Broiled Steak Fajitas

Mason gets driver's license at 16 — first drive to the library

This is one of those weeks that divides time into before and after. The kind of week you remember not by date but by the feeling — the specific weight of it in your chest, the way the light looked, the way the kitchen smelled when you finally stood at the stove and did the only thing you know how to do, which is cook. I am 42 years old and I have learned that life delivers its biggest moments without warning and without ceremony, in kitchens and parking lots and hospital rooms, and the only response that matters is the one that comes after: what you make, what you serve, who you feed.

Mason is 14 now — growing into someone I recognize and marvel at. Lily is 12 — fearless on horseback and everywhere else, a force of nature in boots. Tom is steady beside me, the way Tom is always steady — present, patient, showing up every time he says he will, which remains the most radical thing any man has ever done for me.

Brett came over Wednesday, as he has every Wednesday for years, and we sat on the porch and talked about nothing important, and the nothing was the most important conversation of the week, because Brett and I don't need important. We need each other, at a table, with food between us, the way we've needed each other since he was fifteen and broken and I was thirteen and watching. The Wednesday dinners are the spine of my week. Everything else hangs from them.

I made celebration dinner this week. The food is the evidence — of who I am, of what I've survived, of the people I feed and the love I put on plates. Every meal is a letter to the future, written in garlic and salt and the particular faith that comes from standing at a stove and believing that what you're making matters. It matters. It always matters.

A celebration dinner needed to feel like something — bold and a little smoky, the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with a smell that calls everyone to the table without a word. Broiled steak fajitas were exactly right: the sizzle of the pan, the char on the peppers, the way everything comes together fast but feels like an occasion. I put it on the table and Tom poured the drinks and the kids sat down and for a little while, the week held still long enough for us to eat it together.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak or skirt steak
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large yellow onion, sliced into strips
8 small flour tortillas, warmed
Sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Set your oven broiler to high and position a rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it.
Season the steak. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Rub 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over the steak, then coat evenly with the spice mixture on both sides. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Broil the steak. Place the steak on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 5–6 minutes per side for medium, or until it reaches your desired doneness. Remove from the oven and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.
Cook the peppers and onions. While the steak rests, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened and lightly charred.
Slice the steak. Cut the rested steak against the grain into thin strips, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Combine and serve. Add the steak strips to the skillet with the peppers and onions and toss briefly over heat to combine. Serve immediately in warm flour tortillas with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and fresh lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Broiled Steak Fajitas — The Celebration Dinner That Said Everything I Couldn’t