After I finished getting ready yesterday, I walked out, fresh makeup on and smelling good. I walked in the kitchen, adrenaline pumping and ready to take on those fajitas. I felt good about it. I started to prep, setting out all my steam pans, putting all the plates and silverware together, basically trying to be as organized as humanly possible.
First to cook was the rice. I always want to start the rice in case it doesn't cook well. I want to have enough time to make another batch if I have to AND I did have to start another batch, my new rice cooker didn' make enough. Here is my half steam pan in the oven longing for it's other half.
Then I got started on my sofrito for my black beans and got the oil and butter heating for my onions, bell peppers, and zuchini/squash medley. Those all started well and I like to cook them slowly so they don't burn and they cook evenly. We were cookin' and bookin' as I like to say. My meat looked and smelled wonderful as it was marinating away. After, I had almost finished and had everything ready to go into the oven I went ahead and put the meat on the grill. The grill was hot and the sizzle sounded great. Then.....all of a sudden I went out to the grill to flip and half of my meat was on fire....ugh. I didn't know that meat with a large peice of fat would go up in flames like that!
This was after I took that chunky fat piece of fat off. I thought I was going to have to break out the fire extinguisher. Anyways, half way through cooking the chicken we ran out of propane. What timing! Jason ran to HEB and I switched to a grill pan. I really want one of those double burner grills but man they are expensive. Soon grasshopper, soon.
So, when we arrived at one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen and did I mention we got there at 2:59? Yep, we were on time, with an 8 month old! I consider it to be an act of God to be on-time with food for 25 people and a fed, napped (is that a word), and clean hiney-ed child. I soon realized that the guests woldn't be arriving for another hour and a half. This immediatley made my palms sweaty and my heart race. Luckily, they have a food warmer but the rest of the food had to go in the oven. I was really worried that the meat was going to dry out and I had the steak at a wonderful medium temprature. Well, needless to say it was well done when it came out of the oven. Oh, and it is also not a good sign when the client bites into a piece of meat and almost pulls his teeth out. I just don't get it, why was the steak so tough? Did I not marinate it long enough? Cook it wrong? I bought skirt steak for goodness sake and it had plenty of fat on it? UGH! I do have something good to say, the meat was all gone! Only the yummy chicken was left and that chicken was g-o-o-d!
All in all it was a semi-success. I mean, it wasn't an A+ but I will give it a B+. It is also not a great idea to cater a party when you don't know most of the people there so you know they are going to be honest and you can't stop staring at them while they eat looking for any possible positive response. You just look plain weird. Yep, that was me, eavesdropping and staring at people while they ate like a hungry, mangy dog.
Any ideas are welcome by the way. I would love to know if anyone has any good ideas to make the meat not as tough and how to not have so many leftovers. I love ideas!
Well, I have much to to be thankful and I hope to hear the phone ringing. Let me know if you have a party or an average size group you need food for. I do more than fajitas!
All my love and gratitude for my blessings,
Cecilia
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