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Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the grill as directed.

2. Rub or brush about a tablespoon of the olive oil all over the onion slices, head of garlic, carrot and bell pepper quarters, jalapeño halves, tomato halves, and mushroom caps. Push the skewers or toothpicks through the sides of the onion slices to keep them from separating on the grill.

3. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put all of the vegetables on the grill, cover, and cook, turning occasionally, until nicely grill-marked and softened, 5 to 20 minutes total. (The carrots will take 5 to 10 minutes. The onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, and jalapeños will take 10 to 15 minutes; don’t worry if the peppers and tomatoes blacken in spots. The garlic will take 15 to 20 minutes and should be blackened in several places, and the garlic cloves should be soft.) If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay at around 450°F.

4. Let the vegetables cool slightly, then pop the garlic cloves out of their skins and put them in a blender or food processor. Add half of the grilled tomatoes and blend or process to a puree. Remove the skewers or toothpicks from the onions. Chop the onions and the remaining vegetables (including the remaining grilled tomatoes) and put them in a large soup pot. Add the garlic-tomato puree, broth, steak sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick like stew, 30 to 40 minutes. If you need to add liquid, stir in the reserved tomato pulp and seeds. Add the beans and heat through, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and adjust the seasonings just before serving.

Grilled Vegetable Fajitas

Plenty of good vegetarian fare can come off your grill. These fajitas get their satisfying chew from marinated and grilled portobello mushrooms. Other grilled vegetables, fire-roasted tomatillo salsa, and grilled guacamole fill out the wraps. These are somewhat mild. For more incendiary fajitas, add your favorite hot pepper sauce, ground cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, or other hot chile peppers to the marinade.

TIMING

Prep: 10 minutes (plus 20 minutes for salsa and guac)

Marinate: 1 to 3 hours

Grill: 10 to 15 minutes

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Long-handled tongs

• Long-handled basting brush

• Aluminum foil

HOW TO FOLD A FAJITA

1. To prevent any filling from falling out, position the filling in a column in the center near the top of the tortilla. Leave some empty space at the bottom of the tortilla.

2. Fold the bottom up partially over the filling, and then fold in the sides.

* * *

THE GRILL

Gas:

Direct heat, medium (350°F)

Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting

Charcoal:

Direct heat, medium ash

12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)

Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting

Wood:

Direct heat, medium ash

12-by-12-inch bed, 3 inches deep

Clean, oiled grate set 4 inches above the fire

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 8 FAJITAS/4 SERVINGS)

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 portobello mushroom caps

2 onions, cut in half from roots to tips

2 bell peppers (red and green or yellow), seeded and quartered

4 to 6 large jalapeño chiles, halved lengthwise and seeded

Oil for coating grill grate

8 large flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)

¾ cup sour cream (optional)

¾ cup Fire-Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 277) or prepared salsa (optional)

¾ cup Grilled Guac (page 276) or prepared guacamole (optional)

1 lime, cut into small wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the olive oil, Worcestershire, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a 2-gallon zipper-lock bag. Shake to mix, then pour half of the mixture into another 2-gallon zipper-lock bag. Put