Dean shares recipes for steak fajita pitas and steak rollups

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards shares his recipes for steak fajita pitas and steak rollups ahead of Father's Day Weekend.

Steak Fajita Pitas

Ingredients :

• 6 Pitas
• 1 lb. skirt steak  (pound w a food mallet to get an even thickness)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 jar tomato salsa
• 1 cup guacamole
• 1 cup sour cream  

Preparation:

Pre-heat grill.   

Rub steak with salt and pepper on both sides.

When grill is very hot, carefully place the steak. Cook 3 minutes without touching then flip. When you leave the steak without moving it around, it builds a nice crust. Cook 3 minutes on other side.

Let steak rest for 5 mins.

In a grill pan, add onions and peppers. Cook for 7 mins until veggies are soft.

While veggies are cooking, slice steak into bite sized pieces.  Mix steak  with parsley and garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix.

Lightly brown pita on the grill.   Cut a slit in your pita at the top and open it up with your fingers and stuff it up with meat/veggie mixture.  

Add salsa,  guacamole and sour cream as desired.   

Steak Rollups

Ingredients:

• 1 whole 1-1/2-lb. skirt steak or 2 3/4-lb. pieces, trimmed of excess surface fat  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz. coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup)
• 2 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 1 large bunch)
• Butcher’s twine  

Directions:

If the steak is whole, cut it to make two even pieces. Lay the steak out on a work surface and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, gently pound the steak until it is at least 4 inches wide and no more than 1/3 inch thick (it’s OK if one end is thinner). Season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the steak, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and then sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the cheese. Press on the topping to flatten it. Working with one steak at a time and starting at the thinnest end, roll the steak up around the filling.

Tie a length of butcher’s twine around the middle, then tie two more pieces of twine around the pinwheel equidistant from the middle to each end. Cut the roll in half along the middle piece of twine and remove that piece of twine; you will now have two tied wheels.

Trim the ends for a flat surface, if necessary. Repeat with other steak to get 4 pinwheels total. (The wheels may be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a few hours; let them sit at room temperature while the grill heats )

Prepare a high (500°F to 600°F) charcoal or gas grill fire. Cook the pinwheels cut sides down, flipping once, until browned on both sides and cooked to your liking, about 6 minutes per side for medium rare (135°F)   Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.