Anyone have a really great steak fajita marinade?

Mac in NC

My wife really enjoys an authentic Mexican restaurant that is in our city. However, the only dish she ever tries is the steak fajita plate that comes with a side of rice. Basically two homemade(?) flour fajitas filled with marinated beef and avocado slices. Strong lime flavor in the beef and very tender.
I asked the owner if he could share the marinade recipe and of course, he said it wouldn't be good for business (but we could always come back). Even offered to trade him a batch of pulled pork but he wouldn't bite. Don't blame him, he's just trying to make a buck. But how complicated can the marinade be?
If any of you fellow eggers have a favorite fajita recipe, I'd love to hear from you. There's nothing like the scent of flank steak searing on the grill... Mac

TRex

Mac in NC,[p]I don't know if you have ever eaten at a Pappasitos Mexican restaurant (they're everywhere down in Texas), but they have the BEST steak fajita meat I've ever tasted. Anyway, someone told me that they marinate the meat in pineapple juice. I haven't tried it yet, but am planning to soon.[p]Give it a try and let me know what you think![p]TRex

Aron

Mac in NC ,[p]I just got a recipe that I've been dying to try (maybe tomorrow not that you've inspired me).
3/4 cup tequila
2/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup cannola coil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp red papper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste[p]I think it's mexican night tomorrow at my place.[p]On a side note--when you do fajitas, do you grill the steak whole and then slice, or do you cut it up and do it stir fry style (like it a grill wok)?[p]--Aron

Unknown

Mac in NC ,[p]I like doing equal parts bourbon, teriyaki, vegetable oil, and pineapple juice in a ziplock. Toss in a 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (puts a glaze on the meat) and shake it up. Throw your whole flank in and marinade overnight. Sear a few minutes a side on a hot grill (650+). Slice across the grain and you're in business. This is actually the recipe for Lonestar Steakhouse's salmon, the bartender told me the recipe one night. I enjoy it with beef, chicken and salmon.

FlaBQ

Mac in NC ,
I've copied below our house favorite fajita recipe, which comes from the Epicurious.com website. It's a winner: simple, tasty and from what I'm told, authentic. Make sure you use lime instead of lemon juice, though.
Enjoy!
Chris[p]BEEF FAJITAS
(Grilled marinated Skirt Steak with Bell Peppers, Onions, and Flour Tortillas)
For the marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil[p]2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into large pieces to fit on a grill or broiler pan or in a ridged grill pan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 assorted colored bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large red onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
twelve 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas (recipe follows or store-bought), warmed (procedure follows)
guacamole and tomato salsa as accompaniments[p]Make the marinade:
In a large bowl whisk together the garlic paste, the lime juice, the cumin, and the oil.[p]Add the steak to the marinade, turning it to coat it well, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, for at least 1 hour or overnight. Grill the steak, drained, on a well-oiled rack set about 5 inches over glowing coals or in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it is just springy to the touch, for medium-rare meat. (Alternatively, the steak may be broiled on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat.) Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it stand for 10 minutes. While the steak is standing, in a large skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, add the bell peppers, the onion, and the garlic, and sauté the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the bell peppers are softened. Slice the steak thin across the grain on the diagonal and arrange the slices on a platter with the bell pepper mixture. Drizzle any steak juices over the steak and the pepper mixture and serve the steak and the pepper mixture with the tortillas, the guacamole, and the salsa.[p]To assemble a fajita:
Spread some of the guacamole on a tortilla, top it with a few slices of the steak, some of the pepper mixture, and some of the salsa, and roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.[p]To warm tortillas:
In the oven:
Stack 6 tortillas at a time, wrap each stack in foil, and heat the tortillas in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 5 minutes for corn tortillas and 15 minutes for flour tortillas. (If the tortillas are very dry to begin with, pat each tortillas between dampened hands before stacking them.)[p]In the microwave:
Stack 6 tortillas at time, wrap each stack in a microwave-safe plastic bag, and heat the tortillas in a microwave oven at high power (100%) for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until they are heated through and pliable.[p]Makes 12 fajitas, serving 6.

Gourmet
December 1990 [p] [p]

Chubby

Aron,[p]Without a doubt.....cook whole and slice after a rest! The "rest" is important here!![p]Make sure you slice on a bias and on the angle( this exposes more inner tissue) as well as every slice getting some good crust![p]Enjoy...I can hear the onions sizzling now![p]Chubby

Mac in NC

Thanks for all of your responses. I think I'll split the flank steak into three parts and use each of the marinades submitted. Then I'll do a taste test on the wife and see what she thinks!! [p] Aron, Chubby is on the money with how to cook that flank. A fast sear is important because flank is extremely lean. If you cook it over a medium temp, it begins to toughen up and dry very quickly. If you want to slice it first, I don't see anything wrong with that. (Just remember, very thin and against the grain.) The slices will soak in quite a bit more marinade in a very short period of time. When you stir fry, I'd suggest very high temp. and very fast. Let us know how it all goes. Mac[p]