Just What Is A Fajita?

Fajita doesn't have the meaning it once had. Fajita is a Spanish word.

It's the diminutive of the word faja, which means belt or girdle. So the diminutive means little belt or little girdle.

It's also Spanish for the beef cut we know as skirt steak. It's an appropriate name because the cut does resemble a belt.

Today the word in the U.S has none of the original meaning.

Ask a friend to go to Taco Bell for a skirt steak and he wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about.

But ask that same friend to go for a fajita and he'd know exactly what you mean. In fact his mouth would probably start watering a la Pavlov's dog.

The word has evolved over time from the name of a cut of beef to the name of a dish.

The recipes of today can contain most any meat. Not only different cuts of beef but also chicken, pork and even shrimp.

The original recipe (Using the term as we now know it.) was probably a taco de fajita. Which, roughly translated, is a skirt steak sandwich.

Historians say that in early twentieth century west Texas Mexican ranch workers would quickly grill a skirt steak, cut it into thin slices and wrap it in a tortilla.

Like so many great dishes that we now enjoy, the original fajita recipe was poor man's fare. A cheap, undesirable cut of beef made into something scrumptious with a great recipe.

And skirt steak is a tough cut of beef.

Cut from the beef flank, the skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle (which lies between the abdomen and chest cavity). It's a long, flat piece of beef that's loaded with beef flavor.

Even though it's a heavily worked muscle and naturally tough, properly cooked, skirt steak can be quite tender and delicious.

I'm not sure how they did it in the early twentieth century but the best way to cook it today is to marinate it in an acidic marinade and then grill it quickly.

If you would like to forego Taco Bell and go for the original you must use skirt steak.

A good recipe should begin with marinating the steak in a mixture of oil, limejuice, red pepper and garlic for at least 24 hours and then grilling.

Cut the grilled steak into strips and then wrap burrito-style in warm tortillas.

Accompany your fajita recipe with a variety of garnish recipes including grilled onions and sweet peppers, guacamole, refried beans, salsa or pico de gallo.

Recipes:

Fajita Marinade Recipe | Pico De Gallo| Guacamole Recipe