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CI Steak Fajitas

Doug D.

Doug D.

Administrator
Staff member
CI Steak Fajitas

1 lb. skirt steak, silverskin and most of surface fat removed
1/2 C. mojo criollo marinating sauce (I prefer Goya brand)

1 med-lg. yellow onion, sliced into 1/2" thick rings
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" thick rings
vegetable oil

Pico de Gallo

3 roma tomatoes, seeded, finely diced
1 lg. fresh jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
1/4 C. finely diced white onion
1 T. fresh cilantro, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
salt

shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream (3 Tbl.)
guacamole (1 or 2 individual serving packages, or make your own)

6 flour tortillas, fajita size


Marinate skirt steak overnight in mojo in 1 gal. zipper bag.

For pico de gallo, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, pinch salt, and lime juice.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place large CI skillet (#10, preferably a heavy one) in oven to preheat. Place skirt steak in oven safe dish, and cook to 125F internal, about 15 minutes.

In a separate skillet (#8), add 2-3 Tbl. oil and cook onion and bell pepper rings with a pinch of salt over med-high heat until beginning to char. Cover and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until just soft.

Remove pre-heated skillet to burner on med-high. Sear skirt steak in a little oil until edges begin to char, about 2-3 min per side. Remove to cutting board and let rest 3 minutes. Cut steak in half crosswise, and then slice each piece thinly across the grain. If more rare than preferred, briefly return slices to skillet, stirring until desired doneness is achieved. Use pan drippings to further season onion and pepper rings. Remove steak, onion, and pepper to a serving platter.

Serve immediately with warm flour tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese, and pico de gallo.

Serves two, with leftovers.
 
Very nice. One common flaw I often see in pico is the lack of lime juice but that's not missing here.

And I also see a tendency to cut with the grain because of how the meat cuts are shaped, but it's vital to cut skirt steak against the grain so your bites separate easily and the stated technique does it right.

To the general public, I will say that, though in general I prefer my steak rare, skirt steak is better served well-done. Aside from the extra caramelization, the grains separate more easily that way and the flavor's still there.

Also, most cuts just labeled "skirt steak" are inside skirt. If you're located somewhere where you can find outside skirt, get that - it's more tender, juicer, and more flavorful than inside skirt.

Buen provecho!
 
I realize that other cuts of beef could be substituted for skirt steak. The beef flavor advantage of a skirt steak would be diluted by the marinade and the other ingredients. There also seems to be a specific technique placed on cutting it correctly as to make the texture acceptable so my question is; Why skirt steak?

Hilditch
 
Many forms of comfort food are based on making the best of cheaper cuts. BBQ, for example...

Ninfa's restaurants from Houston claim invention of fajitas back in the early '70s, 1973 IIRC. It built her company. In "another life", I happened to have a corporate position in the company that bought Ninfa's when they were forced into bankruptcy back in the '90s, and I met Mama Ninfa a number of times before she passed.

She did not give me (and I didn't I ask) any wisdom about why she chose skirt steak, but the fact is that skirt steak was unpopular before fajitas, but now it's premium priced (at least around here) for that usage.

So yes, you can use other cuts, but you're just diverting further from authenticity. The main thing I liked about Doug's recipe is it's pretty dang authentic (not knowing what the recipe for the mojo criollo marinade is but the name implies it includes garlic and I assume it contains lime juice as a tenderizer) and most fajita recipes I see are pale imitations.

I've had to make fajitas using flat iron steak and it lacks in comparison, at least for fajitas.

The biggest deviation in this recipe is cooking the meat in an oven / on CI instead of grilling over a wood (mesquite) fire, but this is about CI cooking and the interpretation seemed appropriate IMO.
 
Mojo Criollo normally consists of sour orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, and other spices like cumin. Although if you ask what mojo is, you'll probably be told garlic sauce, so many believe that's what it means. It is used as both a marinade and a sauce. Some Cuban restaurants serve a bowl of it as a dipping sauce alongside an appetizer of mariquitas (crispy plantain chips). And boiled yuca swimming in a bowl of mojo and olive oil is among the most satisfying side dishes of Cuban cuisine. Literally, the word mojo can be interpreted as "to wet, moisten, or saturate". Criollo simply means "creole".
 
Doug,
I was hoping for a picture or two. I know it's a recipe area but pictures help visualize it me.

Recipe sounds good I like good fajitas chicken,beef pork, you name it. I think I'm over due on making some have at the house.
 
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