Nasca is famous for one thing, the Nasca lines. But to focus on that one historical marvel does this little town a disservice. By day I will remember it for the duelling taxi men who shout at each other across the road like the warring gangs of West Side Story. I will remember the arid climate, that seldom became oppressive, even in this dessert town. I will remember the sheer number of touts and the incessant honking of the cars. But what I will remember most is how this little tourist town, comes alive at night. After dusk is a whole different story, when the many restaurants and bars are full of charmingly helpful characters, wanting to show you the best of Peruvian cuisine and share with you the delights of the national drink – Pisco Sours.
In one of these quaint eateries myself and my travel companion had our first taste of Lomo Saltado. This simplistic looking stir-fry is the very embodiment of the fusion cuisine for which Peru is known. The marinade for the tender cuts of fillet steak contains global condiments such as soy sauce (from East Asia), Worcestershire sauce (from the UK) and their very own grape brandy, Pisco. What is more bizarre, is that when you dive into the meat, surrounded as it is by large chunks of fresh tomato and red onion, you will find hidden beneath it’s glistening depths a cheeky portion of thick-cut chip shop style chips. All of this in addition to a side of seasoned rice. Carb overload, but a traditional treat none the less that can be enjoyed on (the rare) occasion.
Level: medium
Methods: marinating
Skills: stir-fry in, deep-frying
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (not including marinading time)
Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the marinade:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the lomo saltado and chips:
600g fillet steak, cut into 1½ inch cubes
vegetable oil, for frying
1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
3-4 spring onions, split lengthways and cut into 2 inch batons
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into eighths
1 red chilli, seeds removed and sliced lengthways
2 tsp pisco or brandy
25g fresh coriander, finely chopped
10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
600g maris piper potatoes, peeled, cut into chips
sunflower oil, for deep frying
Method
1. For the marinade, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with two tablespoons of water until well combined.
2. Add the meat to the bowl and mix so that it is well covered in the marinade. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for about four hours or overnight if you are organised enough.
3. When ready prepare the chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
4. Heat a deep-fat fryer half-full of sunflower oil to 130C. Add the potatoes to the deep-fat fryer and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened.
5. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
6. When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 190C. With a slotted spoon, lower all the par-cooked chips gently into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.
7. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the steak.
8. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking and add the meat to the wok – be careful, it might splash.
10. Cook as quickly as possible, tossing it until the meat is browned on all sides.
11. Add the red onion wedges and spring onions. Cook for one minute.
12. Add the tomato and chilli and immediately pour in the pisco.
13. Pour over the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and leave the meat to rest in the sauce for a couple of minutes.
14. Place the steak on top of the chips and garnish with chopped coriander and parsley.
Mastication / Destination 