Lomo saltado looks like a Chinese stir-fry, and that's no accident. About 150 years ago, lots of Chinese families settled in Peru, and they brought their cooking style - quick frying in a very hot pan called a wok - with them. Peruvian and Chinese cooks shared ideas, and lomo saltado was born.
Peruvian-Chinese food is so popular it has its own name in Peru: chifa. There are chifa restaurants in almost every town, with menus that mix Peruvian ingredients like sweet potato and aji chillies with Chinese cooking ideas like soy sauce and fried rice.
The dish has French fries too - because Peruvians love potatoes (you saw 4,000 varieties earlier). So lomo saltado has Chinese stir-frying, French-style potato fries, and Peruvian chillies and tomatoes, all in one bowl. Plus rice. It is a meal that tells the story of how cultures can mix.
Lots of Peruvian families have their own lomo saltado recipe. Some add a splash of vinegar, some add chips on the side instead of on top, some use chicken instead of beef. The rule is that it should be cooked very fast, with the pan smoking hot, so the vegetables stay crisp.