FAJITAS! stop the spread of its demise (live, restaurants)

[maluminse]

Native Texan moved away for some years and came back.

I used to cook fajitas in my cousins restaurant. Of course grew up eating them. Back when Taco Cabana was a single restaurant at san pedro and Hildebrand, and La Fogota was a converted gas station I was eating fajitas.

My beef?

Fajitas originated right here in Texas. The way you cut is important as is the way you cook. They are cooked ALONE on the grill.

What many are now serving is influenced by our immigrant friends making it into a stew of sorts. Cooking onion and bell pepper WITH the meat causes it to toughen and lose a lot of flavor. Some are even semi dicing the meat. This is patently wrong.

Say what you want about Taco Cabana but they have held on to the original recipe - its a spicy dry meat or juicy but not b/c of anything but the meat!!!!

Even Chachos has denegrated into a northern Mexico (Jalisco) recipe of what they eat there. I lived in Chicago and no one, no one cooked them right. They cooked them with other stuff which creates a stew.

Tell your restaurant manager please stay true to your Texas heirtage and cook fajitas properly.

[torero]

Well, I have to disagree here. In Mexico, meat is typically cooked alone at the grill, regardless of whether it’s an arrachera steak, “fajitas” or whatever. It is here in the States where it got mixed with other components. The same goes with tacos. In Mexico a taco is made of tortilla and meat. Maybe some salsa. In here you guys like lettuce, sour cream and cheddar cheese in your tacos. Don’t get me wrong, I love tex-mex food, but I have to clarify that not only in Texas, but in the States in general there is a tendency to add a lot of stuff to food. Whether its BBQ sauce or some creamy concoction.

[sapphire]

Make mine beef with grilled onions, please. Salsa, maybe. Sour cream, if I'm feeling especially indulgent. Cheese? Never. Lettuce? Are you crazy? I want meat, not salad.

[martinez4]

I vote for pico de gallo, cheese and guac!!!! I am hungry:-)

[maluminse]

You say in the states. Were not in the states. Were in Texas. Big difference. Wherever it started happening it must stop!!! We must hold on to this signatory delicacy!

Onions, pico de gallo, bell pepper, guacomole? Absolutely!!! But not cooked with the meat!!! Seperately. Next to on the grill? fine. But not stirred or tossed etc with. Ruins the meat.

Sour cream? Where you eating? Taco Bell? Sure a lot carry it but few Texas Mexican restaurants add it with.

So next time you get a plate of beef mangled with the onions and bell pepper object! Taco Cabana is the only popular place off hand that serves them as they should be. There are others but I forget.

[MSJones]

The way you cut is important as is the way you cook.

EXACTLY.

I wish more people understood this. Applies to brisket, as well. If you cut it wrong, it's going to taste tough as leather and awful, regardless of how well it was cooked!

[NurseDana]

I am so hungry now!!!!!!!!!!!

[case44]

I really don't sense a "demise" with fajitas. They're still served at some popular restaurants such as Chili's, and as far as I can see, they're still being done just like always.

[Eleanor Rigby]

I should have read this AFTER I had my vegan stir fry for dinner. Now I want beef!

[OzzyRules]

I think guacamole is pretty tradional also. But I agree, just tortillas and meat. Nothing else except salsa or guacamole.