Going to a nice restaurant used to be really difficult. My husband could flip through a frou-frou menu and not find a thing he’d want to eat. The pasta might be “messed up” with truffle oil or the fish topped with fruit salsa (for shame!). Even the steaks weren’t immune – he’ll pass on the weird side offerings of sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli.

We went out to eat at a new place a few weeks ago. The menu was a bit nicer than our usual mid-week fare which meant my husband was left to search for the safest thing on the menu that he could find – prosciutto-wrapped chicken over grits and lemon-thyme au jus (or is it grits au lemon-thyme jus?). I just knew were going to have to hit up Sonic or Jack in the Box on the way home so he could actually have dinner.

But he surprised me. As he made his way through the mound of cheesy grits and lemon-thyme au jus on his plate, he turned to me long enough to suggest that we should make “this stuff” at home. I swear I nearly fainted.

Stuffed Fajita with Monterrey Jack Cheesy Grits
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, grated or crumbled
1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp unsalted butter

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 grits
3/4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
Sea salt
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

For the pan sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp white wine

Butterfly the flank steak (I took a quick refresher from YouTube) and place in a large ziploc bag. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour into the bag. Let sit a couple of hours or overnight, massaging the bag every once in a while to disperse the marinade.

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.

Preheat the oven to 375.

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.

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.

Bring stock, water, cream 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 creamy and tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt and the cheese, whisking until incorporated.

Remove the meat from the pan and slice into 1/2-inch to 3/4-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 1/2. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spoon grits into a bowl, top with fajita rolls, and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Serves 2
Grits: Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 1999
Marinade: Confections of a Foodie Bride
Inspired by/Pan sauce from: Elly Says Opa!

Originally uploaded by Confections of a Foodie Bride.

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