Fajitas?

[Half Dog]

I enjoy cooking on my pellet grill and I’m looking to expand my cooking options. Can anyone share a really good fajita recipe with grilling tips?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[MaryB]

I vacuum marinate(chamber sealer, I can bag liquids) a good tender cut of steak in olive oil, lime juice, chopped garlic, chili powder, MX oregano, fresh ground cumin. Smoke on my Pit Boss pellet smoker to rare then slide open the flame door to give it a good sear(finishes medium rare).

[HWooldridge]

Fajitas are traditionally made from skirt steak that’s been tenderized with a hammer or a rotary machine tenderizer. Seasoning is simple - cumin, salt, pepper and garlic are the basics. Either spray or dunk in your favorite cooking oil then grille over mesquite coals with onions and green peppers. Cut across the grain to serve.

They really weren’t very popular before 1980 or so, when the taco joints started pushing them as a way to get rid of a poor cut of meat.

[sparkyv]

I enjoy fajitas (skirt steak) even more than a good T-bone...ok, almost as much as a T-bone. I use the marinated packs from the HEB. The trick is cooking indirectly, low and slow, and I use charcoal and mesquite. Around 300 to 350oF pit temp for 45 to 60 minutes until a longitudinal poke goes in smooth and easy. Let them rest for 1/2 hr, and slice them against the grain! SWMBO likes lime or lemon drizzled over. This is making me hungry!

[MaryB]

Fajitas are traditionally made from skirt steak that’s been tenderized with a hammer or a rotary machine tenderizer. Seasoning is simple - cumin, salt, pepper and garlic are the basics. Either spray or dunk in your favorite cooking oil then grille over mesquite coals with onions and green peppers. Cut across the grain to serve.

They really weren’t very popular before 1980 or so, when the taco joints started pushing them as a way to get rid of a poor cut of meat.

I hate tough meat LOL getting a skirt steak tender is not easy!

[Char-Gar]

Fajita means "little skirt" and originated in my part of the world many years ago before my time and I am now 81. The flank or skirt steak was rubbed with some manteca (lard) and cracked black pepper and put on a grill or plancha (griddle). Many of the grills or planchas were field improvised from all kind of things. Cowboys, hunters and brush bums were fond of them.

When the meat was cooked, a slice as put in a corn tortilla and eaten with lime juice, avacado, pico de gallo or whatever else suited your fancy.

When we first started marinating the meat, we used Italian Salad Dressing. Now all kinds of stuff is used. Being old school Border Rat, I still rub them with oil and cracked black pepper and eat them in the tortilla with lime juice and some mashed avocado. That is how we ate them when dove hunting in Northern Mexico back in the 50's and early 60's. The "guide" would build a fire and put a few rocks around it and the lid of a steel drum on top for a plancha. Lucky some of of us are still alive. Goodness knows what was in that drum. They did use the top side to cook and hoped the fire took care of what might be on the bottom side.

Those were wonderful days down here on the Border by the Sea. Memories of those days are either gone or fading. I truly feel sorry for all you folks who we raised north of the Checkpoint. Between Elon Musk (Space-X) and the Cartels, the place is pretty well ruined.

[HWooldridge]

I hate tough meat LOL getting a skirt steak tender is not easy!

Amen - I have had some that were close to tire rubber in consistency.

[Half Dog]

I too have had tough fajitas at a restaurant. Can I use ribeye and have it taste like a fajita? If so, can you tell me how you would do it?

[Char-Gar]

I too have had tough fajitas at a restaurant. Can I use ribeye and have it taste like a fajita? If so, can you tell me how you would do it?

It is the grill, smoke, cooking spices and condiments that give fajitas their taste. Not all cuts of beef taste exactly the same but they are close enough for making pseudo fajitas.

[Txcowboy52]

Hey dog when you get it figured out let me know! I would gladly come and be more than willing to help you taste test !! Good luck amigo!

[MaryB]

Sirloin is an acceptable sub for skirt steak but I prefer to use a ribeye. Marinade and cook, it is a hunk of beef! Keep it med rare though!

[WRideout]

As a Kid growing up in Southern California, I used to watch the Mexican farm hands heat up their lunch over an open fire. I always wondered why they had to build a fire everyday; I was raised on cold sandwiches. Then I tried to eat cold Mexican food once. Awful!!!

Wayne

[deces]

Fajitas are traditionally made from skirt steak that’s been tenderized with a hammer or a rotary machine tenderizer. Seasoning is simple - cumin, salt, pepper and garlic are the basics. Either spray or dunk in your favorite cooking oil then grille over mesquite coals with onions and green peppers. Cut across the grain to serve.

They really weren’t very popular before 1980 or so, when the taco joints started pushing them as a way to get rid of a poor cut of meat.

Now days it's just 88% Beef, 12 Percent "Signature Recipe" and people wonder why the life expectancy in America is falling off the cliff. :confused:

[txbirdman]

Been eating leftover fajitas all week. My daughter and daughter-in-law cooked them for me on Father’s Day. They use a marinade concoction my wife developed years ago. We get our skirt steak at HEB (a San Antonio based grocery that’s up here in North Central Texas too). They will tenderize the meat if asked to do so. As mentioned, one of the secrets to tender meat is to cut very slim strips across the grain. That’s after grilling the meat on a combination of charcoal and mesquite or pecan wood. We spread refried beans on a hot flour tortilla; apply the meat, grated longhorn cheese, and pico de gallo and dig in. It’s my favorite meal.

[Half Dog]

Well, I believe I’ll try ribeye for attempt #1. Can someone share quantities of the spices needed for their favorite marinade?

TxCowboy52, I have a spare chair that will have your name on it.

[Rapier]

You can use almost anything to make fajitas, fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, pork. The secret is the meat marinade and making the dish colorful, with enough Chilies or Serrano peppers for taste wit zip without killing the patient. Sides are salsa, pico, sour cream, etc. We have some Carolina Reaper Salsa for the strong of heart, a little orange habanero salsa for mouth wash.
Tradition at our neighborhood fajita picnics, if you put it in your mouth, you must chew it and swallow it. Kids are allowed mistakes. Everything is very good, some is just a bit warm.
You can make a quick marinade with your favorite taco seasoning, a beer, a squirt of veggie oil, lime juice, crushed fresh garlic, add a bit of red pepper flakes and black pepper, a dash of cumin, and dash of smoked paprika. Plus long sliced red and green bell peppers and long siced onions, while for light, red onions for strong. Needs to marinade over night in the refigerator covered, meat should be cut across grain, thin, to remain tender but absorb the marinade, then grilled on a flat iron surface, do not grill on open flame or allow to dry out. Set aside the marinade to use as a basting liquid, at mid cook so it stays moist
A flat cast iron pan for toasting the soft tortilla shells a touch, or you can use a gas stove burner. Must remain flexable.

If you do not have any Lone Star long necks, sorry, that is too bad.

[tunnug]

I too have had tough fajitas at a restaurant. Can I use ribeye and have it taste like a fajita? If so, can you tell me how you would do it?
When the price of the fajita cut went through the roof I started using "Diesmillo", I believe it's chuck cut very thin, I cook it slathered it with Pace picante sauce and a little bit of salt, haven't had any complaints so far.
ps; if I'm out of pace I'll just use some Montreal seasoning, also comes out good.

[Txcowboy52]

Say when !!!

[HWooldridge]

Yes, diezmillo is chuck steak, one of those other cuts like round or skirt, which usually need to be tenderized. One of our local taquerias runs their asada through a shredder, into pieces about 1/4x3/4 or thereabouts, so it’s much bigger than ground meat and still has texture but it’s nice and tender. They grille it with onions, tomatoes and serrano peppers - think I’ll drive over at lunch and get some!

[Tall]

Fajitas are traditionally made from skirt steak that’s been tenderized with a hammer or a rotary machine tenderizer. Seasoning is simple - cumin, salt, pepper and garlic are the basics. Either spray or dunk in your favorite cooking oil then grille over mesquite coals with onions and green peppers. Cut across the grain to serve.

They really weren’t very popular before 1980 or so, when the taco joints started pushing them as a way to get rid of a poor cut of meat.

But the key is to serve them on a hot (450 degrees F) cast iron plate with Lime Juice squirted over the top right when they are due to be served.

[Char-Gar]

The flank/skirt steak has been a mainstay of Chinese cooking long before the world ever heard the word "fajita".

[Half Dog]

For all who would like to know the conclusion, I found a recipe that is delicious. I used ribeye and the following ingredients:

DRY SPICE MIX
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoon) ground cumin
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) garlic powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


WET MARINADE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

I added 3 tablespoons of the dry mix to the wet mix fr the marinade. After the steak was marinated I patted it dry and sprinkled more of the dry mix on it.

I’m adding this to my delicious recipe collection.

[HWooldridge]

That sounds like a good recipe. I'll file it away for reference.

I've never been a wood snob but I also think mesquite has a unique flavor that lends itself well to fajitas.