Tex-Mex Fajitas

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups lean steak strips or 4 cups chicken breast strips
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper (or to taste)
1 cup thinly sliced green bell peppers
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 large flour or corn tortillas
2 cups basic red sauce or prepared salsa
1 pint sour cream
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt, to taste (optional)

Put olive oil and garlic in a preheated wok.
Stir-fry the steak
or chicken and add the salt and cook until it is almost done.
Then
add onions, green peppers, lemon juice, Chipotle pepper and cook
until the onions and peppers are limp.
When finished, pour into a
bowl and prepare the fajita on a tortilla with the salsa, sour
cream and Cheddar cheese.

Makes 8 fajitas.

Tex-Mex Fajitas

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’ll find no cast iron griddle with the sizzling bell peppers
and onions in this recipe.
This was developed mainly by chain
restaurants and is in no way a part of true Tex-Mex fajitas.
You
can add them if you wish.
This recipe is authentic.

2 pounds beef skirt steak
1/2 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons powdered red chiles
3 pickled jalapenos, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons jalapeno pickling liquid *
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional - if grilling on cast iron or under
the broiler)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional - if grilling on cast iron or
under the broiler)

* 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.

Place half of the onions in the bottom of a nonreactive
dish.

Mix the cumin, powdered red chiles, chopped jalapenos and garlic
together in a small bowl, then rub on all sides of the meat.
Put
the skirt steak into the dish on top of the onions.
Pour the lime
juice and the jalapeno liquid over all areas to coat.
Sprinkle the
remaining onions on top of the meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least
1 hour, but preferably overnight, turning once.

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.

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.
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. Remove the meat to a cutting board.
Let
sit 5 minutes before slicing to rest.

Cut the meat into thin strips that can be easily rolled into
tortillas.

Serve with warm, soft flour tortillas and fresh pico de gallo or
salsa fresca.

NOTES: Only use the soy sauce and Liquid Smoke if you are
cooking on the stovetop with cast iron or under the broiler.
The
soy sauce helps brown the steak, and the Liquid Smoke gives the
fajitas that grilled flavor.

Be sure to use chile powder, not chili powder.
Chili powder is a
mixture of spices, and chile powder is pure ground chile.