If you ask my husband on any given day if he likes fajitas, he'd probably tell you that they aren't his favorite and he'd rather not have them. He'll insist he doesn't like them up until the first bite of my fajitas, and then suddenly he remembers: Holy crap! Fajitas are delicious! The spices are and important element there, but really it comes down to the meat. A good fajita requires the right kind of meat. Tough, chewy strips of steak don't make for a pleasant experience. My favorite fajita meat is flank steak. Melt in your mouth goodness. If you want a really different and delightful fajita experience, try serving it with some strawberry-pineapple salsa on top. Wowzers! It's amazing!
Ingredients
Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 lbs flank steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Create the marinade for your flank steak. In a shallow dish, combine together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, worcestershire, and minced garlic. Lay your flank steak in it and then flip it over so there's marinade on both sides. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let heat for a minute, and then add in your onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Season with salt. Sautee until the vegetables are tender crisp (7-10 minutes). During the last few minutes of cooking, add in your cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and transfer to a serving dish, but keep the skillet hot.
3. Return the skillet to high heat. Cook your flank steak in it for about 2 minutes on each side for medium doneness. Slice the meat for serving against the grain. Serve on a tortilla with the meat, vegetables, maybe a little sour cream, and salsa.
Alternate Preparation
Generally when I cook steak I cook them medium-rare. When it comes to fajitas though I'm usually feeding a crowd and most people in my circles, and especially kids, like their meat done well. The good news is that a good flank steak can be done well and still practically melt in your mouth.
1. Slice your flank steak into strips by cutting against the grain. Marinate all the strips in the marinade.
2. Prepare vegetables as directed above.
3. Cook your flank steak strips in the skillet. This should only take a few minutes. Just stir it around to give all the meat a chance to sear on the bottom.
Cutting against the grain is important! Look at your flank steak. See how there are lines running across it? Do not cut that meat parallel to those lines! You will end up with tough, chewy pieces of meat. Cutting against the grain breaks up that tissue and allows for a delightful strip of steak that melts in your mouth. CUT AGAINST THE GRAIN!
