Stuffed Fajitas with Monterrey Jack Grits

in Beef, Cinco de Mayo, Grains & Rice, Mexican & TexMex

Stuffed Fajitas with Monterrey Jack Grits

It’s not just great taste that keeps a dish on our menu, it’s also versatility. Because there are an infinite number of things that I can put between two slices of bread, having “just sandwiches” never, ever gets old. For that reason alone, sandwiches are awesome. And so is stuffed flank steak.

You place your favorite ingredients on top of the steak, roll it up, sear it, and finish it in the oven. The possibilities are endless.

Stuffed Fajitas with Monterrey Jack Grits

We’ve done Mediterranean stuffing: roasted red peppers and goat cheese. We’ve done an Italian-ish stuffing: Sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced mozzarella, and fresh basil. But “Stuffed Fajitas” are probably our absolute favorite way to stuff flank steak. It’s all our normal fajita fixin’s – bell pepper, onions, jalapenos, and cheese – but without the tortilla.

We usually serve the slices over cheesy grits (using whatever cheese goes best with the stuffing flavors) and then spoon over the pan sauce so it runs all over and soaks into the grits. Yeah, it’s good πŸ™‚ Anytime flank steak is on sale, we stock up because we’re never short on ideas to prepare it.

Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Stuffed Flank Steak

Before you get started, you’ll need some kitchen twine and you’ll need to decide if you need to butterfly the flank steak. If your flank steak is about an inch thick or more, butterfly it: Lay it on the counter with the grain running left to right. Holding a sharp knife parallel to your countertop, make a horizontal cut through the middle of the steak, stopping 1/2-inch before you get all the way through the steak – this will let you open the steak like a book. Sometimes I’ll go ahead and cut it all the way through and make two stuffed flank steaks πŸ™‚

Stuffed Fajitas with Monterrey Jack Grits

Fajitas without tortillas! Juicy flank steak stuffed with fajita fixins' and served over cheesy grits.

Ingredients

  • 8-10 oz flank steak
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch rings
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 2 Tbsp oil, divided
  • 1 cup queso fresco or monterrey jack, grated or crumbled
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 recipe Monterrey Jack Grits (below)
  • For the marinade
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves chopped/minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • For the pan sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 3 Tbsp white wine (or extra chicken broth)
  • For the grits
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • Salt
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack

Instructions

  1. Place in a large ziploc bag. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour into the bag. Massage the bag to disperse the marinade. Let sit a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.
  2. In a saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until soft and browned, adding a couple of tablespoons of water as necessary while cooking.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375.
  4. Remove the steak from the bag and lay flat on a large cutting board. Spread the onions, bell peppers, queso fresco, and jalapenos evenly over the steak. Roll the steak tightly along the grain (if the grain is going left-to-right, roll that way opposed to top-to-bottom) and secure with kitchen twine. Season all sides liberally with sea salt and cracked pepper.
  5. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and butter in an oven-safe saute pan over high heat until very hot. Sear the rolled steak 1-2 minutes on each side until very nicely browned. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 (this took about 15 minutes in my oven). Remove from the oven and tent the pan with foil – and while you’re at it, throw an oven mitt over that scorching hot handle. Let the meat rest 10 minutes while making the grits.
  6. Remove the meat from the pan and slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Place the pan over high heat and add the clove of garlic and saute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the wine, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom and sides. Reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  7. *To make the grits
  8. Bring stock, water, and butter to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until grits are tender, according to package instructions.
  9. Add a pinch of salt and the cheese, whisking until incorporated.
  10. Spoon grits into a bowl, top with fajita rolls, and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Notes

Yields: 4 servings

Inspired by/Pan sauce from: Elly Says Opa!

Estimated time: 1 hour

This recipe was submitted as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program with the Texas Beef Council. I was reimbursed for the ingredients used in this recipe.

20 comments… add one
  • I want that in my belly.

  • wow. you outdone yourself on this one! you rolled it perfectly!

  • What an innovative take on fajitas (which are a favorite my house)!! I cannot wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!

  • I love it when I find a really good base recipe or idea that I can then adapt to whatever kind of mood I’m in. Next time I’m craving some Mexican take-out (and really, that’s constantly) I am SO making this!

  • This looks fantastic! Yum!

  • This looks absolutely delicious, Shawnda! What gorgeous photos. I’ll have to try this sometime.

  • Oh My Lord In Heaven, that looks GOOD!!!!! And your right, it looks so easy. I am totally going to have to start stocking up on flank steak myself.

  • OOOh Wow!!! this looks so yummy…

  • mmm this looks really good to me right now. We love fajitas, so I’m definitely going to try this combo.

  • This looks divine! My hubby would love this!

    Great blog; happy I found you!

    Mary xo
    Delightful Bitefuls

  • Kalee

    This looks delicious! What is rolled up in the beef in the first picture? I will definitely try this!

  • That looks so tasty and good!

  • WOW! That is such a great idea! I’ll definitely be trying this.

  • Oh my that looks heavenly!!! What a beautiful job you did on the flank steak!

  • Nina

    Question regarding flank steaks… whenever I look for it in my grocery store, I can’t find anything that says flank steak? Any ideas on if some other name is sometimes used?? (I’m in eastern Virginia, not sure if it’s bc we are on the east coast?)

    • I only know it by flank steak. Skirt steak would be a reasonable sub if your meat counter guy can’t get flank steak for you.

  • Nina

    2 hrs afrter asking this, I finally found a store that sells flank steak…yay

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