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Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes From: Ward Tomlinson <TOMLINSON@neurophys.wisc.edu> Subject: Fajitas Collection (Long) Message-ID: <YHFQOZA@taronga.com> Organization: Taronga Park BBS Date: Mon, 3 May 93 16:11 CST Lines: 519

FAJITAS COLLECTION Here, as promised, is the collection of Fajitas recipes that I have managed to put together, ranging from the quick-and-easy to the wonderfully elaborate. Thanks to all those who sent me their recipes or collections. I have tried to list the author's names beside their contribution, but this was not always possible (apologies to those I have missed).

Bon appetite all, Ward Tomlinson tomlinson@neurophys.wisc.edu

--------- FAJITAS 1

Well, I wing my fajitas every time I do them, but here's a guess at the measurements.

2 Tablespoons oil 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs cut in thin slices 1 large onion, cut in slivers from pole to pole 1 green bell pepper, cut in slivers pole to pole 1 red bell pepper, cut (you guess it) in slivers pole to pole 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 Tablespoons chili powder 3 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon black pepper ground red pepper (to taste) salt (to taste) flour tortillas

In a large wok, warm the oil. Cook the chicken slices until done, stir regularly. Add everything except tortillas. Mix well. Cook covered. Stir every few minutes. It's done when the peppers are tender and the vegetables are starting to get browned in spots. Serve with warmed flour tortillas. (I warm them individually in the microwave for 20 secs.)

Additional toppings for the fajitas can include salsa, sour cream, avacados, and tomatos. To me cheese is a sacrilege; but, to each his own.

NOTE: My grocer carries "fajita tortillas". These are smaller and thicker than ones I would use for burritos. They hold up much better with the fajita filling.

NOTE 2: If tortillas are not handy, use pita halves. They work great.

- Jeff jshearer@beta.tricity.wsu.EDU

--------- FAJITAS 2

Fajitas are marinated skirt steak. This is the diaphragm muscle in the cow. Anything else is NOT a true fajita.

INGREDIENTS 1 skirt steak for each 4 people ( this is the diaphragm muscle) Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing.

Flour tortillas Refried beans Guacamole Grated cheddar cheese diced tomatoes Salsa

Marinate skirt steak in enough salad dressing to cover meat, for a full 24 Hours, NOT LESS!

grill steak over charcoal (mesquite is best)

slice steak with the grain into thin strips

warm tortilla (works great to wrap in Saran wrap and heat in microwave) spread some beans down center of tortilla, add some meat, top with other condiments, roll into a tube and enjoy.

Not bad, but if you live in a part of the country where you can get "real" Mexican food products, you can marinate the meat in something called "mojo criollo". This comes in bottles and consists of oil, vinegar and an assortment of other spices. It's specifically for this kind of use. It's available in most Supermarkets around here.

Tom's recipe mentions a couple of important points: 1) Marinate the meat overnight at least. It makes a big difference. You can also do this with skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

2) Slice the meat *after* cooking, not before. The pre-cut beef and chicken products "for fajitas" you see some places just don't come up to snuff.

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--------- FAJITAS 3: (from USENET cookbook)

Fajitas originated in Texas as a way to make cheap meat palatable. Unfortunately, it was too successful. It is still palatable, but because the word is out that fajitas are so delicious, the meat isn't cheap any more. Because this is not a traditional Mexican dish but a recent inven- tion of Mexican immigrants, there is no fixed formula for it. Many different Kinds of marinade are used; this one is adapted from a recipe given to a friend over the phone by Tortuga's in Austin, Texas.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8) 3 lb skirt steak 2 large yellow onions 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 16 flour or whole-wheat tortillas 2 cups grated cheese 3 cups guacamole MARINADE 1 cup lime juice 1 Tbsp ground black pepper 2 Tbsp garlic, minced PICO DE GALLO 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 scallions, chopped (green onions) 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp garlic, minced

PROCEDURE (1) Combine marinade ingredients in a large glass baking dish.

(2) Peel the fatty membrane from both sides of the skirt Steak. This requires a very sharp knife. Add meat to marinade and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Keep it in the refri- gerator if you marinate overnight.

(3) Make the pico de gallo: combine all of the ingredients in a small serving bowl.

(4) Slice the yellow onions into 1/4-inch slices, and cut each slice into a semicircle. Grill the meat until it is cooked slightly less than the way you like it. Meanwhile, saute' the onions in the oil until they are soft. Use a large frying pan that will have enough room for the meat later.

(5) After removing the meat from the grill, slice it into strips that are cut across the grain. The strips should be 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Add the strips to the onions in the pan, and fry for another minute or two.

(6) Place on the table the pan full of meat, the bowl of pico de gallo, a basket with the tortillas, a bowl with the guacamole, and a bowl with the grated cheese. You may wish to provide picante sauce in addition.

(7) Each person makes their own fajita by taking a tor- tilla, spooning some of the meat onto it, then adding their choice of each of the other ingredients in whatever combination they want.

NOTES Skirt steak is somewhat like flank steak: somewhat tough, and with a very stringy texture. It is covered on both sides with a fatty membrane that must be removed or the meat will be very tough. The key to good fajitas is the proper removal of this membrane.

Fresh-squeezed lime juice is best, but bottled will do.

Some people from out of state choose to put sour cream on their fajitas.

Time: 45 minutes preparation, several hours marinating, 10 minutes cooking. Precision: no need to measure.

From: whitley@mksol.dseg.ti.com Organization: Texas Instruments

--------- FAJITAS 4: CHICKEN FAJITAS

Prep: 10 Min. Marinade: 1 Hour Cook: 10 to 15 Minutes Serves: 6

1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1/4 cup bottled taco sauce (Tabasco or the like) 3 tbs lime juice (best if real limes used) 3 tbs tequila 2 ea jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 1 ea crushed dried habanero 2 ea garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cumin 12 ea flour tortillas Salsa \ Guacamole \ shredded lettuce \ as accompaniment sour cream / shredded cheese / Pico de Gallo /

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Trim off any fat or gristle. In a large bowl, combine taco sauce, lime juice, tequila, jalapenos, garlic, salt, and cumin. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate, tossing occasionally, 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 12 hours refrigerated.

Prepare a hot fire. Set chicken on an oiled grill 4 to 6 inches from heat. Grill, turning and basting with marinade several times, until chicken is white throughout but still moist, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes before cutting or tearing into large strips.

While chicken is standing, heat tortillas directly on grill for 20 to 30 seconds per side, or wrap in foil in 2 packages, 6 tortillas to a package, and warm, turning several times, 3 to 5 minutes.

To serve, put chicken strips on tortillas. Top with salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce, and sour cream. Roll up and eat.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with "Black Bean Salad" and top shelf margaritas!

Enjoy!

FAJITAS 5: Shrimp Fajitas

None of the recipes I've tried seemed worth posting, until this one. It's so darned good, I had to share it.

1 pound shrimp, shelled 1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro 1 clove garlic, pressed 1/3 cup lime juice 4-6 flour tortillas 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 green bell peppers, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt green salsa (optional)

Marinate shrimp in lime juice with garlic and cilantro for 20 minutes at room temperature. Warm tortillas in foil in oven. Heat oil in skillet and saute bell peppers and onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take vegetables out and put shrimp with juice in. Cook on high heat about 3 minutes until done (cut to test, should be opaque in center). Put vegetables back in pan, warm them up, add yogurt. Place mixture on flour tortillas, roll them up, and top with salsa.

This recipe came from a cookbook which I think was entitled "Light & Lively" by Sunset...something like that. As you can see, it is a low-fat as well as nutritious meal. Yum yum!

lisap@olomana.soest.hawaii.edu (Lisa Petersen) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

--------- FAJITAS 6

I have a very easy recipe that I use (I think I got it from the back of the tortilla package).

Marinate strips of steak and or chicken in Italian Dressing for a couple of hours. (I have marinated over night)

Cook meat in hot skillet in a little bit of oil. Add green pepper, red pepper and onions (that have been sliced). Add the rest of marinade to the skillet and cook until the veg. are tender and the meat is done. You can season with garlic, but I find the seasoning in the dressing to be fine.

Serve on warmed tortillas with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

YUMMY! and its real easy.

Angie 33s@oasys.dt.navy.MIL

--------- FAJITAS 7

LIME JUICE is our basic fajitas recipe. Marinate the beef or chicken in lots of lime juice, at least a few hours. Then we grill (if it's a fillet) or saute (if it's strips or raining), sauteeing usually with cumin.

To serve: my husband prefers plain meat with some fresh coriander leaves added as he wraps in tortillas. I want more vegies so I usually sautee onions and peppers, usually with lots of cumin and some garlic, but the spices varies. I also eat the fajitas with the fresh coriander, yogurt, and maybe chopped tomatoes or some salsa.

The fresh coriander is essential for us.

Aiko Pinkoski Epoch Systems, Inc. aiko@epoch.com 8 Technology Drive uunet!epochsys!aiko Westborough, MA 011581 (508) 836-4711 ext. 307

--------- FAJITAS 8: Real Tex-Mex Fajitas

This is a fajita recipe by one of my dad's college buddies, Abel Garcia, a native Texan. The quantities are party-sized.

10 lbs. fajitas (flank or skirt steak) 4 lemons or limes plus rinds 1 can beer or wine 1 6oz can pineapple juice 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp tenderizer 2 sweet onions, sliced (not diced) 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp lemon pepper 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp black pepper

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade together, then trim the meat. Marinade the meat overnight (we put it in big ziplock bags) in the refrigerator.

Cook over a hot fire on the grill til medium. Grill the onions too, if you like (fresh sliced bell peppers are also good). Have the buffet ready when you start grilling the meat: tortillas, diced tomatoes and onions, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese, pico de gallo, salsa, etc. While the meat is still hot off the grill, slice it into strips and serve.

Laura Wallace

WallLau@iitvax WallLau@karl.acc.iit.edu WALLLAU@chico.acc.iit.edu

------------FAJITAS 9 Fajitas on the Grill from the "El Paso Chili Company's Texas Border Cookbook" by Park and Norma Kerr

Here is a grand mixed fajitaparrilla ("grill"~skirt steak, lobster, chicken, and shrimp--a real party. On simpler occasions we halve the marinade and use just one or two of the main components. Two practical notes: The live lobsters can be replaced with 4 defrosted frozen lobster tails, slightly undercooked according to the directions on the package. And, although some grill manufacturers warn against heavy basting, Park has always just dumped all the remaining marinade over the fajitas on the grill (the fuming cloud of steam and smoke is full of flavor) and he reports it has not harmed his grill.

2 1/4 pounds (2 or 3 pieces) skirt steak 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed of fat and connective tissue 1 pound (about 18) large shrimp, shelled and deveined 2 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)

2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt 2 cups tomato-based bottled hot salsa 1 cup chopped red onion 1 cup packed fresh cilantro (stems may be used) 4 fresh jalapeno chiles, stemmed and chopped 1/4 C gold tequila 1/4 C fresh lime juice 1 cup amber beer, such as Dos Equis

24 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed Pico de Gallo Guacamole

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt, add the lobsters, and cook them, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes. The lobsters' tails, when straightened, should snap back in place, and the lobster meat should be almost fully cooked. Cool the lobsters to room temperature in a colander. Crack open the claws and body shell and remove the lobster meat in pieces as large as possible. The lobsters can be cooked up to 1 day in advance. Wrap the meat and refrigerate it. In a food processor, working in batches if necessary, puree together the salsa, red onions, cilantro, jalapenos, tequila, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the beer. In two or three shallow nonreactive dishes, combine the lobster meat, skirt steaks, chicken breasts, and shrimp with the marinade. Cover and let them stand at room temperature, stirring once or twice, for 2 hours. Thread the shrimp on skewers. Preheat a gas grill (medium-high) or light a charcoal fire and let it burn down until the coals are evenly white. Position the rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Lay the skirt steaks on the grill and spoon half the marinade over the meat. Lower the cover and cook 7 minutes. Turn the steaks. Lay the chicken breasts, lobster meat, and skewered shrimp on the grill, baste everything with the remaining marinade (there will be steam and smoke), and cover the grill. Cook another 7 minutes, turning the chicken breasts, lobster meat, and shrimp at the halfway point, or until the steaks are medium-rare and the chicken, shrimp, and lobster are lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer the steaks and chicken breasts to a cutting board, tent them with foil, and let them rest 10 minutes. Keep the shrimp warm. Slice the lobster pieces about l/2-inch thick and keep them warm. Carve the steak and chicken breasts across the grain and at a slight angle into l/4-inch slices. Arrange the steak, chicken, lobster, and shrimp on a warmed platter and serve immediately, accompanied by the warmed tortillas, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

-----------FAJITAS 10 Winter Fajitas from the "El Paso Chili Company's Texas Border Cookbook" by Park and Norma Kerr

These indoor fajitas are for the dead of winter, when the grill is buried under a snowdrift, or for any time, really, when you just don't want to cook outdoors. This marinade is slightly different from the one we use for our grilled fajitas (above), it boosts the flavor with chipotles and liquid smoke flavoring to make up for the lack of an open flame. Cook these in one or two heavy cast-iron skillets or on a large ridged cast- iron grill pan that will fit across two burners. (Those cute little fajita skillets that come with a wood or wicker holder are useless for cooking on, but two or three can be preheated and used as serving pieces.) Be sure to turn off the smoke alarm before setting out to make this recipe.

2 l/2 to 3 pounds skirt steak, cut into -inch sections Nonstick cooking spray 1 large onion (about 1 pound), peeled, halved, and cut into thin slices 2 large heavy sweet red peppers, stemmed, cored, and cut into julienne strips 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup tomato-based bottled hot salsa 1/2 C chopped red onion 1/2 C packed fresh cilantro (stems can be used) 1/4 cup olive oil 3 chipotles adobado, with clinging sauce 2 Tbsp tequila 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp liquid hickory smoke flavoring 1/2 C amber beer, such as Dos Equis

18 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed Pico de Gallo Guacamole

note: "chipotles abobabo" are pickled peppers in tomato sauce

In a food processor, puree the salsa, red onions, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the chipotles, tequila, lime juice, and liquid smoke. Stir in the beer. In a shallow nonreactive dish, pour the marinade over the skirt steak and let it stand at room temperature, covered, turning it once or twice, for 2 hours. Heat one or two heavy cast-iron skillets or a cast-iron stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat. When they are very hot, lightly coat the skillets with nonstick cooking spray. Letting the excess marinade drip off, and working in batches if necessary, place the meat in the skillets. Cook, turning once or twice, until browned on the outside and medium-rare inside, 4 to S minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the onions and sweet red peppers, season with salt, and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, for 8 minutes. Cut the meat, across the grain and at a slight angle, into thin slices. Add the meat and any juices from the cutting board to the skillet with the onions and peppers. Raise the heat to high and cook uncovered, tossing and stirring, until the meat is heated through and the onions and peppers are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to heated fajita pans or a large heated platter and serve immediately, accompanied by warmed tortillas, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

----------FAJITAS 11 BEEF FAJITAs

Ingredients:

Beef skirt steaks (you may have to ask the butcher for these outside the Southwest; they are inexpensive and readily available in the prime fajita areas of the country such as Texas) [Note that you can use flank steak if forced to but it just doesn't taste the same.]

Flour tortillas

For the meat marinade:

Olive or other vegetable oil as preferred and about an equal amount of fresh lime juice (or a combination lime juice and white vinegar); salt; pepper to taste; minced garlic or garlic powder

Accompaniments:

salsa, raw sliced onions, shredded mild cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, etc.

First, marinate the skirt steaks in the oil/lime juice mixture as described above. Overnight in the refrigerator works well using a ziploc bag. The amount of marinade depends on the amount of meat. [The lime juice imparts an incredibly sweet and fresh taste to the meat; you will love the effect.]

Prepare your accompaniments and have them ready for guests to use according to their own preferences. Some people fry onions (instead of using them raw) and others cook some green pepper as accompaniments. I personally think that this detracts from a simple fresh taste, but hey this is food, not medicine...

Grill the fajitas outside (over wood charcoal if you can get it)--over a medium hot fire this will require about 10 minutes a side. After grilling, allow the skirt steaks to sit for a couple of minutes, then slice across the grain in relatively thin slices.

Warm the flour torillas slightly (microwave will do nicely if you aren't a purist).

Allow people to assemble the fajitas themselves: slices of meat rolled in the torillas together with accompaniments of their choice. You may also want to have some hot pepper sauce and cilantro also at the ready.

This is a "can't lose" company dish; the meat when re-heated tastes good as left-overs as well.

Michael Karchmer MAKARCHMER@gallua.gallaudet.EDU