Forget about the Golden Arches! This is my Happy Meal!
Sizzling Steak Fajitas with rice and beans.
Mexican food is one of the most tasty and satisfying of all cuisines (to yours truly anyway). And sizzling fajitas are one of the most satisfying of its dishes. It has it all! The dish is an all around sensory experience. The taste, the aroma, the smell, the sizzle — I can taste it now! Fajitas tickle every taste bud with its simple but diverse array of ingredients. And the beauty of it is that its foundation are simple ingredients that can be dressed up with an array of toppings of your choice.
But where did fajitas originate?
Let’s head to the Rio Grande Valley in the 1920’s. Vaqueros and ranch hands were given lesser cuts of meat as part of their pay. So they took it one step further by cooking them over coals and stuffing them into yummy tortillas — the end result were the very first fajitas.
But how did fajitas evolve to the popularity they hold today?
Flash forward forty years to 1969 Houston. María Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo—better known as Mama Ninfa– a widow with five kids found herself owning a struggling tortilla factory. But what did this amazing woman do? She set up tables and chairs in the front room of the factory and began sharing her heritage with the Houston area.
She started” build-your-own fajitas.” Faja is the Spanish word for belt which describes the cut of beef — skirt steak.
To this day, The Original Ninfa’s is a Houston institution. And fajitas and Tex Mex cuisine have exploded in popularity taking the giant leap from backyard grill to national popularity.
My very first fajita was in Cancun when I was just in my twenties. Over the years, vacations and cruises to the U.S. Southwest, Cozumel and Puerta Vallarta just enhanced my love for this dish.
Read all about my family’s Utah road trip here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=4110
So, of course, my hubby and I had to recreate this savory dish at home!
Let’s start cooking! First, pull together the following ingredients:
INGREDIENTS
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic roughly chopped
¼ cup lime juice
1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds ground
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 pounds skirt steak or hanger steak, cut into roughly 6 inch pieces
1 onion sliced.
1 red or green bell pepper
Oil for sauteing
6-8 small flour tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a blender, put in oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, chipotles, cumin, and sugar and puree. In a large heavy duty, zip top bag, put pieces of skirt steak and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Massage the bag to distribute the marinade throughout the meat. Marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.
- Meanwhile preheat your gas grill on high or prepare a charcoal grill. You want the grill scorching hot
- Remove steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.
- When finished cooking, place meat in aluminum foil, wrap, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- While the meat is resting prepare the onions and peppers and grill your tortillas.
- Remove meat from foil, reserving the juices. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Pour the juices over the sliced meat. Serve with grilled peppers and onions.
- Top with sour cream and shredded cheese of your choice.
- Add a side of white rice and black beans.
ENJOY!
