Steak Fajitas
Home Cooking includes an essay entitled “Flank Steak: The Neglected Cut.” In it, Laurie Colwin extols the virtues of a cut that, since the essay was written, is no longer neglected. Indeed, like lamb shank and short rib, flank steak has become popular and therefore expensive.
Much of said popularity is due to flank steak’s amiable nature. Here is a piece of meat taking willingly to marinades of all kinds; Colwin suggests olive oil and garlic. She also likes one with soy sauce. I made both frequently in my early cooking days, when flank steak was still cheap. Here, though, we’re going for Tex-Mex.
Flank steak is also easy to cook–shove it under the broiler for a few minutes per side, and that’s that. You can also barbecue it, should you possess such an item. It is inadvisable to boil this fatless cut. Some people stuff, though I don’t see quite why. Well, wait. The Canal House ladies suggest rolling it with a pesto stuffing, and they are right about everything.
There’s the taste, too–flank steak’s other virtues would be meaningless if it didn’t taste wonderful. It tastes like steak, but a bit lighter, because it’s quite lean. Meaning flank steak works beautifully in a fajita. Yes, I know, an authentic fajita calls for skirt, another wonderful cut whose increasing popularity has seen a cocomitant price hike. Sure, okay, fine. Use skirt steak. There’s plenty of arguing elsewhere to go round.
Why two pepper pictures? Because the world is an ugly place right now, and red peppers are beautiful. Don’t argue. See above.
My recipe for fajitas comes from the 75th Anniverary Edition of The Joy of Cooking. Laurie Colwin says of Joy:
“The recipes are clear and will never fail you.”
This may be why I have five editions. And use them all.
Apart from marinating and broiling your flank steak, which you then slice along the grain, one must consider the sides: the guacamole, the black beans, the pepper and onions.
Another pretty pepper picture. Say that five times fast.
Alongside the steak, I like tortillas, sliced cabbage or naked salad greens, and generous amounts of sour cream. Then again, I always like generous amounts of sour cream (not that you could tell from the picture below).
Guacamole is wonderful, but so is sliced avocado. Either must receive liberal doses of lime or lemon juice lest they turn an unappetizing brown.
Guacamole is as simple as mashing avocado with lots of fresh lime, salt, and maybe some scallion. Cilantro if you like it. Some people find it soapy tasting. If this is you, add parsley. Or nothing. No lime? Lemon juice.
Black beans may come from can: rinse the goop, salt if necessary, add a smashed garlic clove, lots of fresh lemon or lime juice, pepper, and if you are so inclined, the merest slug of tequila. If you’re an organized type, soak dried beans overnight and cook them for dinner. Guess what I forgot to buy this morning at the market?
Sauté red bell pepper and onion in a pan with vegetable oil. You want the vegetables to soften rather than brown. I like to perk things up with a squeeze of lime, and again, the merest hit of tequila. The idea is flavor, not to make everything taste boozy.Plunk all this down on the table, with lots of napkins–it is wonderfully messy eating–and hope for leftovers.
Steak Fajitas
adapted (not much) from the 75th Anniversary Edition of The Joy Of Cooking
Prep time: 4-24 hours marination time
Cooking time: about 8 minutes
For the steak fajitas:
One 1-1 1/2 pound flank steak
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (see notes)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (see notes)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground (see notes)
a few generous grinds of black pepper or 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
juice of 1 lime
1 scallion, sliced into rings
1 tablespoon canola oil (to broil)
For the guacamole:
1-2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
2-3 limes
salt
1 scallion (optional)
fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
for the peppers and onions:
1-2 red bell peppers
1-2 yellow onions
salt and pepper
canola oil
a generous squeeze of lime (optional)
a splash of tequila (optional)
to serve:
sour cream
tortillas
black beans
shredded lettuce or cabbage
The flank steak benefits from marinating up to 24 hours before cooking, but do what you can. The amounts given make enough marinade to coat the steak generously on one side. The lime will “cook” the meat, causing it to change color. This doesn’t mean it’s edible or safe to consume raw. Please cook it before eating.
Place the flank steak on a rimmed baking sheet or in a pan where it can lie flat.
Using a mortar and pestle, mini-food processor, or a large chef’s knife, either pound together, process, or mince the garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper, and cumin. Add the black pepper.
Spread this over the meat using a spatula, the back of a large spoon, or your clean hands. Add the lime juice and scallion. I like to add the squeezed lime halves as well. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate, 4-24 hours.
An hour before you plan to broil the steak, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
To cook, preheat your broiler. I find the meat cooks best if I move the broiler rack down to the second rung, rather than the uppermost slot; if I broil in the uppermost slot, meats tend to burn on the surface before the interior can cook. But you know your oven best.
I prefer to transfer the meat to a clean, rimmed baking sheet, leaving any liquid marinade behind but taking the garlic bits along. Pour over about 1 tablespoon canola oil: you may not need an entire amount. You just don’t want the meat looking terribly dry.
Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Broil 3-4 minutes, then flip, cooking steak to your taste. Remember meat will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven. Total cooking time should not exceed 8 minutes unless you like meat cooked to shoe leather.
Remove from oven. Tent with foil 10-20 minutes, to rest.
To make guacamole, mash avocado flesh with generous amounts of lime juice–really, this is to taste, but you must add some to avoid browning. Salt and pepper to taste. Add minced cilantro if you like, and/or parsley. Add thinly sliced scallion.
For the peppers and onions:
Slice and seed peppers. Slice thinly. Peel and thinly slice onion. Using a 10-12 inch skillet–steel, nonstick, whatever–heat 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil on medium heat. Add the pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until peppers and onions have softened and collapsed. If the pan becomes dry, you can add a little oil or even some water. Season with salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, and a splash of tequila, if you wish.
To serve, slice meat along grain. Serve with guacamole, peppers and onions, thinly sliced lettuce or cabbage, sour cream, tortillas, and either canned black beans doctored with lime juice and garlic or freshly made ones. Slice some tomatoes (I write in July), make a salsa, or cheat and buy your favorite.
Notes: I use Maldon sea salt. Admittedly, this is expensive. Fine sea salt is available cheaply, and may be substituted. Or use 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.
I love spicy food, and use the full amount of red pepper flakes and cumin. This gives a punchy result, but the dish is not so spicy that John, who doesn’t share my fiery tastes, is coughing and sneezing. If you have a moderate palate, try 3/4 teaspoon cumin and red pepper and see how you like it.
