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Still Austin Bourbon Basted Fajitas

Arnie Segovia
“I’m always looking for ways to enhance flavors to share with my family and online community. Online, there are many bourbon-based recipes, but they are loaded with sugar, and I wanted to create one for grilling hot and fast, the way we cook in south Texas.”
Course Main Course
Servings 6 -8

Ingredients
  

FOR THE BOURBON BASTE:

  • 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) cooking oil of your choice
  • white onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • ½ cup (118.3 ml) Worcestershire sauce (more if you’d like)
  • ½ stick butter
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (2.3 g) ground black pepper
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup (118 ml) Still Austin Bourbon
  • Whiskey or bourbon of choice

FOR THE FAJITAS:

  • 1 2½−3 pound (1¼–1⅓ kg) whole strip skirt steak
  • WOW! BBQ Seasoning
  • Wood chunks or chips, your preference of wood (optional)
  • 8 flour or corn tortillas
  • Pico de gallo, for serving
  • Guacamole, for serving

Instructions
 

FOR THE BOURBON BASTE:

  • To a 10-inch skillet set over medium heat, add the cooking oil. Add the white onion and jalapeño. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce and butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt while stirring frequently.
  • Once the butter is completely melted, add the kosher salt, black pepper and lemon zest, while stirring, to incorporate between each added ingredient.
  • Lastly, add the Still Austin Bourbon Whiskey or your favorite bourbon to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low-medium and bring it to a slow simmer. Stir occasionally for about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture has been reduced to a slightly thick, sauce-like consistency. Set aside.

FOR THE FAJITAS:

  • Trim the excess fat and tough membrane from both sides of the skirt steak. If you’re cooking inside skirt, remove the entire membrane.
  • Season the skirt steak generously with American Pitmaster WOW! BBQ Seasoning. Cut the strip across the grain into 2 or 3 evenly sized pieces, and set aside to allow the seasoning to set.
  • Prepare a charcoal chimney and your grill with enough fuel to run up to 500° F (260° C). If using charcoal, ensure that the briquettes are ashed over grey. For added smoke and flavor, add the wood chunks or chips to the coals. Place the skirt steak directly over the hot fire. Cook, flipping every 1 or 2 minutes, and let it start developing char. After 2 to 3 flips (depends on your fire) and when the meat looks a little charred, begin to baste the skirt steak. Move indirect if necessary. Repeat the baste after each flip.
  • The inside skirt is a tougher cut, so shoot for a medium doneness to help it be more tender, about 135−140° F (54−57° C).
  • Remove the steak from the grill and set aside, in loosely wrapped foil, for 7 to 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip over the steak so it can start to absorb more of the natural juice, with the bourbon baste.
  • Place the steak on a clean cutting board, and cut it across the grain in ¼−⅜-inch (0.5–1 cm) strips. Serve with tortillas, pico de gallo and guacamole.

Notes

Indirect means to move the meat away from directly over the fire/coals to prevent burning but also to finish cooking through indirect (radiant) heat instead of “direct” over fire.
The bourbon baste is a flavor enhancer. It may be used as a finish towards the end of the cooking and may even be added to the meat when it comes off the grill, like a sauce or salsa.
The baste is not a tenderizer so I recommend getting some good quality meat that is tender like Prime or at least Choice quality. For fajitas, the outside skirts or bavettes (sirloin fajitas) are the preferred cuts.
Segovia’s American Pitmaster WOW! BBQ Seasoning may be purchased at local meat markets all over Texas and at pitmaster.us and arnietex.com.