Steak fajitas with grilled onions, nopales and summer squash recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (900 g) skirt steak
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp (120 ml + 30 ml) avocado oil, divided
• 3 tbsp (18 g) Taco Seasoning
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp (5 g) salt
• 2 red onions
• 4 nopales/cactus paddles
• 2 yellow summer squash

1. Prep your skirt steak by trimming off any excess fat from the surface. You don’t need to trim off every last bit of fat, just the thick outer layer so that the meat is exposed—there should still be nice layers of fat throughout the meat itself. If you see any membrane left behind, pull that off, too. Cut the skirt steak into 4 evenly sized pieces—this just makes it easier to handle. Whisk together ½ cup (120 ml) of the avocado oil with the Taco Seasoning, lime juice and salt. Place the skirt steak pieces into a freezer bag and pour the marinade over—make sure that each side of the meat is evenly coated, then refrigerate and marinate for 1–3 hours before cooking.
2. You can cook your steaks on a super-hot cast-iron griddle on the stovetop, or on the grill—whichever you prefer. Remove the steak pieces from the marinade and shake off any excess. Sear them on the hot griddle or grill until the outside has a great deep-colored crust and the internal temperature of the meat is about 120°F (49°C) for medium rare or 130°F (54°C) for medium: about 3–5 minutes per side. Set the seared steaks aside on a chopping board to rest while you get the vegetables ready.
3. Cut the onions in half and discard the skin, then slice them about ¼-inch (6-mm) thick. Carefully pick up the nopales—it is possible to buy them with the thorns already removed, but handle them carefully, just in case! If you need to remove the thorns, carefully cut around the side and base of the cactus paddle, discarding the edges. Then use the flat of your knife to cut off the thorns from both sides of the paddles. Discard those sharp bits! Slice the nopales diagonally across into strips the same thickness as the onions. Trim the summer squash ends, then slice them in half lengthwise. Cut the summer squash halves into half moons, about the same thickness as the other vegetables. Add the sliced onions to a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the avocado oil.
For Grill
4. Heat a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop or grill—it needs to be hot enough that the vegetables sizzle as soon as they’re added to the pan. Once the pan is hot enough, shake the excess oil from the onions and add them to the pan. Cook until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Toss the summer squash in the remaining oil—once the onions have begun to color, add the squash to the pan and cook until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced nopales to the pan and cook until they are tender-crisp and bright green, about 2 more minutes.
For Serve
5. Remove the vegetables from the heat and pile them onto a large platter. Slice the rested steak into strips against the grain and add to the platter. Pour any steak juices over the veggies. Let everybody make up their own plates from the shared platter and serve the fajitas with extra lime wedges.