Chop suey is through and through an American dish. Other people will tell you it’s just a Chinese stir fry gone wrong, but I disagree. The answer was always “brown”.Īnd what is that, if not a choose-your-own adventure chop suey? I always got extra rice (grudgingly free, but how can you say no to teenage boys who need extra rice?) and they would always ask which of 10 different sauces I wanted. When I went to the mall with my friends as a teenager, my food court joint of choice was that place where I could pick out meat and vegetables by the pound, and they would stir fry it on a giant flat top and serve it over rice. Chop suey is a stir fry of too many vegetables (some canned), a not-quite-authentic Chinese stir fry sauce, way more meat than they’d ever use in China, and way more delicious than it has any right to be. At its core, chop suey is a glorious meat and vegetable stir fry with American ingredients. There are a lot of people who try to answer this question with a history lesson, but I think that stuff doesn’t matter. I made this one up extra saucy because the whole point of chop suey is that crazy delicious sauce. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be. We made a big batch of rice to eat it with but in the end we barely touched the rice at all. This modern chop suey is so good, you’ll never need to go out again. Even though the name chop suey has become unfashionable, versions of it are still everywhere. Serve warm over rice and with the handful of fries you set aside.Chop suey is my comfort food. Mix in cilantro, then mix in french fries. Add chopped cilantro, leaving some cilantro for garnish.

Cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, stirring.

Add tomatoes and remaining red onion strips. When chicken is cooked, reduce to medium-low heat. (If you don’t have a wok, use a saute pan.) Cook chicken with marinade and onions until chicken is cooked and white in color (about 7 mins). Heat 1 tbsp EVOO in a wok over medium-high heat. Marinade should just coat chicken chicken should not be swimming in marinade.Ģ. Marinate chicken and medium-diced onion pieces in 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp vinegar for 30-60 minutes. Leave a handful of french fries aside to enjoy alongside your meal!ġ. Remove from oven and cool onto separate platter. Toss fries every ten minutes with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Spread out potatoes onto ungreased baking pan. (Use this recipe for whenever you want to enjoy homemade french fries in your own kitchen!) * chop onions like this… (half strips & half medium chopped)įirst, make the french fries. White vinegar (I use Filipino brand Datu Puti – cane vinegar)ġ.5 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (about 15 or so leaves?) The dish takes on a whole new form once we throw in cilantro and the white rice vinegar (and also the fries, but more on those later!).ģ russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise 1/2-inch thick – french fry shaped!Ģ.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs (or boneless meat of your choice), chopped into 1-inch cubesġ large red onion (half medium-diced, half chopped into 1-inch wide strips) *see picture below Are you ready? It’s cilantro and vinegar! Everything up until when you add these two ingredients might as well just be a Chinese stir fry. The secret to achieving the unmistakeable flavor combination of lomo saltado comes from two main ingredients. Luckily, my brother passed down his recipe for lomo that he learned from his Peruvian mother-in-law (God bless her). I still have yet to discover my go-to lomo saltado spot in my new residence. I have only been to the one on Amsterstam between 83rd and 84th, but I imagine their other location is able to recreate the same mouth watering, sour, salty, and perfectly seasoned Peruvian dish that I can still bring my taste buds back to just by looking at this picture: There are two locations in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The best lomo saltado I have ever come across can be tried at the Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurant, Flor de Mayo. Lomo saltado - a traditional Peruvian stir fry dish with your choice of meat.

Flor de mayo chicken chop suey