Smoked Fajitas - "Texas Style!"

[DivotMaker]

I've been giving some thought to the fajita recipe this week, and here's what I'm planning for Sunday.  I've devised a marinade that, I think, will be tasty, and help to tenderize the flank steak.  If anyone has any ideas on the recipe, let me know before it's too late!  I plan on preparing the meat tomorrow afternoon and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.  Here it is:

Flank Steak Fajitas

2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 12 oz. full-flavor beer (Fosters)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp. soy sauce (for flavor and salt)
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. Crystal hot sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. coarse black pepper

Mix ingredients well in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to blend the flavors.  Cool the marinade at room temp, and then in the fridge until use.  Do NOT put hot marinade over the meat!  If you do, you and your dinner guests will probably be visiting the hospital later.

Trim the fat from the skirt steak.  Place meat in a big Ziploc bag and cover with the marinade.  Let sit in the fridge overnight. 

Cut one large yellow onion into 1/4" slices.  Place them in a separate bag with marinade.

The next day, prepare the smoker with 2 oz. of hickory (oak might be a good choice, too).

Place the cold fajita meat in the smoker, along with the marinaded onions on another shelf (and bell peppers, if you choose).  (I plan to use the fish shelf above the meat).  Set temp to 180 to cook slowly for maximum smoke penetration.

Smoke the meat and onions to 120 internal temp.

When the meat reaches temp, remove and wrap in foil.  Place the onions in a bowl. 

Prepare a cast iron skillet with a splash of canola oil over medium-high heat.  While the pan is heating, slice the meat into 1/4" slices across the grain.

When the skillet is hot, place fajita strips and onions in the pan to braze.  Break apart the onion slices into rings to aid cooking.

When meat and onions are done (you'll know when), serve with tortillas, salsa, fresh guacamole, chips, beans, etc....
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I'm not certain how this will turn out, so I'm a little nervous about posting my full recipe before actually trying it!     My thinking is that someone may have a good suggestion for improvement before I dive in, or it will end up being a good recipe as it stands.  ...or it could be a disaster.  At least you'll know what my plan was, however it works out!
 

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[DivotMaker]

Just read an interesting idea about blending the marinade without cooking - throw it all in the food processor and blend it!  I guess you could do the same in a blender.  Makes sense, since the idea is to "blend" the flavors!  The larger ingredients won't be absorbed in the meat, so I'm really looking for the flavor! 

I think I'll give this a try!  It'll definitely save time over cooking/cooling the marinade! 

[Etex]

I didn't do anything to tenderize mine.  I just sprinkled the seasoning on it and let it set overnight.  It did not come out tough at all.  Sliced across the grain thinly and it was very tender.  Of course any  enhancement would only improve the results.  Got a new grill today and after I recoup from surgery am going to try your experiment and then throw them on the grill for a bit. 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks Tex!  Always a good day when you get a new grill!  I'm going to have to replace my faithful Weber Genesis 1000 that I've had since '97!  It's about on its last legs.  Hate to see the old girl go; she's been a good one for 16 years!

I have the meat and onions marinating now.  I'll let you know tomorrow how they turn out!

[DivotMaker]

OK, the fajitas were a success - sort of.  They tasted good, but were not the taste I was going for.  I'm going to rework the marinade, or maybe just go with a dry rub instead.

I made up the marinade about 4 pm and put the meat and onions in the same bag.  They sat in the bath until i put them in the smoker at 3pm today.  I didn't rinse the meat out of the marinade, I just let it drip and put it on the grills for the smoker.

2 1/4 oz of hickory and no water pan this time.  I let them smoke from 3:10 until 4:30, and then pulled them out and did a quick sear on the gasser.  Once seared, I sliced them and put them in a cast iron skillet with the onions.

Final thoughts:
 
1.  While the marinade was OK, it was not the taste I was after.  Too much garlic, not enough salt and heat.  I'm definitely going to have to work on it.

2.  The smoked onions were really good.  I smoked them in full slices, and then separated the rings for the pan. 

3.  The marinade did not tenderize the skirt steak much at all.  It was edible, but not nearly as tender as I had hoped.

4.  I realize that our hobby/obsession is full of successes and failures.  Although I wouldn't call this a "failure," (everyone ate their fill with no complaints), I also won't call it a success either.  It was too different from what I intended.  My wife said that aside from the smoke flavor, it was "kind of bland."  There you have it! 

I'll continue to work on this one!  If anyone has any really good fajita recipes, please share them!

[Etex]

I don't know how it tasted, but it looks good Divot.  I sliced mine thinner than you.  I put the seasoning on it the night before and made fajita seasoning and put it on the next day.  I might be wrong Divot, but just from the pictures it looks sliced with the grain.  If it is, then it will be more tender if you cut it the other way.  If I am wrong I apologize.  Anyway, you have to start somewhere.

[DivotMaker]

That picture shows a couple of slices that were sort-of with the grain (it changed direction on me before I caught it).  Most of it was actually across the grain.  I should have gone a little thinner on the slices, too.  The next batch will be dry rub only, I think.