Steak Fajitas

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.