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/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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4584962 No.4584962 [Reply] [Original]

Fajita thread.

I'm fucking pumped, I went to the store for groceries and these nice big bell peppers were on sale, two for $1, ANY COLOR. Naturally I got two of each color, 8 total. Got some onions, cilantro, limes, chicken breasts and a nice looking skirt steak. I also got a bottle of fajita marinade..........

Thats my problem. I have my chicken soaking in the fajita marinade but I'd like to make the skirt steak fajitas completely from scratch. I've only ever used marinades, the closest I've come to doing my own was mixing liquid smoke, some seasonings and lime juice. What is the "authentic" way to do beef fajitas? I want them to be like in the restaurant, tender, juicy, flavorful. Any fajita recipes?

>> No.4585100

bump

>> No.4585120

>>4585100
>>4584962
this is one i enjoy learned while visiting some relatives in San Diego

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Zest from one lime (about 2 teaspoons full)
1/4 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
I have heard a few times and then later found that the acid from lime juice toughens the steak, so the zest is perfect

also its nice to deglaze the pan after searing the steak for a little more juice flavor

>> No.4585123

>>4585120
Thanks, I have all of that except the peppers in adobo sauce, might pick some up tomm though. So lime juice toughens the meat? I was always under the impression that fruit juices worked as a sort of natural tenderizer.

>> No.4585127

>>4585123
yah its all about how long you have the steak marinating. http://allrecipes com/howto/marinating-meats/

thats why most acid heavy marinades are left for under one day or around a night

>> No.4585128

>>4585123
it might have something to do with changing teh PH of the meat, so like how brine keeps meat nice and juices the acidity of limes might do the opposite? I'm only assuming but I heard that cooking with lime juice will make it bitter.

>> No.4585134

>>4585127
Cool, I'll probably start marinading the beef tomm and let it sit a day or two. I also got chicken so I can use that in the meantime. I bought so many peppers and onions that I'll probably be having fajitas for a week, thats cool with me though.

>> No.4585140

>>4585128
It does make it bitter, I ruined my last fajitas with it. I thought lime juice made it tender so I made a lime juice based marinade, squeezed about 15 limes in it along with some oil, salt, cumin, pepper, and chili powder. The meat was tough as fuck and it tasted bad, very bitter. Thats why I just bought a bottle of marinade this time but am still looking for suggestions. That first guys recipe sounded nice and easy enough.

>> No.4585142

>>4585134
if you get tired of that, make it into an omelet!

>> No.4585147

>>4585142
Nice, I didn't think of that. I usually don't buy bell peppers because I like the colored ones best and they are fucking expensive. When I buy them I just make fajitas. I was goddamn excited when I saw all peppers 2 for $1. Thanks though, I probably will make omelets if I run out of meat before I run out of peppers.

>> No.4585149

try the authentic ghetto way. cook the beef strips in a pan then add some pace picante sauce and cook until done and that is how some people make killer fajita meat

>> No.4585160

>>4585149
Meh. I'm not in college anymore. I've done that with chicken though. Not horrible.

>> No.4585195

Don't go all out.

Go basic:

Veggies just beginning to saute. Make sure onion is in here.

Herbs at a minimum, but consider cumin / oregano / chili

Squeeze a lime & add brown sugar.

Cilantro in the last minute, for those who do.

Roll into cheese-sprinkled tortillas.

MMM

Lots of stuff you can do between beginning & eating.

>> No.4585203

>>4585120
it's

>> No.4587274

bump

>> No.4588244

Here's my marinade:

2 chiptle peppers, with about 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
1 pickled jalapeno
3-4 cloves of garlic, or more or less, depending on how garlicky you like it.
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Zest and juice from one lime
A shot of tequila
2 tablespoons of brown sugar (use the mexican kind if you can find it, it's those weird brown cone things)
A bit of cilantro
Salt
Cumin
1 arbol chile (or about 6-8 dried chile pequins if you can get them, they are amazing tasting)
1 guajillo chile

Seed the chiles, and cut them up into little chunks. Smash the garlic, and coarsely chop the cilantro. Blend it all up until it's smooth. Then, pour about half a bottle of beer into the blender, and stir it around to loosen the marinade a bit.

Use a meat mallet to tenderize the steak a bit, then put it into a bag, along with the marinade, and let marinade for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.

As for grilling, use Alton Brown's method of cooking it directly on the charcoal. If you don't want to do that, just make sure you're using the highest heat possible. Skirt/flank steak cooks really quickly, and when it is well done, is gets really tough. Just make sure to thoroughly drain the marinade off the meat before you cook it.

As for toppings, definitely go with the sauteed onions and peppers. Make sure the pepper mix has at least 1/4 of it being the green peppers, you want that bittersweet flavor.

Guacamole is always good, as is salsa/pico de gallo. For pico though, try using cherry tomatoes, they're a bit sweeter.

One topping that's really traditional is to heat up about half an inch of oil in a pan over medium high heat, and place whole jalapenos in it, and cook them, turning, until the skin is practically falling off the flesh. Very delicious

And of course, cilantro and lime.