Beef Fajitas with Refried Beans

METHOD:

For fajitas:
Prepare marinade by combining the oil, vinegar, cumin, half the salt, and half the pepper in a large bowl. Reserve half the marinade for the peppers. Add the top round to marinade and toss gently to coat. Cover beef and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Marinate peppers with the reserved marinade. In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, remaining salt and remaining pepper.

Put steak on a half sheet pan and place in the broiler or on the grill, turning once until cooked, about 10 minutes. (If you cook the meat on the grill, then cook the peppers on a griddle.)

Heat the tortillas. Cut the steak into thin strips and mix with the peppers. Serve with relish and warm tortillas.

For refried beans:
Sort through beans for stones, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain beans, add to pot with bay leaf and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until uniformly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Drain cooking liquid from beans and reserving 2 cups beans. With an immersion blender, purée reserved beans lightly. They do not have to be uniformly smooth.

To refry, heat oil in a skillet or rondeaux, add onions and garlic, ground cumin and coriander and sweat until onions are translucent. Add bean mixture and stir, thoroughly heating and incorporating the onion and garlic flavors. Check salt and adjust to taste. Finish with vinegar and check seasoning again.