Phenomenal fajitas

Whether you're celebrating Cinco de Mayo or eating dinner on the fly, this Southwestern classic fills the bill.

Regardless of our heritage, Americans enjoy helping others observe their ethnic holidays. As faithfully as any O'Shea, I cook corned beef and cabbage every St. Patrick's Day. And as proudly as any Juárez, I toast Mexico's defeat of the invading French each Cinco de Mayo.

I'm serving fajitas this May 5, now that I've perfected the recipe. After lots of testing, I've learned to choose the right cut of beef (chicken works, too). The details you need to know:

Use skirt steak. It is one of the richest, beefiest, most reasonably priced, quickest-cooking steaks. Your butcher can special-order it, if it's not a cut he or she normally stocks. Flank steak, sirloin and other cuts I tried pale by comparison. The name "fajita" derives from the shape of the skirt steak, which resembles a belt or band (faja in Spanish). It's long (18 to 28 inches), narrow and thin. Cut the meat into four manageable pieces to fit it into your skillet.

If you can't find skirt steak or don't eat red meat, boneless chicken breasts can easily be substituted. The cooking times should be similar. If you buy breasts with the tenderloins still attached, remove the tenderloins and sauté alongside the breasts. Lightly pound the chicken to an even thickness to ensure even cooking.

Apply seasonings directly on the meat. Rub the steak first with a little oil, so the spices adhere better, then with salt, pepper and cumin. This results in a better flavor than soaking in a marinade.

Cook the steak over high heat and in two batches. A hot skillet browns the steak and activates the cumin, resulting in great flavor. Don't crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of sear.

Flavor with "marinade" after cooking. After trying scores of marinades and marinating times, I found that a simple mix of lime juice and minced garlic drizzled over the hot steak acts as an instant "marinade," which, in combination with the steak juices, makes a very satisfying sauce. As the steak stands before slicing, its heat softens and tames the raw garlic.

Sauté the peppers and onions in the same pan. While the steak rests in a warm oven, sauté the vegetables in the empty skillet. Not only do you save an extra pan, but the vegetables pick up the flavor of the meat and spices.

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¡Viva Fajitas!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

1 skirt steak, about 1 1/2 pounds, cut into four equal lengths
Oil for coating meat and vegetables
Salt and ground black pepper
3 to 4 tsps. ground cumin
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. lime juice, plus additional for avocados (the juice from about 2 limes)
2 avocados
1 1/2 medium red onions (root end intact), peeled and halved lengthwise, each half then cut into 6 wedges
1 1/2 medium red and/or green peppers, seeded and cut into 6 wedges
12 large flour tortillas
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat oven to lowest possible setting (usually 170 to 200 degrees) and heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, coat both sides of each piece of steak with just enough oil to get the seasonings to stick. Sprinkle each side with salt, black pepper and a portion of cumin, rubbing the seasonings into the meat. Set aside. Mix garlic and lime juice in a shallow, non-reactive baking pan (such as Pyrex); set near the stove. Peel the avocados and mash with more lime juice and salt to make a chunky guacamole. Set aside.

A few minutes before cooking, increase heat to a strong medium-high and turn on exhaust fan. Add the two thickest pieces of steak to the skillet. Cook until seared on first side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on other side until seared, 2-3 minutes longer for medium. Transfer to the lime-garlic marinade; turn to completely coat with marinade. Place in warm oven. Add remaining two thinner pieces of steak to the hot skillet. Cook until seared, about 2 minutes per side for medium doneness. Transfer to marinade, turning to coat. Return to warm oven while peppers and onions cook.

Pour off all but 2 Tbs. of fat from the skillet. Add the peppers and onions; sauté until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Slice the meat thinly. Transfer it to a platter, along with the peppers and onions. If eating the meat all in one meal, pour the lime marinade over the meat. If not, pour it in a small bowl and pass it separately, along with the sour cream, mashed avocados and warm tortillas. (The fastest way to warm tortillas is in a plastic bag in the microwave. Heated four at a time, they're ready in about 30 seconds. You also can steam them, or wrap in foil and heat in a warm oven.)

Serves: 6.
Per 2 fajitas: 808 calories, 37g protein, 76g carbohydrates, 40g fat (11g saturated), 6g fiber, 641mg sodium.

Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of "How to Cook Without a Book" (Broadway, $25) and "The Perfect Recipe" (Houghton Mifflin, $27).