My Favorite Fajitas – a delicious recipe with Skirt, cumin seeds, limes, garlic, kosher salt, red pepper. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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Smoke the skirt steak according to the directions below.
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To make the marinade: while the steak is cooling, toast the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the constantly so they don't burn or stick, just until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes.
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Let them cool, Squeeze the juice from the limes into 1-gallon heavy plastic resealable bag.
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Add the cumin seeds, garlic, salt, and the pepper flakes and swish the marinade around to dissolve the salt.
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Slip the cooled steaks into the marinade, press out most of the air from the bag, and seal the bag very tightly.
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Refrigerate the beef for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning the bag several times.
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To prepare the accompaniments, heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep, skillet over medium heat.
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Stir in the red onions and cook, stirring often, until they are wilted, about 5 minutes.
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Add the green peppers and cook until they are wilted enough t make room for the red peppers.
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Add the red peppers, season the vegetables lightly with salt and adjust the heat to low.
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Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 20 minutes.
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The vegetables can be prepared several hours in advance.
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Reheat them over low heat just before serving.
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To prepare the fajitas indoors: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil.
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Reheat the vegetables if necessary.
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Drain the steak well and discard the marinade.
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Heat a lightly oiled large grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until smoking.
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Cook the steak, turning once, just until seared on both sides, about 5 minutes.
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At this point the steak will be about medium-rare.
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Turn off the heat and continue cook in the hot pan for a more well-done steak.
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Remove the steak from the skillet to a carving board and let it rest about 5 minutes.
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Pop the tortillas into the oven and let them warm while the steak is resting.
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To prepare the fajitas on a charcoal or gas grill: Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil.
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Reheat the vegetables if necessary, using a corner of the grill if there is room.
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Drain the steak well and discard the marinade.
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Cook the steak on the hottest part of the grill until both sides are well browned, about 6 minutes.
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The steak at this point will be about medium-rare, move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and continue to cook it for a more well-done steak.
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Remove the steak to a carving board and let it rest about 5 minutes.
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Set the tortilla on a moderately hot part of the grill and let them warm, turning once or twice, while the steak rests.
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To serve: Cut the steak crosswise into thin slices and pile the slices on a serving plate.
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Serve the vegetables directly from the skillet or scoop them into a serving bowl.
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Pass the tortillas, salsa, sour cream, steak, and vegetables around the table and let everyone dress their own fajitas as they like.
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1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons hickory, alder or oak wood chips, soaked
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1 (1 to 1 1/4-pound) skirt steak, halved crosswise
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or 2 teaspoons Southwestern Rub, recipe follows
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Prepare stovetop smoker with soaked wood chips according to manufacturers' instructions.
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Trim any excess fat from the surface of the steak and cut the steak in half crosswise.
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Season the skirt steak with a generous rubbing of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or Southwestern rub.
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One end of the steak will be considerably thinner and cook faster than the other half.
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If you would like to cook both halves to the same doneness, add the thinner pieces to the smoker after the thicker pieces have been smoking for about 8 minutes.
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If you are not planning to finish the steak on the grill as described above, smoke the halves until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each half registers 125 degrees F. for a medium-rare steak, about 24 minutes after closing the smoker lid, longer for more well done steaks.
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(Skirt steaks are a little tricky to check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer.
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Poke the thickest part of the steak with the thermometer in a few places, aiming for the center of the steak.)
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If you do plan to grill the steak after smoking, cook the steaks to a temperature of 100 to 105 degrees F, which will take about 18 minutes.
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The steaks can be smoked up to 2 days before grilling them.
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8 smoked Plum Tomatoes, recipe follows
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1 large poblano or 3 jalapenos, stemmed and finely diced
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1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
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Kosher salt
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Smoke the tomatoes according to the directions below.
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Cool them to room temperature.
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Peel off as much of the skins as will come off easily.
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Chop the tomatoes coarsely and toss them together with the chiles, red onion and cilantro in a bowl.
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Season with salt to taste.
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The salsa improves if it stands at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.
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You can refrigerate the salsa for up to one day.
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Bring it to room temperature and drain off any liquid before serving.
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2 tablespoons hickory or mesquite wood chips, soaked
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8 plum tomatoes
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Prepare stovetop smoker with soaked wood chips according to manufacturers' instructions.
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Cut the cored from the tomatoes with a paring knife then cut the tomatoes in half through the core end.
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Squeeze out the seeds and juice.
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Line the tomato halves side by side and cut side up on the smoking rack.
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Season the cut side of the tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
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Smoke until the tomatoes are softened, but not mushy; 10 minutes over the heat after closing the smoker lid and about 20 minutes off the heat with the smoker lid closed.
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Check the tomatoes for doneness after they've been standing off the heat for 10 minutes.
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Serve smoked tomatoes as a side dish with just about any grilled or roasted meat, or seafood dish.
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3 whole dried cayenne chiles or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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2 tablespoons coriander seeds
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4 tablespoons cumin seeds
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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Snap the stems off the dried peppers, if using them.
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For a milder rub, tap out and discard the seeds.
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Crumble all the peppers into a small saucepan and add the coriander and cumin seeds.
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Toast the mix over low heat, stirring constantly, until the seeds are lightly browned and little wisps of smoke rise from the pan.
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Pour the spices onto a plate and cool them to room temperature.
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Grind them to a powder in a spice mill.
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Store the rub in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 14 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 1 1/2 pounds Smoked Skirt Steak, recipe follows, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 2 limes, 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced, and more.
Yes, My Favorite Fajitas falls under the Snacks & Appetizers category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently before serving.