Beef Fajitas (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak)

From Peggy Trowbridge,
Your Guide to Home Cooking

Fajitas are a popular dish at local Mexican restaurants as well as chain restaurants. They are easy to make at home, and this method works just as well with chicken, pork, or vegetables if you don't want beef.

4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into large pieces to fit on a grill or in a ridged grill pan (see Notes)
3 assorted colored bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
12 (7- to 8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Guacamole, tomato salsa, and sour cream as sides

In a large, heavy-duty freezer zip top bag, combine garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil. Seal and shake to combine. Place skirt steak, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro sprigs into the bag, squeeze out the air, and turn to coat the meat, distributing vegetables evenly. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight to allow marinade to penetrate.

To Cook:
Preheat the gas or charcoal grill to high heat.

While grill is heating, remove skirt steak from marinade to a platter, shaking off liquid and reserving marinade and vegetables.

Preheat a heavy skillet to the smoking point. Drain vegetables and cilantro, and quickly stir-fry over high heat until slightly charred and softened, but not mushy. Set aside and keep warm.

Grill skirt steak over high heat quickly until medium rare, about 2 minutes per side. Slice meat against the grain into strips and serve immediately with warm tortillas, the seared pepper vegetable mix, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

To eat Mexican fajitas, diners traditionally place strips of meat with grilled vegetables, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream into the tortilla, and fold it up taco- or burrito-style.

Notes: Fajitas may also be made with chicken breast or pork tenderloin steaks. If you like your meat spicy, add 1 minced serrano chile to the marinade. If you don't have a gas or charcoal grill, you may use a cast iron or heavy grill pan on the stove-top. It is important that the pan be very hot before quickly searing the meat. An overhead exhaust fan is mandatory for indoor stove-top grilling.

Yield: 12 fajitas, serving 6