WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted a recipe that would take fajitas back to their traditional roots: steak grilled over an open flame, sliced thin, and served in soft tortillas. To make sure our steak was packed with meaty flavor, we started with a marinade that included soy sauce. This helped brine the steak, keeping the meat moist. Pricking the steak with a fork helped the marinade penetrate the meat in just 30 minutes. After the steak was cooked, we drizzled it with some reserved marinade for a last-minute flavor boost. Don’t marinate the steak for longer than 2 hours or it will begin to turn mushy. We prefer the flank steak cooked to medium-rare, but if you prefer it more or less done. Serve the fajitas as is or with salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or lime wedges.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

½ cup lime juice (4 limes)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 (1½-pound) flank steak, trimmed
2 bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
1 onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, jalapeño, soy sauce, garlic, cumin, and sugar in bowl. Transfer ¼ cup of marinade to separate bowl and stir in cilantro; set aside for serving. Poke each side of steak about 25 times with fork. Pour remaining marinade into 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, add steak, and toss to coat. Press out as much air as possible, seal bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, flipping bag occasionally.
2. Just before grilling, remove steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Brush bell peppers and onion rounds with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two-thirds evenly over half of grill, then pour remaining coals over other half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
4. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium.
5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place steak on hotter side of grill and place bell peppers and onion rounds on cooler side of grill. Cook (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until vegetables are nicely charred on both sides and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 8 to 12 minutes. As they finish cooking, transfer steak and vegetables to carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Working in batches, grill tortillas over cooler part of grill, turning as needed, until warmed and lightly browned, about 40 seconds. As tortillas finish cooking, wrap in dish towel or large sheet of foil.
7. Separate onion rings and slice bell peppers into ¼-inch-wide strips; toss together in bowl with half of reserved marinade. Slice steak against grain into ¼- inch-thick slices and toss with remaining reserved marinade in separate bowl. Arrange steak and vegetables on serving platter and serve with tortillas.