Barbecue Journey with Dan ‘The Man’ — Skirt Steak Fajita

One of the reasons I embarked on this barbecue journey was to expand my culinary palette, which for the most part was only refined enough to tell the difference between a strawberry and a cut of prime rib.

I hadn't so much as heard of pico de gallo, let alone tasted it until it was used in a recipe from "Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings" by Dr. BBQ. Little did I know it is just a spicy salsa. I assume they don't call it that so they can charge more in a restaurant for it.

Nonetheless, I carried on with the preparation: Chop onions, cilantro, jalapeno. Add some drained black beans, a can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, and lime juice, and voila -- pico de gallo.

I recommend using some sort of food processor to make the salsa. I do not have one, and for what pico de gallo is, it's not worth all the chopping. That said, pico de gallo is incredibly fresh tasting and brings a depth of flavors that had my taste buds damning me for only knowing strawberry and prime rib.

It was delicious.

Skirt steak is another beast in itself. It is not a particularly fun cut with which to work. It's cheap and tough. Even when cooked properly, which I did, it is rather chewy, in my opinion.

But when steak meets pico de gallo on a nice tortilla shell, the whole meal comes together in a deliciously Mexican way. Serve it with a side of rice and Corona, and you're ready to put your feet up.

I give this recipe a 6 out of 10. I think adding some sort of dressing would really spice this up. Here's something to try: Buy a small can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. Mix with a bottle of ranch dressing and use that mixture to top the fajita. It will give a good amount of heat and smokiness I feel this dish was lacking.

Big Chuck Tries It:

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Here's what you need:

Skirt steak
Lime
Flour tortillas

Pico de Gallo
10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
Canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
Cilantro, chopped (as much as you like)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Lime juice, to taste

Fajita Seasoning
Salt
Chili Powder
Black pepper
Garlic Powder
Cumin
White Pepper
Cayenne Pepper

Directions

1. Make Pico De Gallo

Combine all pico de gallo ingredients and mix well.

2. Prepare Fajita Seasoning

Combine fajita seasoning ingredients and mix well

3. Prepare Skirt Steak

Filet the steak into two thinner steaks, then cut into 6-inch pieces. Season with lime juice and fajita seasoning. Flip and repeat seasoning.

4. Grill

Grill on direct, high heat for 3 minutes a side. Let rest for 3 minutes before cutting into 1/4 inch strips for fajita.

5. Plate

Heat tortilla shells in microwave for 1 minute, add steak and top with pico de gallo. I served it with a side of broccoli cheese rice.

6. Take a bite shot