Fajitas

I remember a time about 10 years ago when I was eating fajitas once a week. I worked in a Mexican restaurant as a busboy, and as is the norm for family restaurants, staff got to eat whatever was leftover at the end of the night. Wednesday night was fajita night and one of my shifts, so I often got at least a little bit of the leftover grilled steak or chicken. I honestly never tired of it. Now I think I make fajitas every few weeks, especially during the summer months, it's a meal that is just so tasty, simple, and downright fun to eat.

I made these the other night, opting for steak (as is the norm). People eat them in many varieties, but I like to keep it simple. A piece of grilled meat, some peppers and onions, maybe a bit of sour cream, and a nice salsa to top it off. Assemble as wanted in flour or corn tortillas, fold, and consume. Repeat as necessary. I love making this for groups, because you can set out all of the components on the table, crack open a few beers, and enjoy this sitting at a table or standing around outside (due to the juiciness of the meat, I would not recommend standing over your carpet eating one of these).

Fajitas (Adapted from Alton Brown)
Serves 4

1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in thirds
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 pounds flank steak, cut into four pieces (with the grain)
2 onions, sliced into rings
2 bell peppers
8-10 flour tortillas
Sour cream and salsa for passing

Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Pour marinade over steak in a zip-top bag or pan and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat grill to high. Grill onions and pepper (you can lightly oil them first if you wish) until soft and slightly blackened. Slice onion rings in half for strips, and peel and slice the pepper.

Place steak on grill, cooking on each side for 6-7 minutes or until temperature reaches 125°F (for medium rare) or 140°F (for medium). Let rest for 5-10 minutes, and then slice thin. Warm flour tortillas on grill (in foil) or in a low oven. Assemble and serve.