By Spring practice starts Monday. This is the moment I look forward to all winter — the return to the field, the first meeting with the team, the installation of new concepts into bodies and minds that have been resting since November. I gave my opening talk to the team Tuesday morning. I talked about last year's semifinal loss — the fourth quarter, the call I'd change, the way it ended. I told them: I've watched that film thirty times. I know what I should have done. We're going to do it right this year. The room was quiet and then they were up. That's the right energy. That's the energy I wanted.
My freshman quarterback, who I've been watching all year, took a first-team rep in day two of spring practice and made a throw I've only seen a few times in thirty-plus years of football — put it exactly where it had to be, on a corner route, with the receiver at full speed, into a window that existed for approximately a half-second. The receivers coach looked at me. I looked at him. We didn't say anything. We both saw it.
Made green chile eggs on Saturday morning, which I make every Saturday that the house is in motion and everyone is home. Scrambled eggs with a spoonful of roasted green chile stirred in during the last thirty seconds, finished with a little cotija. It's the breakfast that takes eight minutes and tastes like it took forty. Elena has started requesting this specifically, which means at five she has already identified the efficient path to a quality outcome. This is the Medina way. You find what works and you do it.
Good week. The season is a long way away and the work is beginning and that's the best place to be. In the beginning of the work, when everything is possible. Before the games make you honest about what is and isn't.
Saturday mornings in this house have a rhythm — green chile eggs first, then whatever the afternoon demands. But when the week has been as good as this one, when a freshman makes a throw that stops two grown coaches cold and spring practice hums exactly the way you drew it up, the weekend calls for something bigger. These steak fajitas are the second gear of our Saturday kitchen: fast, loud, and worth every minute. Elena already knows to set the table without being asked when she smells the peppers hitting the cast iron. She’s learning the system.
Steak Fajitas with Chipotle Sour Cream
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak or skirt steak, sliced thin against the grain
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
- 8 flour tortillas, warmed
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
- For the chipotle sour cream:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the chipotle sour cream. Stir together the sour cream, minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Season the steak. In a large bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the sliced steak and 1 tablespoon olive oil, tossing until every strip is well coated.
- Cook the peppers and onions. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5—6 minutes until softened and lightly charred at the edges. Transfer to a plate.
- Sear the steak. Return the skillet to high heat. Working in a single layer (in batches if needed), cook the steak strips for 2—3 minutes per side until browned and just cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan or the steak will steam instead of sear.
- Combine and finish. Return the peppers and onions to the skillet with the steak. Toss everything together over high heat for 1 minute. Squeeze half a lime over the top.
- Serve. Pile the fajita mixture into warm tortillas. Top with chipotle sour cream, fresh cilantro, and an extra squeeze of lime.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 680mg