Peruvian-Style Beef and Tomato Stir-Fry with Chips and Rice
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Strips of sirloin are seared hard in a smoking wok, then tossed with charred onion, pepper and juicy tomatoes in a soy-lime sauce and spooned over crisp oven chips with rice on the side.
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Method
- 1
Roast the chips. Heat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Rinse the chips, dry them very well in a towel, toss with the chip oil and spread in a single layer over the 2 lined trays. Roast for 35-40 min, turning once and swapping the trays halfway, until golden and crisp, then toss with the chip salt. Rinsing removes surface starch and thorough drying stops them steaming, so they crisp properly.
- 2
Cook the rice. While the chips roast, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and put it in the saucepan with the 450 ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 15 min. Leave covered off the heat for 10 min, then fluff with a fork; the resting time lets steam finish the grains evenly.
- 3
Get organised. Pat the beef dry and toss with the pepper. Mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Everything needs to be lined up by the hob, because once the wok is hot the cooking takes only minutes.
- 4
Sear in two batches. Heat the wok over high heat until it smokes, add 1 tbsp of the stir-fry oil and half the beef in one layer. Leave it for 1 min to brown, turn and cook 1 min more, then move it to the plate. Repeat with another 1 tbsp oil and the rest of the beef; small batches keep the wok hot so the meat sears rather than stews.
- 5
Char the vegetables. Add the last 1 tbsp oil with the onion and yellow pepper and stir-fry for 2 min until charred at the edges but still crisp. Toss in the garlic and chilli for 30 s, just long enough to smell fragrant without burning.
- 6
Bring it together. Pour in the soy mixture and let it bubble for 30 s, then add the tomatoes and the beef with its juices. Toss for 1-2 min until the tomatoes just soften and the sauce coats everything. Check the thickest strip of beef reads at least 63°C, tossing 30 s more if needed, then take off the heat and leave for 3 min.
- 7
Serve. Pile the chips on a platter and spoon the beef, vegetables and sauce over the top so the chips soak up some of the juices. Scatter with coriander and serve with the rice.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover beef and rice separately within 2 hours for up to 3 days; reheat both until piping hot (74°C). The chips are best eaten fresh but can be re-crisped in a hot oven.
Why this label?
45.5 g protein for 832 kcal = 5.5 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 22% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 0.9 g saturated fat per 100 g, 4.1% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 1.4 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 432 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.1 g per serving
0.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- 2 large rimmed baking trays
- baking paper
- wok or large heavy frying pan (30 cm)
- medium saucepan with tight lid
- tongs
- large plate
- instant-read probe thermometer
- small bowl
- clean tea towel
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 832 kcal |
| Protein | 45.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 107.5 g |
| of which sugars | 6.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 24.1 g |
| of which saturates | 3.8 g |
| Fibre | 7.7 g |
| Salt | 2.28 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.5 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
