Chili Lime Steak Fajitas

Late October. The freezer is full. I have processed two deer — both dressed, both divided into their cuts and labeled and stacked in the chest freezer in the garage. Backstraps, hindquarters, shoulder roasts, ribs, ground venison, soup bones. Enough for a winter of soups and stews and the occasional smoked rib rack. The full freezer is the thing Danny's father measured security by and Danny measured security by and I measure security by. It is pre-refrigeration thinking in a house with a refrigerator. It is also just correct.

Caleb called Friday and he sounded different. I want to be careful about how I describe "sounded different" because it is a fragile thing and I do not want to put weight on it that it cannot hold. He sounded more awake. He was telling me about a tenant complaint at the property management job — a woman who was upset about a leaky faucet and how Caleb had fixed it and also noticed the water heater was failing and told her and she was grateful — and as he was telling it, I could hear him in the story. The real Caleb. Not the careful Caleb or the diminished Caleb but the one who notices things and takes care of them and is good with his hands and is proud of that in the sideways way he is proud of everything. He has been in treatment nine weeks.

I made tamales Sunday. Not Christmas tamales, not the full six dozen — a small batch, maybe two dozen, just to practice the recipe and keep the technique fresh, and because Kai asked for tamales and when your four-year-old requests tamales specifically, you make tamales. Luna helped, which consisted of patting the masa with her palms and eating a small piece of raw masa, which is not a health crisis but is not ideal. She is a year and a half old and her quality control process is primarily tactile.

The tamales were excellent. Not Rosa's kitchen, not yet, maybe not ever — the specific combination of Rosa's hands and Rosa's stove and Rosa's century of practice is not reproducible. But they are good. They are the tamales of this family in this kitchen now. That is what they are supposed to become.

The tamales were Sunday’s work, but the rest of the week still needs feeding. When you have a freezer full of venison and two small children who eat on their own unpredictable schedule, you need something faster — something you can have on the table in thirty minutes with whatever cut you pull from the chest freezer that morning. These chili lime fajitas have become that recipe for us. I use venison flank or backstrap sliced thin, but any steak works. It is the kind of meal that lets you keep cooking without turning every night into a project.

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

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds flank steak or venison backstrap, sliced thin against the grain
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
8 flour or corn tortillas, warmed

For Serving

Sour cream
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges
Sliced avocado or guacamole
Salsa of choice

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add the sliced steak and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
Cook the peppers and onion. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the bell peppers and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until charred in spots and just tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Sear the steak. Return the skillet to high heat. Add the marinated steak in a single layer, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Sear without moving for 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until browned and cooked through. For venison, keep the center pink — it dries out fast if overcooked.
Combine and finish. Return the peppers and onion to the skillet with the steak. Toss everything together over high heat for 30 seconds to warm through and let the flavors combine. Squeeze a little extra lime juice over the top.
Serve. Spoon the fajita mixture into warmed tortillas and top with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and salsa. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chili Lime Steak Fajitas — What the Freezer Is For