In honor of this year's Cinco de Mayo celebrations, we at Tonia's Kitchen offer a most fresco version of the venerable Tex-Mex classic, Drunken Fajitas! Ingrid Hoffman, who hosts Simply Delicioso on the Cooking Channel, stopped by to talk about how to make those fajitas muy bueno! She says the meat going into the fajita need not be fancy, an inexpensive cut of beef will do. The marinade makes the meat though. Ingrid says she combines orange juice, lemon or lime juice, red wine vinegar, lemon zest and of course, tequila (these are Druken Fajitas after all!) She then adds scallions and red peppers.Saturate the beef and let it marinate overnight. After cooking, Ingrid says to let the beef rest after cooking. Then assemble your tortillas, and make things as festive as you want them to be!
Drunken Fajitas (Serves 4)
2 pounds of skirt or flank steak
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons tequila (preferably gold)
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
2 tablespoons orange juice plus 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
16 scallions, white and light green part only
2 red bell peppers, seeded, veined and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt
8 flour tortillas
2 medium Haas avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced Lime
wedges, for serving
Place the meat in a shallow baking dish and rub it with the garlic. Mix
the tequila, lime and orange juices, the orange zest, Cholula hot
sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup of oil and pour the marinade over the meat. Press 1 1/2 tablespoons of cilantro onto each side of the meat in an even layer. Cover the
baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or
overnight, turning the meat occasionally.
Place the scallions and red peppers in a bowl and toss them with 2
tablespoons of olive oil, the oregano and some salt.
You can either use the broiler to cook the meat or a grill pan.
If using the broiler:
Preheat you broiler and place the oven rack about 6 inches from the
heating element.
Remove the meat from the marinade and season it with some salt. Place the steak, scallions and peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil until browned on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes
per side for medium-rare (slightly longer for flank steak), turning the
scallions and peppers when you flip the steak. Transfer the steak to a
cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5
minutes.
If using a grill pan:
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Season
it with salt. In a grill pan over medium-high heat, place the meat
and the vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the
desired doneness. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tortilla
and warm for 10 to 15 seconds. Flip the tortilla over and continue
to warm until the tortilla is pliable and heated through, about another
for 10 to 20 seconds. Place on a plate, cover with a kitchen towel, and
set aside; repeat with the remaining tortillas. (or warm the tortillas
in the microwave: stack them on a plate and cover with a damp cloth;
microwave for 30 seconds and keep them covered until you’re ready to
serve).
Cut the steak into thin slices against the grain and serve with the warm
tortillas, the scallions, peppers and some avocado slices. Pass the
remaining cilantro, lime wedges and Cholula hot sauce to season to
taste.
