Lamb Fajitas — The Taco Truck Spirit We Brought Home

November. The temperature has finally dropped into the sixties and smoking season is officially here. I call it that — smoking season — like it's a formal thing, like there's a governing body. There isn't. It's just me and the smoker and the cool air and the feeling that brisket was invented for weather exactly like this. Which it was. Texas BBQ was born in the Hill Country where fall and winter meant long, slow cooks in the cold air. The smoker works better when it's cool — the temperature differential between the fire and the air helps create a better smoke ring. This is not opinion. This is physics.

Drove to Midland Friday to help Tyler with the kitchen demo. He'd already knocked out the wall — load-bearing it was not, he confirmed, with mild offense at my earlier concern — and the space was open and dusty and full of potential. We spent Saturday measuring, marking, and laying out the kitchen according to my napkin sketch. I brought a real drawing this time, done on graph paper with proper measurements. Tyler looked at it and said, "When did you learn to do this?" I said, "I've been designing commercial kitchens for twenty-five years." He said, "I forget you're good at things." I chose to take this as a compliment.

We worked all Saturday, framing the island base and marking the electrical outlets. Tyler and I communicate best when we're working — he's like me in that way. We don't sit and talk. We build things and talk while building. By evening we were tired and dusty and I drove us to a taco truck that Tyler swears by. The tacos were excellent — al pastor with fresh pineapple, cilantro, and a green salsa that had genuine heat. I ate four. Tyler ate six, which confirmed that he is his father's son.

Drove home Sunday. Five hours through the Texas flatlands, Outlaw Country on the stereo, a container of leftover tacos on the passenger seat. The drive between Houston and Midland is flat and featureless and meditative. You think about things on that drive. I thought about Tyler, about how he's become a man I admire. I thought about the years I wasn't there — the drinking years, the years when I was present but hollow. I can't get those back. But I can show up now. Every kitchen renovation. Every taco truck. Every five-hour drive.

That taco truck in Midland ruined me in the best possible way — I’ve been chasing that al pastor energy ever since I pulled out of the parking lot with a container of leftovers riding shotgun through five hours of flat Texas highway. I can’t replicate the trompo or the wood smoke or Tyler laughing across a folding table, but I can get close. These lamb fajitas — marinated with warm spice, hit with brightness, served fast and messy — are my version of bringing that Friday night back to Houston. Make them on a night when you worked hard and earned it.

Lamb Fajitas

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb leg or shoulder, thinly sliced against the grain
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced small
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 8 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
• Salsa verde, sour cream, and sliced jalapeño for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the lamb. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the sliced lamb and toss to coat thoroughly. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
2. Cook the peppers and onions. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sliced bell peppers and onion in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 2—3 minutes to get some char, then toss and cook another 2 minutes until softened and lightly blistered. Season with salt and transfer to a plate.
3. Sear the lamb. Return the skillet to high heat. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, add the marinated lamb slices. Cook 2—3 minutes per side until cooked through with good color on the edges. Do not crowd the pan — you want sear, not steam.
4. Finish and rest. Return the peppers and onions to the pan with the lamb. Squeeze the lime juice over everything and toss to combine. Remove from heat and let rest 2 minutes.
5. Build the fajitas. Spoon the lamb and pepper mixture into warm tortillas. Top with diced fresh pineapple, cilantro, salsa verde, and jalapeño. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 610mg