Steak Fajitas

I am currently sitting in rainy Minnesota, starting a week+ worth of "Brother-Sitting."  Dropped my parents off at the airport an hour ago ("Bring me back something French!") and since then, have 1) tried on my mom's shoes, 2) found lots of potential treats/pitfalls (I've eaten a spoonful of Ben and Jerry's, a piece of leftover Easter chocolate and some almonds from a fancy tin), 3) perused the magazine collection and 4) had my fill of sattellite tv (we got rid of ours last Fall and I thought I would be glad to catch up on the Food Network and others, but the magic seems to be lost--probably just as well).  I thought that before I go do something useful (like read a book?), I'd post a dinner-worthy recipe.  Even though it's gray and drizzly here today, we have definitely entered the grilling season.  Let's celebrate with a classic, Steak Fajitas (of course, you can also substitute chicken breast or all veggies if you prefer, I just happened to get a screaming deal on skirt steak last week).  Also, these might be the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo next week...

 Steak Fajitas
Marinated Skirt Steak
1 pound skirt steak
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions (green onions), white and green parts, washed and cut into big chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Fajita Veggies
1 large onion, thinly sliced length-wise
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
1/2-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, divided
lime wedges (optional)

Extras
tortillas (click on link for homemade, if you like!)
Fajita fixings: sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, etc...

To prepare the steak, remove skirt steak, rinse and place in a gallon sized freezer bag.  In a blender pitcher, combine oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, red pepper flakes, cumin and brown sugar.  Blend until smooth and thoroughly combined.  Pour into bag over steak, seal up and marinate for about one hour in the fridge.  Remove steak from bag, pat with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature while you prepare the grill (I just used our gas grill, but you can use charcoal or an indoor grill pan as well). 

Grill steak for 1-2 minutes on each side (you just want to sear the outside, flank steak is thin!).  Remove from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes while you're cooking the vegetables.

Preheat a large skillet over high heat.  Add half the oil and saute vegetables in two batches, paying attention not to crowd the pan (so you don't steam them).  Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and crisp tender.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

After steak has rested, cut across the grain into very thin slices.  Serve in warmed tortillas with the pepper and onion mixture and topping with your desired fixings.

Skirt Steak inspired by Alton Brown's recipe