Fajitas * Best Ever

This is my "go-to" fajita recipe.  The meat is sooo darn good!  I am not a big fan of chipolte peppers so I use the substitution below.  I also use chicken and steak (in separate zip lock bags for marinating so that you don't cross contaminate).  You can use the marinade from the steak to cook the peppers and onions if you like, which I do, for added flavor.  DO NOT use the marinade from the chicken, throw it out.

In a pinch, you could use orange juice if you don't have any fresh oranges on hand.  But PLEASE don't use any bottled lime juice for this recipe, in fact... don't use ever.  Always use fresh limes and lemons when a recipe calls for them.  That bottled stuff is, well, just plain yucky!

Ingredients
Marinade (Mojo):

• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 limes, juiced
• zest of 1 lime
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce (if you don't like chipolte, you could add smoked paprika and a bit of cayenne pepper instead)
• 3 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Fajitas:

• 2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Lime juice, olive oil, optional
• 12 flour tortillas, warm
• Guacamole, recipe follows
• Good quality store bought salsa

Instructions
Marinade ( Mojo):
In a small 2 cup measuring cup, or something similar size and shape, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender or blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. 

Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.

Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat or your grill.

Drain the marinade from the beef (I use the marinade to also cook the peppers and onions in for added flavor). Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest, tented with aluminum foil. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

To serve:
Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Guacamole:

• 5 ripe Hass avocados
• 3 to 4 limes, juiced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 serrano chile, chopped
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle olive oil

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork