Steak (and Chicken) Fajitas

[chwalters]

Last night we made steak and chicken fajitas using the same marinade.

This was using flank steak from Costco (3 portions/pieces from the 6 pack), and 5 chicken breasts.

Marinade was approx 1/2 cup lime juice (we cheated and used bottle lime juice)
2 tbls garlic puree
1 1/2 tbls olive oil

Marinate in separate zip loc bags (or bowl) for 3 hours

Slice sweet peppers and onions to accompany in a foil tray or hot plate. I used a folded foil tray. Add some olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

Fire up the coals or gas or whatever it is you normally do. Then start with the veggies (I use a foil tray) and try and get them to caramelise and soften.

Move the veggies aside (if you have room), then cook the chicken and steak. I had pretty thick flank steaks from Costco, so I started these at the same time as the chicken but kept them very indirect. After about 15-20 minutes the meat was good to go.

Slice the meat into thin strips across the grain after short rest. Put meat into serving bowl...

Heat some flour tortillas, then let people assemble their fajitas to include sour cream, cheese, veggies, and of course, either the steak or chicken - or a combo. Spritz with lime juice, and add salsa or hot sauce to taste.

Enjoy!

Here are some photos

[JEC]

Nice effort, we love fajitas in our house but bizarrely I've never thought of putting them on the grill, with wood smoke it's sure to be a winner, I have done pulled pork style fajitas with BBQ sauce but it was basically pulled pork in a wrap.

[oddsocks]

pork and slaw in a wrap. mmmmm, my staple diet last week

[joker smoker]

fajitas means little belt and is the name given to a chargrilled flank steak ,[sliced and wrapped in a flour tortilla with grilled onions and peppers].Any other meat, ie chicken,pork, seafood etc in a tortilla is a taco. In Texas
, for example, on the menu in the tacos section you are likely to find ''tacos de fajitas de carne''...literally tacos of the little belts of beef.Most tacos would be served with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo and salsa whereas fajitas would often be served with grilled onions and peppers hence the misconception that any meat served this way is a ''fajita'. Other accompaniments such as sour cream, cheese and guacamole are usually available for an additional price.

[chwalters]

I believe nothing in a flour tortilla can be considered a taco (at least not in the US/tex mex vernacular). I've never been to Mexico so I cannot say, but I lived in Texas and California, and visit a fair amount.

Tacos are made with corn tortillas. As you say, originally fajitas are possibly originally only beef, but the adaptation in US tex-mex has meant that shrimp, chicken and beef, grilled with peppers and onions and presented on a sizzling plate to be wrapped in flour tortillas - are also fajitas. The key is the flour tortilla wrap and the method of cooking and delivery.

Burritos are "stuff" wrapped in flour tortillas, served wet (with sauce on a plate) or dry (rolled in foil). There are many varieties, including fajita style - meat with pepper and onions. There seems to be some kind of burrito influx in the UK, London has a number of burrito joints now and the trend is spreading rapidly across the country.

A Chimichanga is a burrito that is subsequently deep fried.

Tacos can be soft or "hard" shelled, but I'd say almost always made with corn tortillas. Then there are taquitos, enchiladas, quesadillas, flautas and tostadas.... They all taste great!

[chwalters]

Also, I forgot to mention this is an outstanding blog if you like to read about tacos

http://www.greattacohunt.com

[All Weather Griller]

A great post, cheers Chris.

[joker smoker]

in the 4 years that I lived in houston and worked in a kitchen with 7 Mexican women I learned plenty about tacos and fajitas . Tacos can be flour or corn. I prefer corn but fajitas are only made with skirt steak .Sorry to disagreeSir. I ate in Taqueria Alma Latina No. 5 in the barrio every day almost . This is a Mexican taqueria for Mexican immigrants and whilst you could purchase flour tortilla tacos you could never get a chicken or prawn fajita. Only in the taquerias seving gringos...LOL

[joker smoker]

btw. when I refer to corn torillas I don't mean the crispy shell things you buy in the supermarkets.. these too are for gringos. ...and don't forget gorditas and tamales

[chwalters]

I'm a gringo so I only know the tex-mex angle, not the low down from a native's perspective, which I appreciate could be different. Kind of like the way Indian food is sold here in the UK, or Chinese worldwide, I'm sure the "real deal" is never quite what gets exported.