So-Cal Steak

So I thought that I'd share with you guys a little recipe that I've been a wee bit obsessed with. And honestly... what's not to like? It has beef, cilantro, onions, fajita spices... yum. And I'm not over-emphasizing that I truly love it... because I've prepared this dish at least three times in the past three weeks. And I've been on a bit of a protein kick lately because I've been amping up my workouts at the gym, taking an intensive spin class that totally wipes me out. Needless to say, my usual diet of 85% vegetables wasn't making the cut. I needed meat. Red meat. Steak.

Yeah. Obsessed.

So... I was going to call this recipe "Mexican Steak" but that's a little misleading because there's nothing inherently Mexican about it. So... I'm calling it So-Cal Steak because it's a little bit of the LA foodie style, heavily influenced by all the Latino/a residents. Sound fair? Thought so.

The Ingredients:
1/2 lb - 1 lb Steak. Sliced thin and without the fat.
Fresh chopped cilantro (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
Fajita seasoning (I got it in a packet in the soup aisle at Ralphs)
2-3 tbsp oil (to mix with the seasoning

Instructions:
Mix the steak, cilantro, and onions in a bowl. Make sure it's evenly distributed.
In a separate small bowl, mix the fajita seasonings with the oil. It should be a bit thicker, but not like a stiff paste. Once the dressing is to your desired consistency, mix it with the meat mix. The reason that you want the marinade to be a bit thicker is because you want it to coat the meat, not just "sit there".  Make sure to mix well and get all the meat coated. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for 2-24 hours, depending on the time. The longer the better, the marinade can get in and really saturate it.

Once you're finished marinating it, pre-heat a skillet on the stovetop for a few minutes. Drop the meat in and cook on medium heat until done. Easy.

And if you're serious about this recipe, there's a bonus step. After all the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan, leaving the juices behind. (Yes, there will be liquid left in the pan). At this point, don't take the pan off the heat, instead add a few slices of raw onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are slightly cooked and the liquid has begun to thicken. Add to the cooked meat. Double yum.

But if you're especially protein starved, like I was today, you can chop up about a tbsp of fresh cilantro, add it to the bottom of a clean bowl. Then, poach two eggs and add on top of the fresh cilantro. It'll weaken the "attack" of the herb, without losing potency. Top with some salt and pepper. Serve alongside the steak. Voila. Steak and eggs, California style. And if this is a dinner entrée, add a glass of red wine and you're good to go.

Yum. Dig in! (I have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Score!)

But in other news, my teeth are free from their wire-y cages. Meaning, my braces are gone! Hooray!
Wanna see a picture? I'll assume that the answer is "yes"....

So there you have it. Steak and pearly whites. Perfect evening, if I do say so myself.