on a winner!

So if you’re interested in trying this all-time classic Peruvian meal – check out the recipe below.  And if you do try it, let me know what you think in the comments!

PS – this dish is traditionally served with rice as well as the french fries, but if you’re wanting to stay Whole30 compliant, I’d recommend cauliflower rice!

Print

Lomo saltado

(Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb flank steak sliced into stir-fry strips
• 1/2 yellow onion cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion cut into wedges
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar divided
• 1 tbs aji amarillo paste
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 1 tbs coconut aminos

Instructions

1. Preheat a large frying pan and add cooking oil of choice.  

2. Add the beef, allowing room for the pieces to not overlap each other. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and paprika. Allow to sit on the pan for about a minute, then toss the meat until the color caramelizes with a little red remaining.  Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping warm.
   

3. Add some more oil to the frying pan, then add the onions with a pinch of salt.  Saute the onions until they display a golden color.  

4. Stir in the garlic powder, aji amarillo paste and vinegar and allow to braise until most of the vinegar has evaporated.

5. Add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, tomato wedges and 1/2 tbs vinegar.  Cook the vinegar off.  Add a little water if needed to keep the mixture moist.

6. Return the beef to the frying pan, mix well and turn the heat off.

7. Serve over french fries (either homemade or bought) and with optional rice (whole-grain or cauliflower).  Garnish with parsley and add some of the cooking juices as a sauce.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Chef Freyka Nunez del Prado