Domo Arigato, Lomo Saltado*

On the one hand, it's pretty disappointing that an absurdly expensive private high school would stoop to re-using curriculum.

On the other hand, I love this assignment.

Now that we are in Spanish 3, it was instructive to note that at least one of us has matured substantially since the fabled Cuban Dinner Crisis of Spanish 2. 

He chose the dish he wanted to make, before I even had a chance to give him some of my ideas all by himself ahead of time*.  I stayed out of his way until I couldn't help myself and grabbed the knife before he lost a finger he asked me for help. The dinner was delicious, the dessert was even better, and he did all the dishes and cleaned up the whole kitchen except for the half-empty Vitamin Water bottle that was left on the coffee table that he said was his sister's from before and therefore was not his problem afterward.

I gave him an A+ anyway.

 

Lomo Saltado
Far and away the kids' favorite meal from our Peru trip, this dish reflects some of the Chinese influences in Peruvian cooking.  It's essentially stir-fried beef, with a soy pan sauce, served with fries (those Peruvians love potatoes!) and steamed white rice (because you can never really have enough starch in one dish), but without many vegetables (now you know why the kids loved it).

Recipe from The Food Network.  Generously serves four.

2 lbs. rib eye or sirloin steak
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
About 2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, seeded and sliced
3 Tbs. apple cider or rice vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
4 oz. (1/2 c.) light beer
chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Cooked white rice, warm
Frozen french fries

Cut the steak into strips, about 3/8 inch wide and 2-3 inches long.  Place into a shallow bowl or dish, season liberally with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and toss with your hands until the garlic is well distributed.   Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the steak is marinating, cook the rice. About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, prepare French fries according to package directions.  For my son, this meant roasting them in the oven for 15 minutes. Once both are well underway, prepare the steak.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1/2 the steak, cooking until seared on the outside but still pink in the middle, about 3-4 minutes.   Remove to a bowl, and repeat with remaining steak.  Remove that batch, then add the onions to the skillet, with a little additional oil if needed.  Cook for 3 minutes, until softened, then add the tomatoes, any juices that have gathered in the steak bowl, the vinegar, soy sauce, and beer.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until sauce has reduced and vegetables are cooked through.  Stir the steak back in.

 

To serve, scoop a portion of rice onto each plate.  Top with a generous portion of steak and sauce, then top that with a handful of French fries.  Garnish with a little fresh parsley and serve.

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Tropical Fruit Sorbet
My son found a box of Tropical fruit juice with mango, papaya, banana and other fruits we enjoyed on the trip, and decided to give it a whirl in his favorite kitchen appliance.  The sorbet that came out was a beautiful apricot color, with a perfectly smooth texture.  It was incredibly refreshing after the hearty dinner and tasted like a vacation in every bite.  Definitely making this one again!

1 quart tropical fruit juice (we used a box from Trader Joes!)
1/2 c. simple syrup
Juice of one lemon

Combine everything in a pitcher, and chill for at least an hour.  Process in ice cream maker according to the directions. Muy delicioso!

 

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* Yes, I do know that "domo arigato" is Japanese and not Spanish, thank you.  It just had a such a nice ring to it and reminded me of this really awful Styx song from junior high, but in a good way.
** And I made the dish that I wanted for dessert without even telling him I was doing it  bothering him with the details.  But that's a whole 'nother post.

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