Traditional Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Stir-Fried Beef) Recipe

Guess what you just found with this meal? A surefire win. Why? Because you're going to love it, your dinner guests are going to love it, and, most important of all, the kids will love it, too. It's one of those rare meals that can please the discerning adult diner and the picky kid alike. Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone of Pantry to Plate Meals says: "I'm always on the hunt for meals that are kid-friendly and let us get more veggies into our diets. My kids love little bits of steak like this and love fries, so they are happy to eat this. Also, this is a super fast meal where the steak doesn't have to marinade first, but it tastes like it was marinated, which is ideal for a busy weeknight."

This Peruvian dish is also a good way to introduce international cuisine into your home, and it just might spark greater interest in trying other foods from around the world.

There are a fair number of ingredients in this dish, but they're mostly common and easy to locate, so no worries! You'll need vegetable oil, sirloin steak, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, red onion, orange bell pepper, Roma tomatoes, garlic, fresh ginger root, aji amarillo paste, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, fresh cilantro, and cooked french fries.

Asked about the most notable ingredients, Rapone says, "The star here is definitely beef, but the ginger is the 'secret' ingredient. I find it adds a warmth and freshness to the dish without making it spicy."

Start off by prepping the veggies: thinly slice the red onion, wash the bell pepper and slice it into thin strips, then wash the tomatoes and cut them into sixths. Next, mince the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger. Then rinse and chop the cilantro, measure out 2 tablespoons, and it set aside.

Finally, cut the steak into ¼-inch slices and season these with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until it's hot, but not smoking. Add the steak sear it on the first side for 2 minutes, then flip it and cook it on the second side for 1-2 minutes more. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside.

"The biggest potential mistake is to cook the beef for too long," says Rapone. "You just want to sear it on both sides in the first step. Then, check at the end after you mix in the French fries to see if it's cooked to your preferred doneness."

Add the rest of the oil to the pan, then add the red onion and cook it for 2 minutes. Toss in the bell pepper and it cook it with the onion for another 2-3 minutes, until the onion is soft and starting to brown.

Add the garlic and ginger, and stir them into the veggies, cooking for a minute. Then add the tomato and stir, cooking for 4-5 minutes. "You want the tomatoes to release some juices, but not fall apart," Rapone says.

Next, add the aji amarillo paste, soy sauce, and red wine vinegar, and stir. Then add the steak back to the pan and stir it all together, cooking for 1 minute to heat through.

Turn the heat off and add the (already cooked) fries and 1 tablespoon cilantro to the dish, stirring gently so it's all combined and evenly coated in the juices, but not broken up.

Now garnish the dish with more cilantro and serve. "We love to serve this on top of a salad with butter lettuce, grilled corn, tomatoes, and an avocado dressing," says Rapone. "Rice is also a very popular pairing."

Just be sure to enjoy the dish ASAP. "This is really best fresh what with the fries, and also with this cut of beef. The texture of both tend to get weird in the re-heating process," Rapone explains.