Grilled Steak & Vegetable Fajitas with Homemade Spice Rub

 I hope your weekend was as gorgeous as the one we had; it seems that maybe - just maybe - spring has finally decided to join the party. Now that I've said that, it'll probably be 20 tomorrow... Alas, to take advantage of this gorgeous weather I knew that I wanted to grill. I didn't know what I wanted, but I certainly knew that it would have lovely little grill marks. So, whilst out taking the air (new phrase I learned from Game of Thrones, also known as walking), The Texan and I decided on a Tex Mex themed evening - go figure. While I usually only make steak fajitas as a ploy to use up leftovers - check out this recipe, if that's what you're looking for - I decided to start from the beginning this time and try to cook everything on the grill. Inspired by the spice rub marinated meats that you might find at your local mercado, I decided to create a spicy, bold flavored rub that would compliment both my vegetables and beef.  Overall, this is an amazingly simple, fun grill recipe that is very fresh tasting and boldly Tex Mexican. Yep, that should definitely be a word - feel free to incorporate it into your daily speak.

Notes:

• Dried Arbol Chiles can be found in the Latin section of your grocery store. If you don't want to mess with this, substitute for 2 t Cayenne pepper or 1 T red pepper flakes. USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT WHEN ADDING HEAT, these measurements are just a basic guideline. If you don't like spicy foods, start with a small amount and add until your heart is content. You can always add more spice, toning too spicy food down is much harder. If you're daring, add more Arbol!
• If not using Arbol chiles, skip the food processor and mix your marinade in a Ziploc, then divide it.
• You can use any cut of beef that you have on hand, is on sale, or just really love to grill. Be aware that the cook times here are for a very thin cut of beef, so you will need to adjust accordingly.
• Special Equipment: Grill Skillet (AKA Grillet). That's this little contraption (this is the one I have, from Bed, Bath, & Beyond):

• If you don't have a Grillet, saute your vegetables inside or consider making a grill pouch out of foil or go get one - it's about $7 and you could become the most high tech grill master on the block.
• Feeling a vegetarian meal? Amp up the veggies and skip the meat. The mushrooms in this are to die for - I might have picked all the mushrooms on the serving platter out because I liked them so much, oops.

Grilled Steak & Vegetable Fajitas with Homemade Spice Rub
Spice Rub:
     1/4 c. lime juice
     2 T olive oil
     1 T garlic, minced
     2 t soy sauce
     1 t salt
     1 t black pepper
     1/2 c. dried arbol chiles
1 lb. Top Sirloin Steak
1 large onion, sliced or quartered
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced

Place the arbol chiles into a food processor and blend until completely broken down. Add the remaining rub ingredients into the processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Place 3/4 of the spice rub into a one gallon Ziploc bag and the remaining quarter into another gallon Ziploc. In the Ziploc with the most marinade, add your steak and 1/4 c. of water; in the other bag, add all of the vegetables and no water. Seal the bags well and massage / toss / roll around the ingredients until the spice rub is well distributed. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

When ready to prepare the meal, preheat a grill to medium heat and pour the vegetables into a grill skillet that is placed over direct medium heat. Cook the vegetables for  10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After the first 10 minutes for the vegetables, place the beef onto direct medium heat as well. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side for thin cuts of meat (time will vary depending on cut of meat and doneness preference). Remove meat from grill and rest for 5 minutes.

Check vegetables after the meat is removed; once vegetables are cooked through (eat one), remove them from the grill skillet.

After the meat has rested, thinly slice it and toss with the vegetables. Serve with beans, mexican rice, queso - whatever you like to pile on your fajitas.

Revel in your clean kitchen and easy grill cleanup. To celebrate, treat yourself to this hand squeezed margarita. Warning: If you've only had restaurant or mix margaritas, this could change your life.