One of my first memories of tequila involves my friend Vanessa Jimenez and her dad, Ricardo. My mom and Ricardo were dedicated basketball parents that took their girls to basketball games all over the state and needed some time to relax. Seeing my mom have so much fun, inspired me. I can't tell you anything else, or else I would not do justice to the story. It led me to make a great American-Mexican dinner, so thanks!
The marinade is as important as salt and a lime wedge when you take a tequila shot so dive in, and find a new reason to love tequila. My friend Sarah (first roommate in Colorado and rockin' climber) joined me in the kitchen with her fancy pants camera so we have some cool photos this time!
For some reason, I planned to feed 8 people in my mind and I don't really measure things. Especially when drinking the ingredients. The marinade was plenty for 2 packages of meat (see below)!
The marinade: 1 finely chopped red onion, 1 shallot, 2 chopped jalapenos, garlic cloves (as many as you want!), a bunch of cilantro, the juice of 2 limes, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Oh - and the tequila. I poured in about 1/4 cup. Let the marinade sit with the meat for 30 minutes or more at room temperature.
Unfortunately, you do not get drunk eating these tequila lime steak fajitas. The tequila flavor is absorbed into the meat and the alcohol is cooked out.
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. You will be roasting vegetables and warming up your tortillas in a few minutes.
 |
| I never buy meat - so buy what you want for fajitas |
You want the marinade to be juicy - with tequila, olive oil and lime juice. Taste test to make sure that the tequila and lime overpower the olive oil. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes with the meat.
Caution: don't drink the marinade. That is gross and you will get drunk and forget to finish making these. You need to make these!
Cook the steak strips in a pan with a little olive oil.
Multi-task: As you cook the meat, heat up the tortillas and roast your vegetables. Then, take a shot! In Spanish we say, "arriba, abajo, al centro, al dentro."
Spray your pan with cooking spray or a few drops of olive oil. Heat the pan to medium-heat heat before placing the meat strips. The meat needs its space, so don't overcrowd your pan.
I wish you could smell this right now. The smell of cilantro, tequila, garlic, and lime juice. Turn up some salsa music, give me a guapo and a few more shots of tequila.
Meat only needs to cook 3-4 minutes on a side. You don't want to overcook the meat or it is chewy and tough like jerky. Save the leftover marinade from cooking to saute onions.
While the meat is cooking, you need to prepare your vegetables for the fajitas! We used red and yellow bell peppers. Did I already say that?
To roast vegetables, place them on a cookie sheet and spray them with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with loads of pepper, some sea salt and toss them so they are coated. If you are ambitious, add cayenne pepper, or cumin to add some spice!
 |
| Roasting vegetables is a new PASSION of mine! Roasted cauliflower is SO good, so just made some for fun. |
Roast the vegetables until they are soft, and smell done. After a few margaritas, you might forget to check. Set the timer for 12 minutes and do a spot check. Every oven is different and I live @ altitude, so who knows how long it takes for you...
Saute a red onion in the left-over marinade from cooking the steaks. YUM.
Be tempted to eat ALL the vegetables before you even make a fajita. I found out that I can eat a whole head of roasted cauliflower. In one sitting. Oops!
Now, you have warmed tortillas (don't burn them!), cooked meat, and roasted vegetables. Make another margarita, or take another shot!
Ready to eat? Easy dinner, right?
Thanks to Jose Cuervo, you are about to eat the best tequila-marinated steak fajitas. Have slices of avocado, tomato and green onion on the side for your ravenously drunk friends to add to their fajita.
Tequila Lime Steak Fajitas:
Marinade:
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 limes, squeezed
1/4 + c of tequila
Pepper, salt, to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste test: tequila and lime should be the first flavors, then the spices and vegetables.
Sides:
1 red bell pepper, sliced horizontally
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced horizontally
1/2 red onion, sliced
Roast the bell peppers @ 450 degrees for 15 - 25 minutes, turning 2-3 times. Take out when they are soft, and look slightly charred.
Saute the onion in the pan with the marinade. SO good!
Toppings:
1 avocado, sliced
1 red tomato, chopped
Tortilla - warmed up
No comments:
Post a Comment