The Complete Lomo Saltado Masterclass — Everything You Need to Know

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Steps

1. 1
   Clean the beef tenderloin: separate the head from the body, cut off the tail, and remove all the silver skin (connective tissue/fascia). Lay the membrane flat against the board and remove it in one clean cut as you would skin a fish. Reserve the trimmings and any fat — they will flavor the stock.

   Tip: Keep your knife sharp — it removes the silver skin faster and damages the cut less.

   ~10 min
2. 2
   Cut the head of the tenderloin into thick chunks (not small ones) so they can be seared on the outside while staying medium-rare at the core. Season the meat with a little salt several minutes in advance so the salt dissolves into the meat. Do not add pepper yet — it would burn in the hot pan.

   Tip: Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking for better control of the internal doneness.

   ~10 min
3. 3
   Build the aromatic base (the 'nage'): heat a little oil in a pot and brown the reserved tenderloin trimmings and fat. Add onion and tomato (just to release flavor, not to caramelize), then Chinese green onion (white part), kion/ginger, and ají amarillo, all cut in a rough matignon. Add 1 L of unsalted dark beef stock.

   Tip: Stocks are never salted so you don't depend on the stock's salt level when finishing a sauce.

   ~10 min
4. 4
   Make the premix: combine 3 parts soy sauce (sillao), 1 part vinegar, and 1 part oyster sauce (roughly 100 g per part). Add some of this premix to the simmering stock, bring to a gentle boil, then drop in a bouquet of cilantro (culantro), turn the heat to the lowest setting, and let it infuse 35–45 minutes.

   Tip: Reserve some premix to add directly to the stir-fry later for an extra punch of flavor.

   ~45 min
5. 5
   Thicken and strain the base: raise the heat to a boil and add the cornstarch slurry (2–3 tbsp), letting it boil so it doesn't taste of raw starch. Keep it loose — it should have body but stay juice-like, not as thick as a bechamel. Strain the base, pressing the aromatics hard to extract all their flavor, and reserve this finishing sauce.

   Tip: It will reduce further in the hot pan during the stir-fry, so don't over-thicken it now.

   ~5 min
6. 6
   Prepare the fries: steam the potatoes about 30 minutes until a tester slides through cleanly, then chill them (ideally a day ahead). Cut the cold cooked potatoes into wedges and fry in 180°C oil until golden and crisp outside, creamy inside. Salt immediately out of the fryer while still hot so the salt sticks.

   Tip: Steaming then frying cooked potatoes gives a crisper, lighter-colored fry than the classic double-fry in oil.

   ~35 min
7. 7
   Sear the beef: toss the chunks with a little oil. Heat a pan empty until smoking hot, add oil until it shimmers and nearly smokes (over 200°C), then sear the meat undisturbed to form a savory crust (Maillard). Flatten larger pieces for full contact. Toss so a flame catches the oil — this gives the signature smoky lomo saltado flavor. Sear briefly on the other side and remove from the pan while still rare inside. (At home, work in two batches.)

   Tip: Oil above ~200°C ignites on contact with a flame — that controlled flare-up is what creates the smoky aroma.

   ~5 min
8. 8
   Stir-fry and finish: in the same pan add a little oil, sauté the onion wedges and ají amarillo, then the tomato petals. Add a turn-and-a-half of the reserved premix. Return the seared beef with its juices, add 2–3 spoonfuls of the strained base for juiciness, and a splash of grated kion/ginger juice. Add freshly ground black pepper, turn off the heat, and finish with coarsely chopped cilantro and Chinese green onion. Taste for salt.

   Tip: The whole cilantro leaves are not just garnish — they are part of the flavor. Serve with white rice and the fries to soak up the juices.

   ~5 min

Nutrition (por porción)

Giacomo Bocchio

LA CLASE COMPLETA DE LOMO SALTADO QUE NADIE HABÍA HECHO – TODO LO QUE NECESITAS SABER

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