Sheet pan dishes are work savers. This fajita-style sheet pan wonder showcases flank steak cooked with bell peppers and onions. It’s scrumptious served as a filling in warm tortillas with optional garnishes, such as sliced avocado and Cotija cheese.
Before it makes its way atop a sheet pan, the meat is marinated for several hours in a garlicy, lime-scented mixture. Some of that tasty marinade is reserved and used to blanket the colorful sliced bell peppers and onions before they are roasted. An instant-read thermometer is a handy tool to have on hand; you will want to boil the steak just long enough to reach 125 degrees for rare, or 135 degrees for medium-rare.
Fajita Flank Steak with Bell Peppers and Onions
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds flank steak
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 4 limes)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Olive oil cooking spray
4 bell peppers (any color), stemmed seeded, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
For serving: 8 to 12 small (6-inch) tortillas (flour or corn)
Garnishes: 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado and crumbled (or grated) Cotija cheese or queso fresco
DIRECTIONS
1. Place flank steak in a large zipper-style bag or shallow glass baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, sugar, pepper flakes and salt. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for the vegetables and pour the rest over steak. Seal bag or cover dish and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours.
2. When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees with one rack about 4 inches from the broiler, another rack in the center position and another in the bottom position. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and mist it with cooking spray.
3. Toss peppers and onion with reserved 1/4 cup marinade in a large bowl and spread them evenly on prepared pan. Roast on center rack until softened and starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the oven to broil.
4. Wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and set it aside.
5. Push peppers and onion to perimeter of the pan. Remove steak from marinade, allow any excess liquid to drip off the meat and place it in center of pan surrounded with vegetables (discard marinade). Place pan on top rack and broil the steak, flipping it once, until it begins to char on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees for rare or 135 degrees for medium rare, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
6. While the steak cooks, place the foil-wrapped tortillas on the bottom rack to warm through. Once the steak finishes cooking, remove pan from oven and turn oven off. Leave tortillas in oven to continue warming while the steak rests.
7. Allow steak to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve the steak warm with peppers, onions and warm tortillas. Pass the salsa, sour cream, avocado and cheese at the table.
Source: “Sheet Pan Suppers” by Molly Gilbert (Workman, $15.95)
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.
