Beef Fajitas with New Mexican Rice

Beef Fajitas served over New Mexican Rice

My first exposure to fajitas was about 30 years ago when a cousin of my cousins happened to be visiting our mutual aunt and uncle and introduced us to them. Flank or skirt steak is traditional for this dish, mainly because it used to be cheap and the marinating and slow grilling process helps to tenderize it and add flavor.

We grilled the steak over charcoal and ate the fajitas with guacamole made from avocados picked fresh from my uncle's tree! They were delicious and I've been cooking them often for many years. But, I don't usually take the time to start up charcoal for cooking. Instead we stir fry the meat and vegetables in a hot cast iron skillet.

But, tonight I decided to use some sirloin tip steaks I had purchased on sale a couple days ago.

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red chile powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 red pepper, sliced into thin slivers
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 large or 1 medium onion, sliced into slivers
1 avocado, sliced
finely grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
flour tortillas, if desired

Combine the wine, oil, garlic and chile powder in a small bowl or pitcher. Grind the dried oregano leaves between the palms of your hands to release the flavor and add to the marinade.

Put the sirloin in a bowl or plastic container. Add the marinade and stir thoroughly to mix it into the meat. Spread the meat and press it down. The marinade should just about cover the meat. Cover and put in a refrigerator for about 2 hours.

 Heat a little oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat for a few minutes. Add about half the meat and stir quickly for about 4-5 minutes until the meat is thoroughly browned. Remove the meat and set aside in a bowl. Let some of the liquid from the meat boil off so the remaining meat will fry not stew. Then add the rest of the meat and repeat the process. Set the meat aside in a bowl for serving.

Beef Fajitas

After cooking all the meat, boil off most of the liquid. Then stir fry the peppers and onions for about 3-5 minutes until the onions brown and the peppers start to soften. Remove and place in a second bowl.

Peppers and onions to stir fry

Serve the beef and vegetables over New Mexican rice with cheese, sour cream, avocado slices and salsa. Or, wrap into a tortilla.

Bueno!!!

New Mexican Rice

New Mexican Rice, a variation on Spanish Rice

 A couple of my readers have expressed an interest in traditional New Mexican foods, and a staple on the menu of most Mexican restaurants is Spanish rice. Along with whole beans or refried beans, it accompanies practically everything. Or, you can get it inside your burrito!

My standard recipe is from one of my older cookbooks and uses green chile and tomato sauce with some water. I was out of tomato sauce, but had plenty of cans of diced tomatoes. So, I came up with this version.

Diced green chiles and tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup diced onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground red chile (please use pure red chile or chipotle chile, not the Chile Powder mixes sold in the spice sections, but those will work in a pinch.)
14.5 ounce can diced red tomatoes
4 ounce can diced green chiles, mild or hot

Olive oil to fry and toast the rice

A key step in preparing good Spanish rice is to fry the rice in hot oil until it is lightly browned or toasted. This enhances the flavor. Also, the oil and the toasting help keep the rice from glopping together. So, first heat the oil in a 1 1/2 quart pot over high heat briefly. (You can use canola oil to get the omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your heart. But, I chose olive oil tonight for the flavor.)

Add rice to the hot oil

Stir the rice often, but not continuously until it starts to brown lightly.

Lightly toasted rice

Then, add the garlic and chile powder and stir into the rice.

Chile powder sprinkled on the rice

Then, quickly add the diced tomatoes and green chiles. Rinse the cans with about 1/2 can of water and stir the mixture thoroughly.

Ready to stir

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and let it cook for 30 minutes. The chiles and tomatoes will tend to float to the top of the rice. So, it is good to stir one or two times after the rice has cooked about 15-20 minutes. But, keep it quick so you don't let too much moisture escape.

Eat and enjoy!

Camp Fire Beans

Pulled Pork with Camp Fire Beans

Many years ago when I was in scouts, we used to "fix up" regular canned baked beans by adding ketchup and seasonings to make them taste better. We would cook them over the camp fire to have as a side dish with whatever else we had brought for this cookout.

So, when I had some leftover cooked pinto beans in the refrigerator, I decided to attempt to recreate the recipe. I really liked the result and thought I would share it with you.

4 slices bacon, chopped into slivers
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a medium onion or 1/3 a large one)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (a spicy variety is best)
3 Tbsp brown mustard
1/4 cup water
3 cups cooked pinto, navy, or Great Northern beans (or use 2-3 cans beans, drained and rinsed)

1. Heat a 2 quart pot over medium high heat and add the chopped bacon. Stir it until it starts to cook a bit. It will still be very limp. Add the diced onion and garlic and stir till the onion is limp and the bacon starts to brown up, about 10 minutes. Stir it often to keep the brown crust from building up on the bottom of the pan.

Fried bacon with onion and garlic
 

2. Mix the ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard together in a medium bowl or measuring pitcher. Add the mix to the bacon and onions and stir together. Rinse the bowl or pitcher with water and add it to the pot. (I actually finished the bottle of mustard and rinsed it with water!)

Add the ketchup mixture to the pot and stir it together.

 

3. Add the beans and stir the mixture thoroughly. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. Serve as a side dish or eat it as a main dish. I've enjoyed it the last two days for lunch at work!