Fajitas on the Grill

When it comes down to summer grilling fun, fajitas are an excellent choice. The word fajita is the diminutive form of the Spanish word "Faja," meaning belt, or cinch; in this case a "little belt," as in using skirt steak, which comes in narrow bands, like a belt or cinch. Skirt steak is often confused with flank steak, partly (I think) due to the amount of visible one-directional grain of the meat. Here below are photos grabbed online to demonstrate the differences. 

Flank Steak

In the top picture of a Flank Steak (from Pinterest), the fibers run along the length of the meat. Flank steaks are often found rolled up in a package, as the meat is usually no more than an inch thick and its total area takes up too much precious real estate in the meat aisle to be left open to display. Flank steak is a tough cut, made worse by the absence of fatty tissues to lend tenderness. It benefits from marinating to give it flavor and tenderness. The most important rule of all is the meat must be grilled or broiled to medium rare at best, then sliced thinly, across the grain, for serving. This cutting across makes the fibers of the muscle thinner and easier to chew. Trying to chew a slice that runs lengthwise with the fibers would be like trying to chew a rope. Not good.

Skirt Steak

In the bottom picture of a Skirt Steak (from this website), you will note the presence of the same kind of ropy grain to the meat, but this time, the fiber runs perpendicular to the length of the meat, or across its narrow length. The fibers are far more loosely arranged in the meat than in the Flank Steak, where generally the grain is tightly woven. This cut also needs marinating to bring out its flavor and likewise needs to be sliced across the grain. Once grilled, it is good to cut the long length into smaller pieces for ease in cutting across the grain. The skirt steak has lots of fatty tissues in between, helping out with keeping the meat more moist overall, but it should still be just grilled to medium rare at most. It is too easy to get the meat over done, making it far too chewy to eat. 

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After that little demonstration of the differences between these two cuts of meat, let it be understood that either of these may be used to make fajitas. Just ensure that the meat is sliced as thinly across the grain as possible with either one. That said, my preference for fajitas style meat is the skirt steak, for its flavor.

My favorite marinade for my fajitas is a Guatemalan style of Chimichurri. It is not the kind of green chimichurri used as a sauce over the finished meat like from Argentina or other countries. This is definitely a marinade only, or a cooking base for other types of stewed meat. It has terrific flavor and while it has quite a few ingredients, it can also be packaged into 5 or 6 portions and frozen. Bring out and thaw a portion when you want to use it for a marinade and it is all ready to use. 

Guatemalan Chimichurri

Guatemalan Chimichurri

Makes about 5 to 6 cups

5 ripe Roma tomatoes
5 tomatillos
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped, stems discarded
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
2 - 3 bay leaves, crumbled, stems discarded
¼ cup yellow mustard
½ cup olive oil
1 beer (Guatemalan style, or German)
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 cup cilantro leaves
Salt, to taste

Cut up vegetables as needed and place all in a blender to puree. Use a cup or cup and a half size portion for a marinade or cooking liquid for a roast. Divide the rest into containers to freeze until needed.

NOTES: Use to marinate skirt steak for grilling, or equally at home as a savory stewing liquid for a roast beef.


FOR GLUTEN FREE: Substitute the beer with a gluten free variety. 

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Chimichurri Marinated Fajita Meat

Once you've gotten the marinade made and portioned in the freezer, make sure to keep a portion out for your meat marinade.  As mentioned above, skirt steak is the best for flavor in making these grilled fajitas. 

Chimichurri Marinated Fajitas

Serves about 6 to 8

2 pounds skirt steak
1 - 2 cups chimichurri marinade, above
Extra salt, for sprinkling

Skirt steak may have lots of fat over the meat, but the meat is thin and fats grill out easily so do not be too concerned with getting it all trimmed off. This cut of meat can be a little tough, so it needs all the help it can get to tenderize, including slicing it thinly across the grain to serve.

Marinate the skirt steak for at least 24 hours before grilling. Grill (or broil) over high heat for short periods on each side for best results. Overcooking this cut will toughen it even more. Four to 6 minutes per side is long enough. Remove from grill to a plate and tent with foil for 10 to 15 minutes. Since this cut of meat is exceedingly long and thin and the grain of the meat (the direction in which the fibers of the meat run) goes across the meat and not lengthwise, you will need to cut the long piece into sections you can easily slice with a nice long, sharp chef's knife. To serve, sprinkle with a little more salt, then slice the meat at a slant across the grain, as thinly as possible.

If serving the meat for fajitas, set out large tortillas, saute some onion and bell peppers and add in any other side dish desired, such as grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce and refried beans. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.