Steak Fajitas

I don’t normally look to celebrity chefs for recipes. I’m not sure why, but I guess I just figure, they’re not that unique. And it never seems like you can take it for your own. You’re constantly saying, “Oh that was Giada’s recipe,” or “I got this one from Bobby Flay.” When it’s just some regular schmo’s recipe, you can more easily adopt it as your own, so I tend to go that route. But I was up early one morning (before we got dogs and this became an every day thing) and I happened to see Tyler Florence’s Ultimate show on TV. He was making fajitas. And even though it was way too early in the morning to start thinking about dinner, I did. And ever since then, this has been our go-to for tasty fajitas. It’s juicy, citrusy and just a touch spicy.

Marinade Ingredients:

1 orange, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped

3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

3 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat

Salt and pepper

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Flour tortillas

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

The steak can sit in the marinade for up to 4 hours (don’t go longer or the citrus will start to make it tough), so be sure to work in enough time for it to sit. I would say that 1-2 hours is the sweet spot. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a blender or food processor (or use your immersion blender if you have one) and puree until mostly smooth. Add the steak to the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for awhile.

Meanwhile, you can slice up your bell pepper and onion. I like to use a sweet onion for this, and usually orange and yellow bell peppers, although if you like red and green, go for it. Slice them into strips and throw them into a bowl. Add a little olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper and stir to coat. You could also add lime juice if you like, but I think the marinade is plenty of citrus, so I don’t.

Once the marinade has done its work, remove the steak and discard the marinade. Grill the steak for a short time. Since it’s a thinner cut it will cook faster so keep that in mind. We do about 3-4 minutes a side. After the steak is done, set it aside and let it rest while you get the onions and peppers cooking. We put them in a hot pan and just cook them for about 5-7 minutes, stirring so they don’t get burned. If you have a grill plate you could cook them on that as well.

We also like to heat the tortillas on the grill. Just about 30 seconds or so on a side. You don’t want them to get crunchy, just slightly warm. Then you can slice your steak into thin pieces and start constructing your fajita (I trust you know how to do that). And there you have it. I hope you like it, and if you do, you can thank Tyler Florence. 

(Click here for printable recipe)