Receipts for February 2008 - Part II

Peruvian Stir-Fry (Lomo Saltado)

Now back to Latin American Cuisine... This stir fry is a traditional dish from Peru that everybody loves, and is always part of my kitchen..

• 1 pound of Beef Sirloin (or Tenderloin), cut in bite size pieces
• 2 small Onions, cut into strips
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, cut into strips
• 1 large green Hot Pepper, seeded and cut into strips (South American green Aji pepper preferable)
• 1 tablespoon of Parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of Paprika
• 1/4 cup of Dry Red Wine (or 2 tablespoon of vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Oregano
• Salt, Pepper and Cumin
• 2 tablespoons of Lime Juice
• 1 pound of fried potatoes and white rice for serving
  
• Vegetable Oil for frying
  

Marinate the meat for 20 minutes in a mix of olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic.
In a frying pan (wok or saute pan), heat 4 tablespoons of oil and sauté the meat over high heat until is no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Add the paprika and oregano. Add the onions, garlic, hot pepper and wine; cook stirring for a few minutes at low/medium temperature. Add the tomatoes and parsley; cook until the onions are tender. Serve with the fried potatoes and white rice.

From my kitchen... While sautéing the meat over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of Lime Juice and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce... these two will enhance the flavor. If there are no South American green Aji peppers available, 2 medium Jalapeño peppers could be used (seeded and washed thoroughly). I used Jalapeño peppers a couple of times and the taste is still good.

Complexity...

Servings... 4-6


Sources... Receipt: Que cocinare hoy? Nicolini, Peru 2000. http://www.recipezaar.com/207558. Chef WB.
Photo: tienda.bravoperu.com/images/Lomo-Saltado-OK.jpg

Receipts for February 2008 - Part I

Mongolian Beef

This is one of my favorites dishes... Obviously, it is neither Peruvian nor Latin American, but I had to find and post the receipt since is very good.

• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 pound of flank steaks
• 1/4 cup of corn starch
• 2 green onions

Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium sauce pan over med / low heat. Add the ginger and the garlic to the pan. Quickly add the soy sauce and water so the garlic does not burn. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, and boil it at medium heat (Boil the sauce until it thickens). Remove the sauce from the heat

Beef: Slice the flank steak into 1/4 inch thick slices (bite-size slices). Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a thin dusting to both sides of beef. Let the beef sit for 10 minutes, so the cornstarch sticks. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the beef. Saute for 2 minutes or until the beef begins to darken on the edges (stir around so it cooks evenly). Remove the excess oil from the frying pan and let the beef simmer for one minute.

Add the sauce to the beef, cook for one minute, and add the green onions while stirring. Cook for an additional minute and serve (leaving any excess sauce in the frying pan).

Complexity...

Servings... 2

Sources... Receipt: http://www.recipezaar.com/66121, Peru 2000. Photo: http://www.tastespotting.com/ (mongolian beef served with rice and onions)