Tuesday Dinner

I cooked a very early dinner tonight because I got tired of everyone traipsing in and out of the kitchen all afternoon, making snacks and messes. (I'm not pointing fingers because I was just as guilty as anyone else.)

I made Steak Fajitas, which were delicious, although a little more labor-intensive than I wanted. I ran across several packages of skirt steak on markdown at Harris Teeter the other week. I bought them all after talking to the butcher about preparation. The secret to preparing skirt steak is to cut it against the grain (cut with the grain is shoe-leather), and to cook it quick over high heat.

With this in mind, I cut it thinly against the grain while still partially frozen. Then I tossed it in Lawry's Tequila-Lime marinade and let sit for about 1 hour. I heated about a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet until very hot, then pan-fried the strips of meat in small batches until just browned. It came out absolutely delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

The only problem was the mess. I had to keep the pan very hot to prevent the meat from stewing (and getting tough), so it spattered everywhere. The problem was compounded by having to do it over and over again with small batches, also to keep the pan hot. So my stove, counters and shirt are all covered in grease. Next time, I think I'll cut down on the labor and the mess by marinating the steak whole, grilling it on the George Foreman, and thinly slicing after cooking and resting.

Along with the meat, I sliced up and sauteed 2 mild jalapenos from the garden along with 1 onion. These were passed at the table along with a diced tomato, also from the garden, and shredded cheese. A package of Simply Potatoes Southwest Hashbrowns rounded out the meal.

Totals:

$3.34 - skirt steak
.70 - tortillas
.50 - onion, cheese, marinade
.75 - hash browns
free - jalapenos, tomato

$5.29 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)