FA-Hee-Taz for To-morraz

Ok, this takes a little foresight..so after you get out of work, go to the grocery store and buy some
o  FLANK STEAK, AVOCADO
Also buy, unless you can dig it up at home:
o  Garlic
o  soy sauce
o  ginger
o  dijon mustard
o  lime juice - they now sell this bottled if you can afford it
o  olive oil
o  cayenne pepper (optional if you like spicy)
NOTE: you can get the additional ingredients tomorrow - put it off, relax.
NOTE #2: for fish-eaters: there is no way you'll be able to grill up a sad, limp fish next to a steak without getting insulted and dissed so just forget about it this time.
Go home, but before you put your feet up while your ramen noodles are simmering, DO THIS: combine in a big ziplock bag:
some black pepper
a few smashes of garlic (no skins) - like 6
a couple of tablespoons each of soy sauce and grated ginger (no need to peel it if you're grating it)
2 teaspoons or so of Dijon Mustard (dash of cayenne if you're into that nasty stuff) 
1/2 cup olive oil

Mush the bag around and plop the steak in there; get the air out and press and gently pound a bit of the marinade into the steak. THAT'S IT, now put the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and attend to your now overcooked and congealed ramen noodles.  You are now in the club of having an idea of what's for dinner tomorrow!! CONGRATULATIONS!!
NOTE: avocados are only good if they're ripe - if yours aren't quite there (you can't press your finger into one), place in a paper bag close up and hopefully by tomorrow night they'll be good to go.

Dinner for tomorrow:  FA-HEE-TAZ
before breakfast, give that bag in the fridge a little shake and flip.


Our version of fajitas involves anything edible wrapped in a tortilla. But these are actually really good and you've accomplished the first most important step: marinating the steak!
INGREDIENTS (all optional - fajitas will still be amazing if you have nothing but steak and salsa):
tortillas - wrap some tin foil around a bunch and warm them in a very low (200) oven
chopped tomatoes
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream or plain greek yogurt
refried beans or pinto beans, heated
sliced romain lettuce-best in thin strips
grated carrots
sliced ripe avocado
any sort of salsa
wedges of lime
chopped onion

Ok, here's when you delegate chopping veggies and putting the ingredients in separate bowls. If all your bowls are in the sink and caked with last week's ice cream and burnt mac and cheese, then just chop up the veggies and serve from the counter - call it A.L.M.O.C.  (assembly line meal on counter). 

You are now to PREHEAT the grill: 
Scrape off any giblets, melted plastic, tennis ball fur, mouse droppings, etc.
Preheat to HIGH or at least med High for a few minutes-depending on what you just scraped off.
Spray the grill well.
take out your lovely marinated steak, let the marinade drain off it, make sure the grill is REALLY hot, make a grand announcement that THE MEAT IS NOW GOING ON! and throw that baby on the grill.

I'm a top-on kind of griller but you have to find your way on this. If the meat flames on then blow it out. (Do not, I repeat, do not spew any sort of alcohol onto the grill - you will lose your face and then you will never be able to enjoy fajitas other than thru a straw, attatched to your stomach...so don't.).
About 3 or 4 minutes on one side - FLIP and 3 minutes on the other. Try not to move the steak around, leave it in one place
(use the FINGER TEST approach to determining if it's done) NOTE: if you keep taking little bites out to see if it's done you will:
risk seering your gizzard, lose your friends forever, drain all the goodness that you worked so hard to achieve. If it ends up too raw, as long as it's seared on the outside, you probably won't die of mad cow disease.

Take the steak off the grill - turn off the grill - put steak on a plate and LET IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES! you can do this!  Otherwise you will serve a dried up old piece of shoe leather instead of a deliciously marinated steak...#1 reason why people go vegetarian.

AFTER 5 minutes, take a sharp knife and slice thin slices - of steak, not fingers - against the grain of the meat - remember they have to be placed in a tortilla and feed your starving friends, so thinly slice and make sure you don't lose any of the juice. place plate of steak alongside other ingredients and get to work! (Make sure you clean out those dishes in the sink afterwards so you don't have to do another A.L.M. tomorrow.)  Fa heeeeeeee TA!  Serve with corn on cob and watermelon juice with a sprig of mint - yum.