Now I know that we haven’t been profiling National State Day all that much this year. It’s been a hit and miss, depending largely on my frame of mind and the world around me. Arizona does hold a special place in my heart.
Years ago, Hubby and I took a well earned road trip through Arizona. We went to the Grand Canyon, did a Sonora Desert Jeep Tour, tried our hand at meditation in Sedona (yeah, for us a waste of time), spent time in Jerome (a semi-ghost town) and eventually made our way down to Tombstone. The hotel manager gave us the best two pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. Don’t mess with someone’s “claim” or you might just get shot. And when exploring, follow the animal trails. They know where to walk and where not to walk. There are hundreds of catacombs beneath the ground left by the abandoned mine tunnels. At any moment, the earth could give way. Hubby and I love to get out on our own to explore. I always stick to the animal trails. After all God gave them better survival instincts.
Tombstone is such a romanticized town. The Earps and their buddy Doc Holliday weren’t exactly upstanding lawmen. Yet somehow we have come to glorify a gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The fight lasted less than 30 seconds, with three men dead, and two of Earp brothers along with Holliday all wounded. Violence is never glamorous. While the Earps have long been considered the good guys, they were far from innocent. Wyatt was himself a fugitive from the law when he moved to Tombstone seeking his fortune in silver. As for the McLaurys, these were cowboys from Iowa who had come to Tombstone in search of cheap land to graze their cattle, some of which may have been rustled. The two sides opposed one another over two heated disputed. The McLaurys aligned their loyalties with John Behan, the County Sherriff. Wyatt wanted that job. Virgil Earp was the acting police chief of Tombstone, and had imposed restrictions on firearms within the city. The McLaurys liked their guns. Both sides fought for selfish reasons fueled by the desire for power and wealth. There were no heroes at the O.K. Corral.
Since today is National Arizona Day, and my mind had wandered down memory lane to the O.K. Corral, Street Fajitas seemed a fitting share. I’m not sure why these are called Street Fajitas, except we did cook the meat outside. I suppose we could have done the whole thing outdoors since Hubby’s big grill had a side burner. It was just too dang hot. Also fitting for Arizona, don’t you think?
Street Fajitas
1-1/2 lb Carnitas Asada
3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1 tablespoon Roasted Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon Adobo Sauce
1 Yellow Onion
1 Yellow bell Pepper
1 Red Pell Pepper
2 large Jalapeño Peppers
2 tablespoons Spicy Olive Oil, divided
8 (10-inch) Flour Tortillas
1 cup Mexican Cheese
1 cup Picante Sauce
1 cup Sour Cream
Cut beef into long strips. Set aside. In a measuring cup measure the orange juice, add vinegar to reach 1 cup. Add garlic, seasoning salt, Mexican oregano, cumin, cayenne and adobo sauce. Whisk to blend.
Pour marinade into a bowl. Add the beef strips to the bowl. Turn several times to coat well; then pour meat and all the marinade into a large re-sealable bag. Press out as much air as possible; lat flat in a casserole dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Cut onion in half; peel and then slice into slivers. Core bell peppers, discard seeds. Cut the peppers into thin slivers similar in size to the onion slivers. Stem Jalapeños, thinly slice while retaining the seeds for more heat.
In a large skillet warm a tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and peppers until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; keep warm in the skillet.
In a skillet or tortilla pan, warm tortillas. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Heat a cast iron griddle over medium heat on a grill. Lightly coat with remaining tablespoon of oil and let warm for about 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and discard the marinade from the beef strips. Stir-fry the beef on the griddle until it reaches desired doneness, no more than 3 or 4 minutes. Add the vegetables from the skillet, toss to combine and heat through.
Spoon meat with vegetables into the tortillas. Finish with a scattering of cheese, some Picante Sauce and a kiss of sour cream.
Delicious alongside Refried Beans and a pitcher of Margaritas.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in Him.
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