Grilled Fajitas — The Smoke Was Already Going, So I Kept It Going

Late September. The cool front blew through Tuesday and broke the back of summer. Houston shifted into its short fall. The smoker can run during civilized daytime hours again. Mr. Washington and I had our first daylight wave-and-words exchange in months — at 7 AM Wednesday over the fence, both of us with coffee. He said, "Bobby. The summer is dead." I said, "Long live the summer." He laughed. He went back to whatever he was doing. I lit the smoker.

The cookbook photography is twenty-five days out. The shoot will run for ten days at the restaurant kitchen and at my house — two locations, alternating. The photographer is a woman from Brooklyn named Emiko who has done food photography for major chefs. She and Vy are flying in October 6. The kitchen has been deep-cleaned (twice, by Lily, who has not slept properly in a week). The recipes have been finalized. James has done a dry run of every dish and built a master prep schedule for shoot days. The professionalism is impressive. I am a witness, not a participant in this stage. I bring food. I make sure Mai and Linh and the family are available for the small group shots Vy has planned.

Made a smoked duck Saturday — not for the cookbook, just for me. The duck rubbed with five-spice and brown sugar and a hit of fish sauce, smoked over cherry wood for three hours, finished over high heat to crisp the skin. Sliced and served with steamed buns, hoisin, scallions, cucumber. Mai came over. We ate the entire duck between us. She said, "Bao, you should have made two." I said, "I have leftover bones for stock." She said, "Good." That's Mai's blessing on the meal. Eating the whole thing. The ultimate compliment.

The duck was the right call for that particular Saturday — the five-spice rub, the cherry wood, Mai finishing every last bite — but the principle behind it is one I come back to every time the weather finally cooperates: get fire involved, get something sizzling, and let the smoke do the heavy lifting. Grilled fajitas live in that same spirit. Marinated skirt steak over high heat, charred peppers, warm tortillas, the kind of meal that clears the plate without ceremony. With the cookbook shoot twenty-five days out and the kitchen running on Lily’s adrenaline, this is the recipe I cook when I want the food to feel alive without asking anything complicated of me.

Grilled Fajitas

Prep Time: 20 min (plus 1 hr marinating) | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min active | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak or flank steak, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
• 8–10 flour tortillas, warmed
• Sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the steak. In a shallow dish or zip-top bag, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the steak, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
2. Prep the vegetables. Toss the sliced bell peppers and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
3. Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat (450—500°F). Clean and oil the grates well.
4. Grill the steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off the excess. Grill for 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches your preferred doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes.
5. Char the vegetables. While the steak rests, grill the pepper and onion mixture in a grill basket or on a piece of foil over high heat, tossing occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, about 8–10 minutes.
6. Slice and serve. Slice the steak thinly against the grain. Arrange the steak and vegetables on a warm platter. Serve immediately with warm tortillas and all the fixings on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 520mg