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2 Pounds Beef Skirt Steak
½ Onion -- halved,
slice thin
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Powdered
Red Chiles
3 Jalapenos -- (pickled)
chopped
2 Cloves Garlic -- chopped
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Jalapeno
Pickling Liquid -- * see note
1 Tablespoon Corn Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
-- (optional)
1 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
-- (optional)
This is the liquid used
to pickle and flavor the jalapenos. It is basically white vinegar with
added spices, and there is always ample liquid in the jar or can to use
in this recipe, without leaving
the remaining jalapenos
dry.
1.
Place half of the onions in the bottom of a nonreactive dish.
2.
Mix the cumin, powdered red chiles, chopped jalapenos and garlic
together in a small
bowl, then rub on all sides of the meat.
3.
Put the skirt steak into the dish, on top of the onions.
4.
Pour the lime juice and the jalapeno liquid over all areas to coat.
5.
Sprinkle the remaining onions on top of the meat.
6.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight, turning
once.
7.
Preheat the grill or broiler until hot. Fajitas need to cook close to a
very high heat source,
in order to sear the outside but still leave the interior medium
rare.
8.
Mix together the oil and, if you are using them, the soy sauce and liquid
smoke. Brush or
spoon the oil mixture onto the meat surfaces.
9.
Grill or broil about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside
is brown and slightly
charred, and the inside is still slightly pink.
10.Remove
the meat to a cutting board. Let sit 5 minutes before slicing.
11.Cut
the meat into thin strips that can be easily rolled into tortillas.
12.Serve
with warm, soft flour tortillas and fresh Pico de Gallo or Salsa
Fresca.
NOTES: Fajitas are pure Tex-Mex food. They originated along the Rio Grande River on the Texas-Mexico border and were eaten by cattle wranglers. The skirt steak is the traditional cut used and was reserved primarily for the chief cowboy. Other cuts of beef can be substituted, such as flank steak or sirloin, but the skirt is by far the most tender, flavorful and authentic.
You might be wondering where the cast-iron griddle with the sizzling bell peppers and onions are in this recipe. While such a serving method may be dramatic, it is an affectation developed mainly by chain restaurants and is in no way a part of true Tex-Mex fajitas. You may go ahead and add it, but I am still partial to the clean, simple taste of hot grilled meat topped solely with fresh tomato salsa and blanketed in warm, soft tortillas. I do make two minor additions in my recipe when oven-broiling: I add soy sauce to help the thinly cut steaks brown quicker, and I use bottled "liquid smoke" to replicate the flavors created by the more desirable method of charcoal-grilling. Otherwise, this recipe is as authentic as it gets.
