A steak quesadilla is simple to prepare. If you have ordered a ‘Mexican Plate’ in a restaurant you have probably eaten a quesadilla. In its simplest form, a quesadilla is a fried and folded flour or corn tortilla stuffed with melted cheese. Additional fillings are often added, such as chicken, meat, or vegetables. Additional toppings are also used, such as avocado or guacamole, tomato, onion, cilantro, salsa, Crema or sour cream, peppers, etc.
I am providing two recipes for steak quesadillas. The first is a Tex-Mex version that uses a spice rub. The second is akin to a Philly cheese steak.
For the meat, use about 3/4 pound of skirt steak. That will make three folded quesadillas using 10-inch flour tortillas. It will be plenty for a dinner for two.
For the Tex-Mex version, prepare a rub out of the following ingredients:
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
Blend these ingredients together, sprinkle the rub on the skirt steak, and rub in. Drizzle the juice of one lime over the meat, place it in a food storage bag, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cutting the steak in half will allow it to fit in the bag and will make frying the meat easier.
For the “Philly cheese steak” version, just salt and pepper the steak just before frying.
Steak Quesadillas
Ingredients
- tortillas - 3 - 10 inch flour tortillas
- yellow onion - 1 large - peeled and sliced
- Green bell pepper - seeded and sliced into 1/8 inch strips
- Mexican melting cheese - Oaxaca cheese, or Monterrey Jack
Instructions
Cooking Instructions:
Add a little oil to a frying pan, and fry the steak on medium-high for about three minutes per side, or until it is cooked medium rare. Set the steak aside let it rest.
While the steak is resting, wipe out the frying pan, add a Tablespoon or two of oil, and fry the onion and pepper over medium heat until the onions are softened but not browned. Remove onion and pepper from the pan.
Slice the cooked steak into thin strips, cutting across the grain of the meat.
The quesadilla can either be folded in half as the cheese melts, or it can be made with two smaller tortillas with the layer of cheese between them. Stacked tortillas can be a little tricky to flip - especially if the cheese has not melted enough to stick the tortillas together.
Heat the frying pan to medium high and place a tortilla in the pan, spread about one half cup of cheese over one half of the tortilla. Spread 1/3 of the meat and one third of the onions and peppers on top of the cheese and use a spatula to fold the empty half of the tortilla onto the 'loaded' side. Press gently on the folded tortilla so it stays folded. Flip the quesadilla over and cook on other side. Your quesadilla is done when the cheese is completely melted and the tortilla is getting crispy.
Cut each quesadilla into three wedges and serve with Mexican Crema or sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado or guacamole, a salsa of your choice, and lime wedges. And once again, be creative and use your favorite ingredients.
