Grilled Shrimp & Skirt Steak-Surf and Turf Time!
The one consolation to the pandemic for us (which goes to show just how fortunate and entitled we are), my kids came home at various times for extended stays. I’ll admit, having been empty-nesters for awhile, it took some adjusting but it was nice. Despite finding ourselves falling back into the “parent-child” trap, conversations were much more introspective for all of us.
Surf and Turf
Dinner the night before the last J moved back to the City was a family favorite we haven’t done in quite awhile, a variation of Surf and Turf. Grilled Rosemary Garlic Shrimp and Hoisin BBQ Skirt Steak. Both are simple to make and delicious.
So the surf and turf started with skirt steak grilled on the bbq. It’s so stupid easy I’ll just include the recipe here. It is a one to one mixture of Hoisin Sauce and your favorite barbecue sauce. Slather it all over the meat and allow to marinade for a couple of hours. That’s it. You can pump it up with minced garlic and a bit of soy sauce if you like. Throw it on the barbie and grill to medium rare, done. You could use Flat Iron, or Flank Steak (texture is pretty different though). Be forewarned, skirt steak is no longer an “economical” cut, yikes!
Shrimp Primer
In Asian cookery, leaving the shrimp shells on when cooking is a given. My dad always told me to buy shrimp with the shells on, they taste fresher and more flavorful. The shells seem to absorb the seasonings. The way to eat them is to suck all the flavor off the shell-on shrimp and then peel the shrimp and eat it. With deep-fried shrimp, you can actually eat the shells, it’s crispy, crunchy and delicious. A favorite dish my dad would make, don’t chuckle, Ketchup Shrimp. It’s roots are Cantonese. Shell on shrimp are stir-fried with aromatics like ginger and garlic and finished with Ketchup. The flavor profile is sweet, salty, a hint of tart and it is quick and easy. I can remember happily munching on the shells, yums. I bet these could be thrown on the grill too.
This grilled shrimp recipe is from Epicurious by way of the sadly defunct Gourmet magazine. It’s been a favorite in our house for a long time, I think it will become a favorite in yours too. 
I deveined and removed the legs from the shrimp, leaving the shell and tail intact. The garlic is chopped and mashed with coarse salt and added to olive oil along with minced rosemary. Please try to use fresh rosemary, its so fragrant or substitute fresh herb of choice like oregano, thyme, lemon zest and smoked paprika.
Allow the shrimp to marinade for 4-6 hours. The beauty of this dish, you can make it year-around! In the summer, throw it on the barbecue. In the winter, like NOW, I use a stove top pan and grill 3-4 minutes a side until the shrimp turns color. Serve with lemon wedges. Good and easy.
GRILLED ROSEMARY GARLIC SHRIMP
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish
- 16 shrimp about 10-16 per pound jumbo or large
- lemon wedges as an accompaniment
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp
Instructions
- In a large bowl stir together garlic, minced rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.
- To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer and brush with additional oil. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about 5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.
- Alternatively, grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
- Garnish shrimp with rosemary sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Enjoy!