Carne Asada Steak Fajitas

November 2041. Marco won his second state championship. His school's second. Back-to-back. I watched from the stands with Lisa and I was composed this time — I've been doing this long enough to watch a good game without losing my composure, even when it's my son's game. But when the clock hit zero and Marco turned and found his players, I lost it again. Same as last year. Same as I'll lose it next year if it happens again, which I hope it does.

He called me after and said: back to back. I said: back to back. He said: I have two state championships. I said: you do. He said: you have fifteen. I said: I had twenty-one seasons. You're in year five. At five seasons I had two championships too. He said: really? I said: really. Your trajectory is fine. He laughed and said: your idea of reassurance is interesting. I said: you said you needed honesty, not reassurance. He said: those should probably overlap more. I said: yes, probably.

Papá came over to our house that night to watch the replay of the game on my laptop. He and I sat on the couch for two hours watching Marco coach in real time — not just watching the game but watching his decisions, his sideline work, his half-time adjustments. Papá doesn't know football deeply. But he watched Marco the way a grandfather watches a grandson, which is to say completely, with total investment in what was in front of him, and at the end he said: he learned this from you. I said: he learned it from himself. Papá said: those aren't different things.

That night, after Papá left and Lisa had gone to bed, I stood in the kitchen not quite ready to let the evening go — and I did what I always do when something big happens in this family: I pulled out the skirt steak. Carne asada fajitas have been our celebration meal for as long as I can remember, the dish my father’s side of the family made for birthdays and graduations and anything else worth marking. Marco grew up eating these after every season-ending game, win or lose, and making them that night felt like the right way to close a loop that Papá’s last words had already closed for me. Some things you learn from yourself, and some things you inherit — and these fajitas are both.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour marinating) | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak or flank steak
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large white onion, sliced into half-rings
8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
Fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Marinate the steak. In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the steak, turning to coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor.
Bring steak to room temperature. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels — this helps get a good sear.
Cook the peppers and onion. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onion, season with salt, and cook 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Sear the steak. Return the skillet to high heat. Add the marinated steak and cook 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches your preferred doneness. For skirt steak, do not overcook — medium-rare to medium is ideal.
Rest and slice. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain on a slight diagonal.
Combine and serve. Return the peppers and onion to the skillet, nestle the sliced steak on top, and let everything sizzle together for 1 minute. Serve immediately with warm tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and lime wedges.

Nutrition (per serving)

Carne Asada Steak Fajitas — The Meal We Make When the Family Wins