Fajita Help?

W

wild_turkey

250+ Posts
Anyone have a recipe for good fajitas? I don't really need help with the seasoning, just actually cooking the meat. For the past couple years I've bought the HEB skirt steak, which pretty much sucks. I've tried everything to make it tender, with only moderate success. I'm now thinking it could be the meat, but I don't really know what else to buy. I've also tried the HEB and HCF pre-seasoned fajitas, and these aren't very good either. Plus you're paying for a lot of fat and water it seems. Suggestions?
 
Buy the HEB pre-marinade and then just add you own. I usually rub Worcestershire, tony's, garlic salt and then some Stubb's BBQ sauce on mine. Let it sit for a while and throw on the pit.
 
Damn if you can't get the HEB marinated to taste good you are scrweing some **** up.

1) do you know how to properly cut fajita meat? You need to cut ACROSS the grain, if you don't it's gonna be tough.

2) you must be over cooking it. What you need to do is have a hot side to your grill and an indirect heat side. you sear the meat about 2 minutes on each side if your fire is hot enough, then set off to the side for about another 5 to 8 minutes and you are done.

I agree with scott it doesn't compute that you can't get the HEB fajitas to taste good. try the beef and make sure you don't over cook it!
 
if you want tender fajita meat, you need to tenderize the **** out of it, the meat department will do it for you, when you get home, put the meat in a container and marinate it with 1/2 part pinapple juice, 1/4 soy sauce, and a 1/4 terryaki (sp?), then add the juices from some fresh lemons, limes and oranges, you can add some minced garlic or peppers to spice it up if you like, then let it marinate for 6 hours, take it out and grill it for about 4-5 minutes on each side...
 
There are a fair number of posters on here who are very impressed with the HEB preseasoned fajitas. You are correct in that you do pay for 'water' and 'fat'. Much of that water you are paying for is the marinade itself, so it's not that bad. I like to marinate in lime juice. I have never used pinapple juice, but that sounds like it would really make the meat a bit sweet and all my friends know I can't stand sweet meat. I would also ask a question about how long you cook your meat? I am going to assume you are talking about steak only as you mentioned flank steak (so you aren't talking chicken or pork). You don't really want to cook the meat past medium. Flack steak is by nature a pretty thin cut and doesn't need to be on a hot grill for too long.
 
I use lime juice too. The guy onthe food network says the acid in citrus serving as a good tenderizer is a wive's tale, but whatever.

Fiesta fajita seasoning, lime juice, soy.
 
Wild Turkey, why are you trying to cook the inside of a steak?
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Steak should NEVER EVER NEVER EVER be cooked beyond medium. Medium rare is preferrable in every cut of beef steak I can think of. (on a side note as a lamb freak of sorts, I NEVER get it past med rare.)
 
I like flank vs skirt steak. I marinade in thousand island (edit - I meant Italian dressing...brainfart) with extra black and red pepper plus garlic and grill it on high heat (preferrable a wood fire, but propane grill will do) until it starts to bleed through. Result is nice medium rare fajitas. Never found it all that hard, and almost impossible to screw up.
 
bad excuse, I have never heard or nor thought of marinading in thousand island dressing. What does that do for meat?
 
There is a Mexican market on S. Congress almost across from St. Edwards. They have really good seasoned skirt steak that is really thin.
 
You As Americans...

Fajitas must be cooked quickly over white hot coals. NO GRILL MARKS on the meat, keep it moving.

More so the quality of the meat has a lot to do with it. You are not going to find the best quality fajitas in your grocery store. If you have a good meat purveyor ask him to get you outside beef skirts. They are expensive, but worth every penny.
Flank steak, pork,chicken or anything cooked and put in a tortilla are NOT fajitas.

You must also butterfly the meat before grilling, this takes a very good knife and be careful as you split the meat. Most butchers will butterfly the meat for you if you ask. Also look for the 'Excel' brand beef, I have seen it from time to time at Walmart (Ben White and the ghetto store on 183/IH35)

Just like a great steak if you have a true fajita properly butchered and cooked you will never need marinades, or cut against the grain. The meat is naturally flavorful and tender.
 
I have used HEB's HCF beef fajita meat over 100 times and I have never had any that is tough. It is always moist and tender. And I cook one batch medium rare and one batch completely cooked and both turn out just fine.

Not sure what the problem would be unless you just got a bad batch.
 
Sear the crap out of the meat...

Then move it off to the side (indirect heat) to finish them.

Let them sit a few minutes before cutting so all the hot juice doesn't come squirting out.

In a nutshell that's how you cook them. then cut across the grain and you are ready to go.
 
I thought about this a little more and realized that most Tex-mex places bring your meat on a hot skillet, where it is likely still cooking to some degree. Does this mean that they sear it on a grill, then pull it off and cut it, then transfer it to a hot plate?
 
Yeah I've used Zesty Italian a few times and it's pretty good. Don't really know what all is in that dressing, but it works.
 
The sizzling skillet is just for presentation, the fajitas are cooked over the grill and then put on a hot cast iron skillet and carried table side for that sizzling appreance.

Hills Cafe was known for their sizzling steaks back i the day, you had to sit there with a napkin in front of you for a minute or two to keep grease from splattering all over you.

Flat Iron steak isnt a fajita either....anything other than skirt steak is just a Taco al Carbon.
From Wiki:
Sonny Falcon is believed to have operated the first commercial fajita taco stand at a weeklong outdoor event in Kyle, Texas in 1969. He also went to rodeos, fairs, and outdoor festivals selling his fajita taco. An Austin reporter christened him "The Fajita King" and Falcon was able to trademark the name.

The food became popular in restaurants such as Ninfa's and other Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. Ninfa's originally called the dish tacos al carbon and later tacos a la Ninfa before using the term fajita.

In many restaurants, the fajita meat is brought to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter or skillet, with the tortillas and condiments served on the side. This presentation is credited to Chef George Weidmann, chef of the Hyatt Regency La Vista restaurant in Austin, Texas. The "sizzling fajita" was created by Weidmann in 1982.

Oh yeah..yes, he is my dad.
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"Flat Iron steak isnt a fajita either....anything other than skirt steak is just a Taco al Carbon."
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You are technically correct. You may remain technically correct, and I will continue to enjoy the better flavor and more tender texture of flat iron steak.
 
I am honored to know Sonny Falcon and I'm glad Wiki is telling the story. I tell people all the time the fajita was invented by an Austinite, but they just blow me off as geocentric.
 
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