Tony's Fajitas

I made this recipe up yesterday. I had some extra skirt steak leftover (Mexican arrachera cut) from another recipe and decided to make some fajitas. The arrachera cut is from the "plate" section of the cow which is center belly, whereas flank is farther back towards the hind quarters. The arrachera cut is popular in the north of Mexico and is probably the inspiration for tex-mex fajitas. There are many marinade options but I find the simple one below to be easy and it works well to tenderize the meat which is the point in my opinion.

You might be able to find pre-marinated arrachera at some Mexican grocery stores, but either way to get the correct cut of beef you must go to a Mexican carniceria (butcher shop).

1 large white onion sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
1/4 c plus more olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1-1/2 t plus more salt
1-2 lbs. flank steak (Mexican arrachera cut)
2 chiles adobo with some sauce - optional for marinade
5 cloves garlic chopped - optional for marinade
Radish slices, avocado slices or guacamole, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, cilantro, salsa and lime for garnish
Warm tortillas

Make the marinade

Whisk together 1/4 c olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced adobo chiles, garlic, and 1-1/2 t salt together in a bowl. Add the meat and make sure everything gets coated with the marinade. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and 4 hours is preferable.

Cook the fajitas

The proper way to cook arrachera is on a grill, but you can pan fry it if need be, which I think works very nicely, especially in winter when lighting the grill means cooking outside in 30 degree weather. If you are pan frying, cut the meat into strips prior to cooking unless you have a flat grill top space that allows the meat to be spread out full size. I use olive oil but that is probably not traditional. Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure not to over salt. The marinade juices will cook out so if you are using a pan, drain the juices every so often, because you want the meat to sear and get some good char. The juices will prevent that.

Meanwhile, in a separate large skillet, heat some olive oil. Add the onion and bell peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Let them cook on moderate to moderate high heat until they are soft and have nice blackened edges. Stir occasionally.

Serve on a platter with tortillas and garnishes.