Fajitas were one of the first dinners I learned to cook for myself. My version was fairly simple—sautéed sliced chicken breasts with onions, peppers, and garlic, seasoned with a mixture of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

In college, those fajitas were one of my go-to quick meals, a tasty and relatively healthy fuel for study sessions and long nights of writing papers, and when I lived alone after college, they were an easy meal for one that remained in my regular rotation.

Then, for some reason, I fell out of the fajitas habit, tending to opt for tacos or enchiladas when I cooked a Tex-Mex dinner. But recently, while contemplating what to do with a piece of flank steak I’d purchased, I came across a recipe that made me want to bring fajitas back into my cooking repertoire.

As I said, previously I’d always made fajitas with chicken, for no other reason than that I was used to it. But flank steak is a perfect fit. In fact, it’s one of my favorite cuts of steak—fairly lean yet flavorful, it takes wonderfully to marinades and spice rubs and stands up well to bold flavors like those used in Tex-Mex cooking.

This version of fajitas is somewhat more work than my previous standby, but the result is worth it. Instead of sautéing everything together in a pan, the meat is marinated and broiled separately from the veggies, which are also charred under the broiler.

From there, you can add any accompaniments you like. I mixed up a quick pico de gallo, thinned a bit of sour cream with some lime juice and cumin for a tangy sauce, and sliced up some avocado. Additional possibilities include some crumbled queso fresco or another type of cheese, chopped cilantro, or guacamole. And nobody will be sad if you serve these with margaritas.

Flank Steak Fajitas

Adapted from www.thekitchn.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak

Juice of 2 limes

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon puréed canned chipotle peppers in adobo (or 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle or cayenne), or to taste

2 teaspoons salt

2 red bell peppers

2 green peppers of your choice (e.g., bell peppers, cubanelles, or poblanos for some heat)

2 medium yellow onions

Small corn or flour tortillas

Condiments and accompaniments of your choice (e.g., chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lime wedges)

Whisk together the lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, minced garlic, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, chipotles in adobo, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish or plastic freezer bag and add the flank steak, coating the steak with the marinade. Refrigerate and let the steak marinate for 1 to 24 hours.

Preheat the broiler to high, and place an oven rack a few inches below it.

Cut the peppers in half, and remove the stems and seeds. Peel and cut the onions into approximately 8 wedges each. Toss the vegetables with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread on a baking sheet with the outsides of the peppers facing up and broil until the tops are charred, about 10 minutes or so. Remove the vegetables from the heat.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and position a rack over it. Remove the steak from the marinade and place it on the rack. Cook under the broiler for about 4 minutes, then turn it over and continue to cook until it reaches your desired internal temperature, about another 3 to 5 minutes. (For medium rare, shoot for about 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.) Remove the steak from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the steak rests, slice the peppers crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and transfer them, along with the onions, to a serving platter. Warm the tortillas in a skillet or the microwave according to package directions.

When the steak has rested, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it thinly against the grain, then transfer it to the platter with the peppers and onions. Serve the fajitas with the accompaniments of your choice.

Emily Scace, an editor, enjoys discovering new recipes and perfecting old ones in her East Lyme kitchen. She can be reached at savoringseasons@gmail.com.