Fajitas

Nothing says Summer more than good grilling!  I am a sucker for good Mexican food and this recipe surely didn't disappoint.  The marinade was out of this world!  The orange zest adds the perfect zing and overall it's extremely flavorful.  I made it with beef this time but it'd also be wonderful using chicken.  The tequila is optional and sadly, this fiesta had none but I'm sure it would add a nice depth to the flavor.  The colors from the fresh grilled veggies are pretty, too!

Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes.  The thing that I hate most about restaurant versions though is that generally the meat and veggies are swimming in oil.  I guess you need that though to make them sizzle on that cast iron pan they bring it out on.  This homemade version is different though.  It's not greasy and so the flavor of the fresh veggies and tender meat come through.  It's slightly less guilty this way.

Why I waited so long to try to make fajitas at home I just don't know.  Next time I'll have to try to tackle homemade flour tortillas, too!

Fajitas
Printer-Friendly Version

Yields: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Fajitas

• 1 lb marinated flank steak (recipe follows)
• 1 large onion
• 2 assorted colored bell peppers
• olive oil
• 6-8 Flour tortillas (small, fajita size)
• Sour cream, salsa, and/or gaucamole, for serving

For the Marinade

• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 shot tequila (optional)
• Juice and zest from one orange
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the marinade:

1. Put the steak in a shallow glass dish or a large freezer bag. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over steak. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking.

To cook:

1. Slice onion into 1/3-inch rounds, keeping the rounds intact.  You may desire to soak some toothpicks in water for 15-20 minutes and then push them through the sides of your onion rings to help hold them together.    Brush both sides with oil.   Slice bell pepper into 1/3-inch rounds and toss with oil.
2. Place on a grill heated to med-high heat and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Take care when flipping the onion rounds so they stay in tact.
3. Place the steak on the grill and cook 5-6 minutes each side. Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain.
4. Serve on flour tortillas topped with desired toppings.

Source: Slightly modified from Confections of a Foodie Bride