This was one of those “let’s see what we got in the freezer” meals. It worked out nicely.
I was out of bell peppers though, and maybe next time I’ll throw some sautéed mushrooms in. Regardless these were so tender and juicy!
Some posts I like to steer clear of being a typical recipe and put more focus on the process of the dish. Once you understand that, you won’t need a recipe. You will make these into your own.
That’s the beauty of trying new recipes, you expand your menu.
Prepare the meat.
I found a few decent looking NY strips in the freezer. So I decided to thaw them out and make fajitas. The best way I’ve found to thaw any meat is by placing it in the sink (inside a sealed bag) and filling the sink halfway with warm/hot water. It should just bob around in there for a while. After about 30 minutes, flip and replace the sink with fresh warm water. Repeat that until the meat is thawed to your desire.
When these are almost thawed go ahead and cut them up into strips. It’s a bit easier to cut than letting them thaw completely. Try to cut cross grain to make them more tender. Toss them lightly in some cracked black pepper, sea salt and whatever herbs you like.
Cover these up in a small bowl and set them to the side. They will do great the longer they sit in that salt and pepper brine.
Get the potatoes started.
I love red potatoes, and I’m also fond of sautéed onions too. You can throw whatever ingredients in this that you would like..
- mushrooms
- minced garlic
- sweet peppers
- spicy peppers
- jalapenos
- cherry tomatoes
Before you go crazy with ingredients, get your cast iron heated up nicely with a generous touch of oil. I used my cast iron Jim Beam wok, It’s pretty awesome, but any large skillet will do.
I think the biggest mistake people make cooking in cast iron is not letting it heat up hot enough before they add food.
Let it smoke a touch, then back the heat off a notch.
Add your potatoes first since they will take the longest to cook. So give them a head start, stirring occasionally. Then slowly add onions, and whatever other toppings you have already cut and prepared. Be sure to add a little more olive oil between the layers. You don’t want your skillet drying out on you. stir and cook over medium/med-hi heat until evenly browned.
Cook that steak.
When your potatoes are looking about halfway done, go ahead and heat up another skillet nice and hot on medium/med-hi heat with a touch of olive oil.
You just want to sear these juicy little strips, quick and hot. I like mine medium rare at most, so cook yours accordingly. I give them about a minute each side, moving them around with tongs to flip them evenly. Set them aside to rest in a dish while you toast the tortillas.
Toast the tortillas.
When everything is still warm go ahead and toast a few tortillas in that already hot skillet from your steak.
You can clean out the bits of steak, but I like them. Just give a fresh touch of olive oil in between the tortillas. I toast each side just until they start to bubble and brown. Set them to cool on a wire rack until you’re ready to build your fajitas.
I love sour cream, a dash of cilantro, pico de gallo (or Rotel), cheeses, sun dried tomatoes, sauces, or whatever else I’m craving. Experiment and have fun. I like to have extra veggie sides for people to choose and build their own perfect fajita! Enjoy!
Another tip…
Toast your assembled fajitas in a preheated skillet in the oven at about 450° for 2-3 minutes to get some extra flavor points.