Beef Steak Fajitas

Sep 23, 2024 | Diversity & Inclusion Recipes

GHDS Diversity & Inclusion Recipe - September 2024

Beef Steak Fajitas recipe

The GHDS Diversity and Inclusion Committee delivers something “New and Tasty” for our ongoing initiative.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), the GHDS Diversity & Inclusion Committee is pleased to share this recipe for Beef Steak Fajitas made extra juicy and extra tasty with a wicked marinade that tenderises and flavours the beef!

Beef Steak Fajitas –   Prep: 15minutes –   Cook: 15minutes –   Total: 30minutes –  Mexican – Servings: 4

 

Ingredients:

Marinated Beef

  • 1 lb / 500g beef steak (rump and skirt are ideal) (Note 1)
  • 4 tbsp / 1/4 cup orange juice , fresh (1 orange)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Fajitas

  • 2 – 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 bell peppers/capsicum , sliced (Note 3)
  • 1 large onion , halved and sliced (brown, yellow, white)
  • Salt and pepper

Fixings

  • 12 tortillas , small
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro/coriander
  • Sour cream
  • Lime wedges
  • Tomatoes , sliced, or Pico de gallo

 Instructions:

  1. Place the Marinated Beef ingredients in a ziplock bag, massage to coat then refrigerate for 2 hour to overnight.
  2. Remove beef from marinade 30 minutes prior to cooking (to bring to room temperature) and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade.
  3. Drizzle 1/2 tbsp of oil on each side of the beef (1 tbsp in total).
  4. Heat the BBQ or a skillet on high heat. Cook beef to your liking. (Note 4)
  5. Remove beef onto a plate and cover loosely with foil.
  6. Return skillet to stove, still on high heat, and heat 1/2 tbsp oil. Add onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until soft and charred. Remove onto serving plate.
  7. Heat remaining 1/2 tbsp oil in the skillet. Add bell pepper/capsicum, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until charred. Remove onto plate.
  8. Slice beef thinly against the grain (Note 5).
  9. Serve with warmed tortillas and fixings of choice. (Note 6)

Notes

1. You can use any cut of beef suitable for grilling. I love using rump and skirt steak. Skirt steak in Australia is “up and coming”, not mainstream, and I find that many butchers/supermarkets cut them too thinly, which is why I usually make this with rump. But I love the flavour of skirt steak for fajitas. And it’s an ideal cut because it’s (usually) pretty good value and benefits from the tenderising from the marinade.

    1. Chipotle Powder can be annoyingly hard to find in Australia…still! When I find it, I stock up. 🙂 If you can’t find it, never fear! You can achieve a similar flavour with: 3/4 tsp SMOKED paprika powder (available at supermarkets) and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
    2. I like to use a mix of red, yellow and green capsicums – just for extra vibrant colour!
    3. The question of how long to cook steak is like asking how long is a piece of string! 🙂 On a stinking hot skillet with a steak that is 1.5cm / 3/5″ thick (per photos in this recipe), I cook each side for 1 1/2 minutes for medium rare. Remember – the beef will continue to cook while resting! It is safer to cook it under than over. If you slice it and find it is rarer than you want, it’s easy to pop back into the skillet. But you can’t undo overcooked steak!
    4. To SLICE the beef, place it in front of you and notice the direction the fibres are going. Then cut 90 degrees THROUGH the fibres. This will yield the most tender slices of beef. This is especially important if you are using skirt steak!
    5. Fixings take it to the next level but the beef is so juicy, I’m honestly happy eating this without any. But for really quick fixings, I just use slices of avocado and tomato. If I feel like making more of an effort, I make the following (shown in the photos):
      – Avocado: Dice and toss with lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped cilantro/coriander, & finely chopped chilli. – Pico de Gallo
    6. If you don’t have time to MARINATE, just rub the beef with a spice mix as follows then cook: 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp EACH smoked paprika, cumin and coriander powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper. Rub it on and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This will yield a fairly thick spice rub crust that will add loads of flavour to compensate for not marinating. Then follow the recipe. But note: If using skirt steak, the beef will not be as tender because the OJ and lime tenderise the beef. Not as important for more tender cuts of beef like rump, scotch fillet etc, but it makes quite a difference with skirt steak!
    7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings INCLUDING flour tortillas (3 each) but excluding other optional Fixings (as listed in the recipe).
  • Source:  Beef Steak Fajitas – RecipeTin Eats