Authentic Tex-Mex Fajitas

minutes before slicing. Cut the meat into thin strips that can be easily rolled into tortillas. Serve with warm, soft flour tortillas and fresh Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca. NOTES: Fajitas are pure Tex-Mex food. They originated along the Rio Grande River on the Texas-Mexico border and were eaten by cattle wranglers. The skirt steak is the traditional cut used and was reserved primarily for the chief cowboy. Other cuts of beef can be substituted, such as flank steak or sirloin, but the skirt is by far the most tender, flavorful and authentic. You might be wondering where the cast-iron griddle with the sizzling bell peppers and onions are in this recipe. While such a serving method may be dramatic, it is an affectation developed mainly by chain restaurants and is in no way a part of true Tex-Mex fajitas. You may go ahead and add it, but I am still partial to the clean, simple taste of hot grilled meat topped solely with fresh tomato salsa and blanketed in warm, soft tortillas. I do make two minor additions in my recipe when oven-broiling: I add soy sauce to help the thinly cut steaks brown quicker, and I use bottled "liquid smoke" to replicate the flavors created by the more desirable method of charcoal-grilling. Otherwise, this recipe is as authentic as it gets. --