Fajitas
4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into large pieces to fit on a grill or in a ridged grill pan (see Note, below)
3 assorted colored bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large red onion or sweet onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
12 (7- to 8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Guacamole, tomato salsa, and sour cream as sides
To marinate: In a large, heavy-duty freezer ziptop bag, combine garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil. Seal and shake to combine. Place skirt steak, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro sprigs into the bag, squeeze out the air, and turn to coat the meat, distributing vegetables evenly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to allow marinade to penetrate.
To cook: Heat the gas or charcoal grill to high heat. While grill is heating, remove skirt steak from marinade to a platter, shaking off liquid and reserving marinade with the vegetables. Heat a heavy skillet to the smoking point. Drain vegetables and cilantro, and quickly stir-fry over high heat until slightly charred and softened, but not mushy. Set aside and keep warm. Grill skirt steak over high heat quickly until medium rare, about 2 minutes per side. Slice meat against the grain into strips and serve immediately with warm tortillas, the seared pepper-vegetable mix, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
Note: Fajitas also can be made with chicken breast or pork tenderloin. If you like your meat spicy, add 1 minced serrano chile to the marinade. If you do not have a gas or charcoal grill, you may use a cast-iron or heavy grill pan on the stovetop. It is important that the pan be very hot before quickly searing the meat. An overhead exhaust fan is mandatory for indoor stovetop grilling.