Slow-Cooker Flank Steak Fajitas

Second chile roasting season without Ruben. Last year I barely made it through. I stood at the back of that parking lot at Sprouts watching the propane flame turn green chiles black, and I thought about him every single minute. This year was different — not easier, not healed, just different. I know what I'm doing now. I know it will hurt and I know it will pass and I know the chile will be worth it.

I bought forty pounds this time. Partly because demand at home has exceeded supply since I introduced the kids to green chile eggs last spring, and partly because I wanted to roast something. There's a physicality to this ritual I need — tending fire, watching things transform, filling bags while steam rises. It's manual and honest and it smells like every September I ever lived in New Mexico.

Diego helped me bag and freeze. He's eleven now, methodical in a way that surprises me, pressing the air out of each quart bag before sealing. "You want less air so it doesn't get freezer burn," I told him. He nodded like he was filing that away. I thought about Ruben teaching me the same thing when I was twelve, except Ruben was impatient about it and smacked my hands away and did it himself. Different men, different approaches. Diego will do it carefully on his own someday and never know why.

We're 3-0. The defense has been suffocating and Marco Rios is finding his receivers on the money. I've started letting the assistant coaches lead portions of practice so I can watch from the corner of the field, getting a panoramic view. You see different things from fifty yards away. You see where the system breaks down before it actually breaks down.

Lisa made green chile cheeseburgers Friday night, using my freshly roasted stash. The twins ate three each. Sofia said mine were better than the Owl Bar's in San Antonio, New Mexico, which is either true or the most generous thing she's ever said. Either way I'll take it.

Lisa handled the burgers on Friday, but Saturday belonged to me — and after a full day of roasting, bagging, and coaching from the corner of the field, I wasn’t about to stand over a hot stove. I threw everything into the slow cooker that morning and let it ride. These flank steak fajitas have become my go-to for feed-a-crowd nights when the season is in full swing and the freezer is finally stocked: the meat does its work while I do mine, and by the time the kids are showered and loud at the table, dinner is already done.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 6 hrs | Total Time: 6 hrs 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 medium onion, sliced into half-rings
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 envelope (1-1/4 oz) fajita seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa

Instructions

Season the steak. Rub the fajita seasoning evenly over both sides of the flank steak.
Layer the vegetables. Place sliced onion and bell peppers in the bottom of a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Drizzle with canola oil and stir to coat.
Add the steak. Lay the seasoned flank steak on top of the vegetables. Scatter minced garlic over the steak.
Add liquid. Pour the undrained diced tomatoes with green chiles and the water over and around the steak.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is tender and pulls apart easily.
Shred and combine. Remove the steak to a cutting board. Slice thinly across the grain or shred with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the juices and vegetables.
Serve. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the meat and vegetable mixture onto warm flour tortillas. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa as desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow-Cooker Flank Steak Fajitas — When the Chile Is Roasted and the Crew Is Hungry