Hannibal Cooks - Just Don't Ask What It Is - Lomo Saltado

You know you want it.

So, I binge-watched Hannibal Season 1 and 2, and yeah, there's a lot of really gory, violent scenes. And the food, although gloriously presented, is mainly human meat. But it's food porn nonetheless. Absolutely gorgeous food porn. A link to a slideshow follows the recipe. And Crackvid #1.

After Will Graham's first acknowledged (to Hannibal at least) killing, he brings the groceries to Hannibal.

EXCERPT FROM SCRIPT

Hannibal smiles at that. Cuts the string and unrolls the paper to reveal a LOIN OF MEAT. Long and slim. He bends and smells it. Hannibal looks up at Will with a smile. Because he knows what this is.

HANNIBAL

                                             Red meat, but only just. Veal? Pork perhaps?

WILL

She was a slim and delicate pig.

HANNIBAL

I'll make you a pork lomo saltado. We'll make it together.

Hannibal hands Will a knife and nods to the chopping board. Will grabs the ginger root among the ingredients.

HANNIBAL

You slice the ginger.

WILL

I already did.

(Actually, that last line was cut)

A slim and delicate pig.

Lomo Saltado...what's not to love? A beef stirfry with French fries! Just don't ask what the meat is. I am going with steak, not with Freddie.

Although I did like the series' food stylist note that she went with curly fries in honor of Ms. Lounds' red corkscrews.

Janice Poon explains:

Long before Wolfgang Puck popularized Asian fusion, Lomo Saltado was invented in Peru by Chinese slaves brought in to work the sugar plantations and guano mines (and you thought you had a shit job…) They blended stir-fry and rice with yellow potatoes and peppers to create a favorite that is cooked up daily in Peruvian homes and Chifas (Chinese-Peruvian restaurants). Made from soy-marinated beef sautéed with onions, tomatoes and yellow Aji peppers, it’s topped with French fried potatoes and served over rice. Double carbs and deep fried? How could it not become a classic? Of course, I add a dash of Freddie and use Spicy Curly Fries as homage to her hair.

Mangia!

Feeding Hannibal - Lomo Saltado

Adapted from janicepoonart.blogspot.com

       

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak cut in strips ¼ “ x ¼ “ x 2 “ (I used flat iron steak and it was very good)

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp cumin

3 Tbsp oil
2 small red onions, sliced

3 plum tomatoes, in thin wedges

1  - 2 jalapeno peppers, cut into strips

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen spicy French fried potatoes

2 – 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, mix steak strips, vinegar, soy, Worchestershire. garlic, ginger and cumin. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat Spicy Fries in oven as per instructions on the bag. Keep warm in oven.

In a large frying pan or wok over high, heat pan til very hot. Add 1 Tbsp oil and half the onions. Stir-fry on high heat until onion slices have browned in places and are turning translucent. Do not overcook – they should still be slightly crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and fry the remaining onions. Add to other cooked onions and keep warm.

Return pan to heat and add 1 Tbsp oil and half of the beef slices. Do not crowd the pan or meat will not brown. Stir-fry for 2 – 4 minutes or until meat has browned but still medium-rare. Add meat to bowl of fried onions and repeat with remaining oil and beef.  With a paper towel, wipe pan clean of juices. Repeat with remaining oil and meat. Add meat to fried onions.

Add tomatoes and peppers to hot pan and stir-fry until skin starts to peel away and tomatoes start to release their juices. Add beef and onions back into the pan and mix well until heated through. Add hot French fries and toss until everything is well coated with the juices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over steamed rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.

http://www.vulture.com/2014/03/see-every-food-porn-shot-from-nbc-hannibal/slideshow/1/

Fannibals are a strange breed. Here's Exhibit A:

You don't have to watch the whole thing. Just catch "The Smolder" starting at :27, and then "The Smell" at 1:57.

By the way, they won't be renewing Season 4, which is kind of ok because I'm not really that into Episodes 2,3 and 4 of Season 3 so far....not enough food, not enough butchering.