BethanyBy Bethany Swendender

Greetings from the Sandhills!

Summer is starting to wind down. Thanks to the abundant rains the hills are green, and the grass is growing. The wildflowers are blooming and sharing their beauty with us.

cactusFor most, summer means it is time to fire up the grill. For us it means making sure the cows always have grass to eat, fresh water to drink, and hopefully hay to put up for winter feed.

We do take the time to grill a delicious meal whenever we get the chance. One of our favorite meals to make on the grill is steak fajitas. This recipe can be adjusted to your taste, but this is how we like them. I find recipes are more of just a guideline, not written in stone.cattle at water

For this recipe we will be using sirloin steaks. We raise our own beef. We always have a few Longhorn cross steers that we keep back for butchering. Generally these are Longhorn-Angus cross or Longhorn- Hereford cross. The Longhorn breed produces very lean meat. So the end product is very lean and tender meat. The steers graze native grasses in our pastures until about 100 days before we butcher them. Then we put them on a ration of feed, including corn. This helps to finish them, and give us the kind of meat we prefer.

Steak Fajitas   www.herviewfromhome.comWe start with about 1.5 pounds of sirloin steak. You will also need a large onion and one or two bell peppers.

I season the steaks with just a little salt and pepper. We like out steaks medium rare, so we grill them for about 7 minutes a side. If you prefer yours less rare, cook them a few minutes longer. Keep in mind you will need to cook them a little less than you normally would, because we will mix the meat with the veggies at the end.

Steak Fajitas   www.herviewfromhome.comAfter you turn the steaks, you will want to put your veggies and tortillas on the grill. I toss the veggies in some oil before putting them in the grill pan. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can just put them in a tin foil pan, or foil packet. I wrap the tortillas in a wet paper towel, and then wrap that with aluminum foil. This helps to keep them from drying out. You don’t want to put the veggies and tortillas over direct heat.

When your steaks are cooked to the desired doneness, remove them from the grill and let them rest. You want to let them rest for at least 5 minutes, so they don’t lose their juices. And they will be easier to handle. Once they have rested, slice them in pretty thin slices. Put them in the pan, or packet with the veggies, and sprinkle fajita seasoning on them. I make my own seasoning, and use 2-3 teaspoons. Toss to coat, and then let it cook for a few minutes to let the flavors meld together.steakfajitas_herviewfromhome_CommonGroundNebraska

I started making my own fajita seasoning several years ago, but feel free to use a store bought packet. There are all sorts of variations that you can find online, but this is the one I use.

Fajita Seasoning:

  • 1 Tbs Chili Powder
  • 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1.5 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Pepper

Mix this all together and store in an airtight container. Season to taste.

Steak Fajitas   www.herviewfromhome.comOnce everything has cooked together for several minutes, and the veggies and meat are cooked how you prefer it is time to eat! I was so excited to eat that I didn’t get a very good picture of the finished product. I like to put a little avocado and sour cream on my fajitas. My husband usually just adds shredded cheese. Once again, it really is personal preference, so feel free to adorn them as you wish.

There you have it, one of our favorite grilling recipes. Don’t forget to enjoy some beef on your grill.

CommonGround Nebraska – With more Americans growing up in urban and suburban areas, miles from farm life, there is an increasing disconnect between the consumer and the people who grow their food. In a uniquely mom-driven movement, Nebraska farm women are joining together to talk to other women about food production, food safety, farm life, and their common ground. Find us at CommonGroundNebraska.com.

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CommonGround is a farmer-driven, volunteer program created to clear up misconceptions and enhance the trust and awareness among urban consumers for today’s agriculture. CommonGround serves as a partnership between the nation’s soybean and corn checkoffs. To learn more about CommonGround, visit www.findourcommonground.com, and learn more about the farm women involved in CommonGround Nebraska at www.CommonGroundNebraska.com.

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