Time: 50 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

It's believed that the Mexican dish puntas de res, made of chunks of meat in a vegetable sauce, was the precursor to fajitas. The classic combination of tender slices of beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions is unmistakably fajita. But unlike fajitas, puntas de res uses a spice mixture and stews the beef in a fresh tomato sauce. This dish, made from affordable rib meat, takes less than an hour to prepare and is perfect for weeknight dinners. Wrap the meat and sauce in warm tortillas and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 750g boneless beef short ribs, trim off excess fat
• 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
• 0.5 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
• Half a yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 450 g tomatoes (about 3 large), thinly sliced
• 4 chiles gueros or mild yellow chiles (or 1 jalapeño), seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Refried beans and hot tortillas, for serving

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

beef ribs, sweet pepper, chili pepper, tomatoes, tortilla, cumin

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips about 1 cm thick and 2.5 cm long.
Step 2
• In a mortar and pestle, crush the cumin, peppercorns, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt until a coarse paste forms. Alternatively, make a paste by chopping the garlic with a knife along with the ground spices until smooth. If using ground spices, reduce the amount by half.
Step 3
• Rub the meat with the spice paste. If you're not cooking it right away, transfer it to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until tomorrow.
Step 4
• In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Step 5
• Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, the tomatoes have released their juices, and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 6
• Serve in shallow bowls with refried beans and hot tortillas.

Votes: 2

Author of the recipe - Paola Briceño González is a writer and food anthropologist.