Tag: South American
Lomo Saltado
Lomo Saltado
I first had lomo saltado in a Peruvian restaurant in Denver called Los Cabos; whatever year it was when Colorado first legalized recreational marijuana. Absolutely delicious. It is simply stir fried beef with onions, tomatoes, aji amarillo paste, and French fries of all things. It is always served with steamed rice. While this dish is extremely popular in Peruvian cuisine, it’s roots are derived from Chinese immigrants. When choosing beef, top sirloin is the best choice based upon tenderness for your dollar. Any thing less in tenderness then top sirloin such as cuts from round, sirloin tip, chuck, won’t work. Flank steak, skirt steak, ny strip, and tenderloin are all acceptable choices, but will cost a little more than top sirloin.
Ingredients
- 1 lb top sirloin sliced into 1/4” thick strips
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 2 cups French fries cooked
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Marinate the beef in soy sauce, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper for 15 minutes.
- Heat up olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Stir Fry the beef for 3-4 minutes. Make sure to save the remaining marinade.
- Add in the onions, tomatoes, aji amarillo, and garlic. Sauté for another 4 minutes.
- Add in the French fries and the remaining marinade. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
Fritada de Gallina
Fritada de Gallina (Ecuadorian braised Chicken in Chicha)
Fritada de Gallina is chicken marinated and braised in chicha, a fermented corn drink. You might have a hard time finding chicha, so a lager and orange juice is a suitable substitute. The chicken is cooked down until there is almost no liquid left. Fall off the bone tender! Serve with llapingachos, fried plantains, Ecuadorian rice, or lime marinated tomato and red onion salsa.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs cut up whole chicken or bone in chicken thighs
- 2 1/2 cups chicha or 2 cups lager and 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 heads garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Mix together the chicha(or beer and orange juice), garlic, and cumin.
- Put the chicken pieces in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Pour in the marinade. Marinate for 4 hours.
- Place the chicken and all of the marinade along with the onions and salt.
- Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low. Simmer for 2 hours. Toss in the parsley and cracked black pepper.
- Turn the heat up to medium high to help reduce and thicken the sauce faster. Cook for another 30 minutes, making sure to give it a few stirs so nothing sticks to the bottom and burns.
Pernil Style Roasted Pork Loin
Pernil Style Roasted Pork Loin
Typically in Latin cuisine, pernil is made out of pork shoulder or leg. This particular Ecuadorian version uses a similar marinade with a boneless pork loin. You end up with nice slices of pork instead of pulled pork. The pork is typically served with boiled potatoes, plantains, tomatoes, and pickl onions. Leftovers are great for sandwiches and tacos.
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless pork loin roast
- 1 tbsp achiote paste
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 oranges juiced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the marinade ingredients into a blender. Purée.
- Marinate for 1 day, up to 3. When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place on a rack on a pan lined in foil with a couple cups of water in the bottom.
- Roast the pork loin for an hour. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
