Tallarín Saltado with Sirloin Steak, Red Onion & Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Sirloin Steak, sliced into finger-width strips
• 12 oz spaghetti or lo mein noodles, cooked
• 1 Red Onion, cut into thick wedges
• 2 cups Tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Pat the Sirloin Steak bone dry and season hard. Wet meat will never sear in a home wok — it will just leak and boil.
2. Get the pan as hot as it will go, add 2 tbsp oil, and sear the Sirloin Steak in a single layer for 90 seconds without touching it. Toss once, cook 30 seconds more, and remove.
3. Add the last oil, then the Red Onion wedges. Let them char at the edges for a minute before adding the garlic and ginger.
4. Add the Tomatoes and stir-fry just 45 seconds — they should soften barely and keep their shape. Pour in the soy, oyster sauce, vinegar, and ají amarillo and let it hiss and reduce.
5. Return the Sirloin Steak with the cooked noodles and toss until everything is coated and glossy. The vinegar hitting the hot pan is what makes saltado smell like saltado.
6. Off the heat, fold in cilantro and serve immediately, ideally with a side of rice because Peru does not believe in choosing.