Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Fajitas de Res
652 kcal a serving, against 868 for the traditional version. That is 216 kcal off, or 25%, with 50.9g of protein. Serves 4. 30 minutes plus marinating.
What the traditional version is
Strips of beef skirt marinated in lime juice and spices, then flash fried in a heavy glug of vegetable oil. Served sizzling with charred red peppers, sweet onions, heaps of full fat soured cream and warm flour tortillas to wrap it all up.
What changed, and what each change costs
800g of beef skirt and 60g of vegetable oil swapped for 800g of lean beef brisket and absolutely no oil
The oil is only there to create noise and fry the edges of the meat. Taking it out, along with using a much leaner cut of beef, strips out a massive amount of fat while keeping the total amount of meat exactly the same.
What it costs you. The vegetables will char rather than fry, so they won't have that sweet, greasy limpness you get in a restaurant. Brisket is also tougher than skirt if you cut it badly. You have to slice it incredibly thin across the grain or it'll feel like chewing a shoe.
400g of flour tortillas and 100g of soured cream reduced to 300g of tortillas and 100g of reduced-fat soured cream
Shaving off a few tortillas removes a big block of starch from the table. Switching the cream drops the fat further without leaving the fajitas completely dry.
What it costs you. You'll be making fewer wraps per person, so each one needs to be packed tighter. It's the first compromise you'll notice when you sit down to eat, as the spread looks a bit smaller. The lighter cream is also noticeably thinner.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 868 | 652 |
| Protein | 54.9g | 50.9g |
| Fat | 40.4g | 23.9g |
| Saturated fat | 11.6g | 8.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 70.4g | 57.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.3g | 7.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
This is a sharp, punchy plate of food, but Call it a lighter, meatier dinner rather than a greasy pub chain fajita and you'll be about right. You trade the theatrical sizzle and the slick of oil for a cleaner bite that genuinely tastes of beef and charred peppers. The lime cuts through brilliantly. It's a fantastic midweek meal that won't leave you feeling like you just drank from a fryer.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback