Tenderizer the trick to good fajitas
Dear Laura: I’m looking for a recipe for beef fajitas and some information on how to serve them on a sizzling platter like they do in restaurants. — Linda, Spokane
Dear Linda: Fajitas can be very simple or very elaborate depending on how much work you want to put into them. The trick is to use a good marinade that tenderizes the meat and gives it a good flavor. I like this recipe, which comes from the Food Network’s Tyler Florence, because of the marinade. The original recipe calls for spreading each fajita with guacamole, but I prefer to let those who are eating put together their own fajitas.
Beef Fajitas
Adapted from www.foodtv.com
Marinade:
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Fajitas:
2 ¼ pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced (see note)
½ lime, cut in half
12 flour tortillas
Optional garnishes such as guacamole, salsa and sour cream
In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Place steak in shallow container and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, drain marinade and grill steak in a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes each side, or until it reaches desired doneness. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes.
In same pan with steak juices, sauté the bell peppers and onion for 3 minutes until limp.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain on the diagonal.
To get the sizzling effect, heat a cast-iron pan over a grill, stovetop or in the oven until very hot (be sure to handle with thick mitts). Arrange the meat and peppers in the hot pan and squeeze juice from lime wedges over fajitas. The juice hitting the hot pan will create the sizzling effect. Serve with flour tortillas and desired toppings.
Note: Yellow onion is fine if you don’t have a red one on hand.
Yield: 6 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving (without toppings): 819 calories, 26 grams fat (6.7 grams saturated, 28 percent fat calories), 68 grams protein, 73 grams carbohydrate, 132 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 878 milligrams sodium.
Dear Readers: Here’s another recipe for fajitas made in a slow cooker. The result isn’t as authentic, but it’s a good alternative for busy cooks who prefer to toss everything together and come back later to eat. It’s also a good way to make large quantities of fajita filling for parties.
Beef Fajitas
Adapted from “Best of the Best from Arizona Cookbook”
5 ½ pounds lean flank steak
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips
1 medium red pepper, cut in strips
1 raw jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
1 lime
Water as needed
Flour tortillas
Optional garnishes:
Tomatoes, chopped and seeded
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 large avocados or prepared guacamole
Salsa
Cut flank steak into 6 portions. In large Crock-Pot, combine meat, onion, peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice over mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until meat is cooked and tender, adding a little water as needed to prevent ingredients from sticking to pot. Remove meat; slice into thin strips (or shred if meat is too tender to slice) and return to pot with pepper mixture. Serve with warmed tortillas and desired toppings.
Yield: Approximately 8 to 10 servings
Approximate nutrition per 1/10 recipe (without toppings): 750 calories, 21 grams fat (7.9 grams saturated, 25 percent fat calories), 90 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 194 milligrams cholesterol, 3.3 grams dietary fiber, 623 milligrams sodium.