Today I did a Southwestern favorite, Fajitas, from page 310.
An interesting thing in exploring the American food featured in Martha’s book is getting to know its rich history. Fajitas are served in both Mexican restaurants and American diners. They are classic Tex-Mex fare, created by Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) who were given the inexpensive cuts of beef as part of their pay. A wonderful example of ingenuity and creativity in the face of harsh working conditions. America is truly a melting pot and this is reflected in its eclectic, multi-cultural cuisine.
This was the first time I ever made fajitas at home. Martha’s recipe is simple and flavorful, dispensing of typical toppings like guacamole and shredded cheddar cheese so that you’re left with a traditional dish of steak, sautéed onions and peppers that’s wrapped in a tortilla and topped only with sour cream. I liked that simplicity because I sometimes find that if you pile on a lot of different toppings you lose the essence of the main attraction, in this case the beef. Food combinations should compliment and elevate each other, and too often we overdo it to the point where they instead fight and diminish each other.
I consider this the kind of dish you can tweak a bit to your personal taste, so I played a little with the seasoning for the steak, adding just a little bit of Jamaican curry and Chinese allspice to the steak rub. I didn’t have red peppers so I used green, and I also added a few small tomatillos. Then I let my tortillas get a little bit browned and crispy so that they had a little crunch. Yum! This is a great meal to make on a budget, in the spirit of the vaqueros, you can use the cheaper cuts of beef and still have a delicious meal!
