Fajitas

The Marinade:

• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 0.5 tsp. salt
• 0.5 tsp. ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp. chili powder
• 0.5 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 0.25 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 lb. meat
• 1 large onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 8 small flour tortillas

You can make these with beef, chicken, fish, or shrimp, or leave out meat altogether and use lots of bell peppers. Originally, they were made with grilled skirt steak, hence the name fajita.

If you're grilling chicken breast, you should lay them flat and cut them through horizontally, so they are only half as thick; that way they will cook through, rather than remaining rare in the middle while the outside gets overdone.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large non-metal bowl, put the meat in and cover it. Refrigerate until you're ready to use it. If it's beef you're cooking, you can marinate it overnight, if you like, but if you're cooking chicken you should give it no more than six hours, and no longer than one hour for shrimp or fish.

When it's time to cook, take the meat out of the fridge, wipe it dry with paper towels, and sprinkle a little salt on it. Slice the onion and peppers.

Heat a large cast iron skillet (one with ribs is nice if you have it) for 5–10 minutes and add a little oil. When it starts to smoke, place the meat in the pan and let it sit and sizzle, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes, then turn it over and let the other side sear.

You should be able to tell easily whether beef or shrimp are properly cooked, but if you're cooking chicken you might want to poke it with a sharp knife or a thermometer to make sure it's cooked in the middle.

Remove the meat to a warm plate and cover it with aluminum foil, letting it rest for 5 minutes while you cook the onions and peppers using the same pan. Again, let the vegetables cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring them so that they get nicely seared.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas.

Slice the meat across the grain and serve with the vegetables, warm tortillas, sour cream, salsa fresca, slices of avocado, shredded cheese, lettuce, or whatever strikes your fancy.