The True Charro Char

I enjoyed Russ Parsons’ piece on fajitas (“In the Kitchen,” June 2). The way he describes eating fajitas is the way we bolillos , or white people, used to eat them when I was growing up in Harlingen, in south Texas. But I had friends who were Mexican cowboys, rancheros , and they fixed it completely differently and it was amazing. It is still one of my favorite ways to cook meat.

When you buy the fajitas (skirt steak), buy them untrimmed, with all the fat and gristle still covering it. You may have to go to a Latino market to find these. Put them on the grill--unmarinated, unseasoned, un- everything --and char them good on both sides, for about 10 or 15 minutes. It goes against your grain to see it, but trust me, char it. You think, “My God, I’m burning the thing,” but something wonderful happens, cooking between two layers of fat.

When you pull the fajitas off the grill, use a knife and fork to just peel the fat off like an orange, then cross-cut the meat and make your tacos. My friends would throw some corn tortillas on the grill just before serving to warm them up. Then all you need is some pico de gallo salsa made with lots of fresh cilantro.

The taste is out of this world. No salt, no pepper, no marinating, no nothing, but it’s got a wonderful kind of earthy, meaty flavor to it.

--Eduardo Marquette

SANTA MONICA