Tag: Mexican
Grilled Pork and Shrimp Fajitas
Grilled Pork and Shrimp Fajitas
When you get fajitas at a restaurant, they will typically be served to you on a sizzling cast iron skillet with all of the ingredients mixed together. While there is nothing wrong with this preparation, I prefer to grill all of the ingredients in my fajitas individually and sliced them after they’ve been cooked. It might take a little more time to prepare, but I like the flavor of the charcoal grilled fajitas more than a cast iron skillet; plus the presentation of having each of the ingredients sliced to build your own looks nicer in my opinion.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- metal skewers
- charcoal
- chimney starter
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 4 jalapeños
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 medium white onion sliced 1/4” thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12 flour tortillas
Pork Skewers
- 1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 2” pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Shrimp Skewers
- 1 lb 16/20 ct. peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the pork and shrimp in their marinades for 30 minutes. Place on metal skewers.
- Turn the charcoal gray in the chimney starter and pour in the grill. Place on the grate. Brush all of the vegetables with olive oil and place directly over the charcoal. Grill until all sides are slightly charred; about 10-12 minutes. Move off to the side and place the skewers over the charcoal. The pork will take about 5-6 minutes a side; the shrimp 2-3 minutes a side.
- Place the tortillas on the grate and cook 30 seconds-1 minute a side.
- Slice all the vegetables into strips. Take the pork off the skewers and slice into thin pieces.
Arrachera (Mexican Skirt Steak)
Arrachera (Mexican Skirt Steak)
Arrachera, aka Mexican skirt steak, is a great cut for tacos. It is tender, highly flavorful like a ribeye, and cooks very quickly. The skirt steak is best marinated overnight to achieve maximum flavor. To slice the skirt steak, always cut against the grain. If you cut with the grain, it will be tough and you’ll have chewy tacos.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- charcoal grill
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- food mallet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs inner skirt steak
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 small jalapeños finely minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Using a food mallet, hammer down the skirt steak on both sides until it’s a consistent thickness.
- Marinate the skirt steak with all of the ingredients for 8 hours.
- Get the charcoal gray in the chimney starter. Pour the charcoal in the grill. Lay the skirt steak directly over the charcoal.
- Grill for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Let the skirt steak rest for 10 minutes. Cut into chunks and thinly slice against the grain.
Serve the skirt steak on corn tortillas with cilantro, onion, jalapeños, and your favorite hot sauce.
Tacos de Suadero
Tacos de Suadero
Tacos de suadero are one of the most popular options for tacos all over Mexico City. Suadero meat is typically made out of beef belly, sometimes sold as rose meat. The triangle point of a whole brisket will contain part of the navel meat with some belly attached. This can also be used as a substitute, for raw beef belly will be hard to come by. The meat is cooked the exact same way as carnitas: simmered, then fried in its own rendered fat. This meat is so unbelievably tender and flavorful, you’ll question why this hasn’t been part of your life from birth. Suadero is life changing.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef belly or brisket; untrimmed
- water enough to cover the meat
- salt to taste
Tacos
- corn tortillas
- white onion chopped
- cilantro chopped
- avocado salsa
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Cut up the beef belly into large chunks.
- Place in a large Dutch oven with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 3 hours.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 3 hours.
- Around the 3 hour mark, there will be almost no liquid left in the pot. Most of the fat has rendered out. Increase the heat to medium high.
- Fry the meat in its own fat for 5-8 minutes until browned. Take off the heat.
- Heat up a griddle over medium high heat. Further brown enough suadero meat for 4 tacos. You will render out a lot of fat.
- Push the meat off to the side. Place the tortillas on the griddle and cook for a minute on the first side.
- Flip the tortillas over. Portion the meat on the tortillas. Cook for 3 minutes until slightly crispy.
