BEEF FAJITAS AND MARINADE
Source: The Food Chronicles, the best recipes of 30 years of the Houston Chronicle Food section compiled by Food editor Ann Criswell

MARINADE (makes about 1 quart):
4 cups light soy sauce (the dark, imported Chinese kind is too strong)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon each: garlic and onion powder
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons ground ginger
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1 skirt steak* (about 3/4 -inch thick) for each of 3 guests (4- to 6-ounce portions)
Warm flour tortillas
Prepared pico de gallo or picante sauce

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and onion powders, lemon juice and ginger in jar; shake to mix well and dissolve sugar. Let marinade stand in sealed jar overnight.

Reserve about 1 cup. Pour remainder over beef and marinate, covered, 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Remove beef from marinade and grill over very hot coals for a short time; it should take only about 10 minutes per steak if meat is 3/4 -inch thick or less. Brush meat with reserved marinade two or three times while cooking**.

Chop meat with a cleaver into bite-size pieces. Fold into warm flour tortillas and serve with pico de gallo.

NOTES:
*The secret to tender fajitas is a hot fire and short cooking time. Meat should be no more than 3/4 -inch thick. Flank steak, boneless sirloin, tenderized round steak, or boneless chicken breasts or chunks may be substituted for skirt steak.

**As a food safety precaution, do not reuse liquid in which meat has been marinated.