Receta Fajitas, an Authentic Mexican Dish?
The
answer to that is sort of yes, and sort of no. The Spanish word “faja” means
belt or girdle; and refers to the cut of meat known as “skirt steak”. The word
“fajita” means a smaller version of the skirt steak itself, or the thin strips
cut to create the fajita filling. Grilling meat was not a new style of cooking
for the Mexican culture, nor for America; but Mexican vaqueros (cowboys)
introduced their American counterparts to their style. Many parts of cattle
were discarded, such as the skirt, or given to the ranch hands in lieu of
monetary compensation for their work. The meat needed to be grilled to remove
the membrane, or “silver skin”, from both sides; it helped keep juices in, but
was still too tough to ingest. Even
today, many cuts of beef from the market retain the “silver skin” under that
layer of fat left attached. That price
per pound you just paid for includes the section you’re going to throw
away. Marinating the meat all day, or
night, guarantees tough beef will be tender and flavorful, but that came later
on in culinary history.
A
historical piece called “Fajitas, South Texas Style”, done at Texas A&M
University by Mary K. Sweeten and Homer Recio, established that this could be
traced as far back as the 1930’s in Texas; hence the beginning of what is
called “Tex-Mex” cuisine. (Go to: https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/147901/Bull1500a.pdf?sequence=9&isAllowed=y
for the full story.)
While
the fajita originally contained beef, nowadays it can contain chicken, pork,
seafood, or a combination of these items. Other typical ingredients served with
the fajita are onions, shredded lettuce, bell and/or hot peppers, Spanish rice,
refried beans, cheese and condiments such as sour cream, salsa and guacamole.
Wrapped in warm tortillas, the fajita becomes the perfect little type of
sandwich; packed with food and flavors.
Personally, I’m a minimalist, I want to taste the grilled meat, chicken
or seafood, and vegetables; so I typically add a little cheese and sour
cream. However some fajitas I’ve seen
have been so packed with extras, the tortilla could barely have the ends
meet. Hmm, does that make it a “taco”
now, instead of a fajita?
While
delving into the history of cuisines might be a bore to most, I see it as
knowledge gained. With all the stories I
write, about San Juan County, in my travel blog; many residents have outright
stated that I’ve become a bit of a historian in my own right. Basically, I’m keeping the knowledge of
history, whether food or geographically related, alive; and we all know that
knowledge is power.
Fajitas
Ingredients:
2
lbs. sirloin or round steak, cut into 2” x ¼” strips
2
lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2” x ¼ “strips
2
large onions, cut into ¼” strips
1
large each red, yellow and green bell peppers, cut into ¼” strips
1
tsp ground black pepper
1
Tbsp. garlic powder
2
Tbsp. canola oil
1
dozen 8” tortillas (corn or flour)
Marinade:
½
cup canola oil
½
cup white wine vinegar
2
Tbsp. minced garlic
2
jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1
½ Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1
Tbsp. ground cumin
1
tsp ground black pepper
Garnish:
Salsa
Refried
Beans
Sour
Cream
Shredded
Mexican Blend or Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preparation:
Put
steak and chicken strips in two separate sealable plastic bags. Prepare
marinade by placing all ingredients listed under Marinade into small bowl and
whisking together. Divide marinade between the two bags; seal and refrigerate
overnight. In a third plastic bag, place the onion and pepper strips, black
pepper, garlic powder, 2 Tbsp. oil inside; gently shake to mix together and
also refrigerate overnight with steak and chicken.
When
ready to make fajitas, separately cook steak, chicken and vegetables in a
medium skillet on medium-high heat. Cook steak and chicken until no pink is
showing; cook vegetables until tender. For the tortillas, heat a 10” skillet or
stove top griddle on medium-high heat; warm tortillas for 30 seconds on each
side.
Serve
steak, chicken, vegetables and tortillas with items listed under Garnish, so
each serving can be made as desired.
Makes 12 servings.
Mary Cokenour