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I love Tex-Mex and frequently get creative with its flavors and ingredients. I make all kinds of nachos, chilies and casseroles at home, but I don’t recall ever tackling fajitas. I think I shied away from this dish because of the theatricality of its presentation in restaurants.

Get the recipe: Steak Fajitas

In the spring, my colleague Emily Heil wrote about the scandal of the “artificial sizzle”: “Last month, people on TikTok reacted with betrayal and disbelief to videos that took diners into the heart of tortilla-wrapped darkness: It turns out that some restaurants amp up the special effects — that iconic steam and sizzle — by squirting droplets of water or oil onto the hot cast-iron platters just before parading them through the dining room.”

All theater requires some artifice, so I’m fine with that sprinkle of water or oil, and felt no outrage — just a craving for fajitas. Rather than gather a gang and go out, I decided to make them at home for friends, but I wanted that sizzle. While perusing cookbooks and websites, including our Recipe Finder, I discovered the recipes were quite simple and similar.

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You can make vegetarian fajitas, or make them with chicken or shrimp, but I went with the more traditional beef. The word “fajitas” comes from the Spanish word for “belt,” which refers to the skirt steak that is traditionally used in the dish. Flank steak, which is thicker and wider, is a bit easier to find in stores, so I used that here. Both cuts work for the dish.

I made a delicious batch, but without the sizzle, I felt left down. I was determined to see whether it was possible to carry a skillet of steak fajitas to my dinner table, complete with the trail of steam — without cheating.

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Was I successful? Yes, and no. The fajitas were delicious — what’s not to like? — with seasoned and seared beef, peppers and onions with lots of toppings on warm tortillas. While I never delivered the crowd-pleasing white contrail that restaurants do, with careful timing I was able to plop that skillet on the table while it was still audibly sizzling and emitting thin wisps of steam.

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Here’s how I did it.

First, I marinated the meat. While it soaked up flavor, I sliced the vegetables and cooked them in a hot skillet. I transferred them to a bowl and covered them to keep them warm while I shredded cheese (yes, I like cheese on my fajitas, so sue me) and put the crema, fresh salsa and pickled jalapeños in serving bowls. Then, I sliced avocado, washed a handful of cilantro sprigs, cut a lime into wedges and added them to my table. Finally, I wrapped the tortillas in a towel and warmed them in the microwave before adding them to the table.

If you’re going to make a presentation with the skillet, you need a feast, right?

In the center of it all, I placed a trivet for my hot skillet. I set out corn chips and asked folks to gather at the table and enjoy a few while I slipped back to the stove.

There, I reheated the skillet to near smoking hot and seared and cooked the steak to just short of my liking. Pushing it to one side of the skillet, I added the vegetables to half of the pan, then tossed them a few times to get them nice and hot. As soon as everything was just as I liked it, I lifted the pan and carried it straight to the table.

Heads turned as the hot, hot cast iron was hoisted into its place of honor, delivering a delicious scent driven by those muted, but still telltale, sizzles and steam.

Before I knew it, hands were reaching for tortillas and filling them with meat and vegetables, toppings were going on, and everyone was eating, talking and enjoying.

I call that a success.

Get the recipe: Steak Fajitas

correction

An earlier version of this recipe incorrectly identified the cut of meat traditionally used for fajitas. It is skirt steak. Skirt and flank steaks can be used interchangeably in this recipe.

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