Laurenzo, a native of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, grew up on the tacos al carbon (cooked over coals).įlash forward forty years to 1969 Houston, and she found herself widowed with five young children to feed and a struggling tortilla factory on Navigation Boulevard to her name. It begins in the Rio Grande Valley, where in the 1930s vaqueros and ranch hands began spinning lesser cuts of beef, often given to them as part of their pay, into portable, filling meals by quickly cooking them over coals and tucking them into tortillas. The story of fajitas is the story of María Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo-better known as Mama Ninfa. The sizzling skillet of grilled steak, onions, and peppers may have been bastardized by a certain pepper-logoed fast casual joint, but its roots lie in humble tortilleria in Houston. Remove to a serving bowl and keep warm until ready to use.įor serving: Serve the beef and vegetables along with all the accompaniments in separate dishes so that people can assemble their own fajitas.The origins of many Southern foods are murky precisely when, where, or thanks to whom they were first eaten shrouded in mystery. Stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and have some browned spots, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vegetables and let them cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, drain the marinade from the vegetables. Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices and place on a serving platter. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. Cook the steak, 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness. Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium-high heat and spray generously with cooking spray. Wipe it clean from the marinade and pat it dry. Twenty minutes before cooking, bring the steak to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours, flipping it occasionally. Seal the bag, pressing out any excess air and massage to distribute the marinade. Place the mushrooms, onions and peppers in another resealable plastic bag and pour in the remaining marinade. Lay the bag flat and refrigerate for 4 hours, flipping it occasionally. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, then massage to distribute the marinade. Two 10-ounce cans tomatoes with chilies, such as Rotel Originalįor the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, oil, lime juice and zest, orange juice and zest, cilantro, Worcestershire, jalapeno, coriander, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.įor the fajitas: Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag and pour half of the marinade over. Two 16-ounce packages processed cheese, such as Velveeta, cut into 1-inch cubes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperĢ pounds skirt steak, trimmed of all visible fat and gristleĢ portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1/2-inch stripsġ large onion, peeled and sliced from root end to stem end into 1/4-inch stripsġ large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch stripsġ large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch stripsġ large yellow or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch stripsġ/2 cup diced peeled cucumber (1/2-inch dice)ġ/2 cup diced red bell pepper (1/2-inch dice)Ģ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juiceģ ripe Hass or Reed avocadoes, peeled, pits removedġ/2 large jalapeno, seeds removed, finely mincedģ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 4 to 5 limes) plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime zestġ/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1/2 of 1 large navel orange) plus 1 teaspoon fresh orange zestġ tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno (from about 1 pepper)
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