Ingredients for Fajitas
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, toasted
- 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 lbs skirt steak (flank steak can be substituted)
- 3 bell peppers (all one color, or a tri-color mix), seeded and cut into ½ inch strips
- 1 yellow onion, cut into ½ inch half rounds
- Tortillas (see recipe below)
- Optional toppings for serving: guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream
Ingredients for Corn Tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina (Maseca brand is the easiest to find!)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
Directions for Fajitas
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground cumin, chipotle powder, black pepper and brown sugar. Add the minced garlic, soy sauce (use tamari if you want this dish to be gluten free), lime juice, and olive oil. Whisk well to combine.
2. Portion out ½ cup of the marinade and set aside. Cut your steak into four pieces (each will be about 6 - 8 inches in length). Use a fork to prick the surface of the meat on both sides of each piece of steak, this allows the meat to absorb the marinate more efficiently.
3. In a gallon size ziplock bag, combine the steak and the remaining marinade (keep the additional ½ cup separate), squeezing out any excess air and massaging the marinade into the meat until it is fully covered. Place the bag in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for a minimum of 3 hours (don’t marinate for longer than 10 hours or so).
4. 30 minutes before you plan on cooking the steak, remove it from the fridge and place the bag on the counter so the meat can come to room temperature. Preheat the grill so it has time to come up to temperature, you want it to be SUPER hot before grilling the steak.
5. If you’re making corn tortillas (see recipe below), prepare your masa harina dough now.
6. Add the steak to the grill and cover. Flip the steaks every minute or two until they have a nice char and read 125 - 130 degrees on a thermometer. Remove steaks from the grill and tent with foil, allowing the meat to rest.
7. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high (use a cast iron skillet if you’d like to heat it on the grill next to the meat). Toss the sliced veggies with the reserved marinade and sauté until slightly charred and just softened, 8 - 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt if necessary. While the veggies are cooking, press and grill your tortillas.
8. Once everything is ready, slice the meat against the grain and arrange the meat and veggies on a platter. Enjoy with toppings of your choice: I like guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
9. Serves 4 - 5 people
Directions for Corn Tortillas
1. In a medium bowl, combine the masa harina with the salt (note: this is not entirely traditional, and can be omitted if you prefer, but I like a little salt in mine!). Add 1 ¼ cups of the water and mix to combine.
2. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is soft and smooth without being sticky, knead it a bit with your hands until it comes together (it should feel like Play Doh). Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough sit for 10 minutes or so the masa can fully hydrate.
3. If you don’t have a tortilla press you can use a heavy saucepan or plate, but I very much recommend buying a tortilla press. They’re inexpensive and do the job so much more efficiently than anything else! Take a gallon size plastic bag and cut a circle the same size as the tortilla press out of the plastic. Separate the two circles, open the tortilla press, and place one circle on the bottom plate of the press. Before you start pressing the tortillas, heat a flat grill pan or frying pan on medium high.
4. Roll a chunk of masa into a ball the size of a golf ball and position it in the center of plastic circle. Place the second piece of plastic on top of the masa and lightly press the top plate down. Lift the lid and carefully peel the plastic off of the tortilla.
5. Cook the tortilla for about a minute on each side until lightly browned. Continue the process until all of the masa is used. As you finish grilling each tortilla, wrap it in a clean dish towel inside a tortilla warmer or heavy lidded pot. This is an important step - stacking the tortillas together and keeping them warm will allow them to steam a bit and become the perfect texture.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy! Makes about 12 tortillas