Barbecue Shrimp and Skirt Steak

From time to time, we need to change our basic BBQ fare.  I found these combinations, which work great.  I have two recipes for Skirt Steak.  Each handles the steak differently, but both are great.  The Barbecue Shrimp is from Tyler Florence while the Skirt Steak is from Michael Symon and Joseph Realmuto of Townline BBQ (All rights Reserved).   Enjoy

BBQ Shrimp - Tyler Florence
Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup sake
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Shrirachi Hot Chili Sauce
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 scallions, sliced thin, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Procedure

• Thread shrimp onto skewers and place in a shallow dish.  Pour 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup sake and 2 tablespoons oil over the shrimp and season them with salt and pepper.  Set aside and let them marinade while you make the barbecue sauce.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes and sesson with salt and pepper.  Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and chili powder.  Cook until  the mixture has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to break the tomatoes up into a chunky sauce. 
• Heat a grill or a grill pan and cook the shrimp about 3 minutes per side.  To serve, spread some barbecue sauce onto a large platter and place the grilled skewers on top of that.  Garnish with scallions and lime wedges.  Serve extra barbecue sauce on the side.  

Grilled Steak - Michael Symon

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 to 2 pound Skirt Steak
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup Balsamic vinegar (make sure this vinegar is not too sweet)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red chili flake
• Olive Oil

Procedure

• Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper.  
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, rosemary and chili flakes.  Add about 1/3 of a cup of olive oil.  Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade into it.  Marinade for a minimum of 2 hours and preferably overnight in the fridge.
• Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. 
• Wipe off the bits of marinade from the steak and drizzle it with a little olive oil.
• Please the steak on the grill and cook 2-1/2 to 4 minutes per side (rare to medium), or until the meat has grill marks.  Let the steak rest for 10 minutes, then slice across the grain, garnish and serve.

Townline BBQ Sauce (All Rights Reserved)

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 to 2 pound Skirt Steak
• 1/4 pound butter
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 2 lemons, zested
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4-1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 4 tablespoons while wine vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons chipotle puree
• 3 cups water
• Pinch kosher salt

Procedure

• Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, ketchup, tomato juice, brown sugar, molasses, Worchestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, chipotle puree, salt and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Grill the Steak for 2-1/2 to 4 minues per side (rare to medium).  Apply Barbecue sauce during cooking.  Be careful not to burn the steak during cooking.
• Let the steak rest for 10 minutes and slice across the grain and serve with extra sauce on the side. 

BBQ Chinese Chicken Wings - The Great Wings Book

This recipe is from a great wings cookbook.  There are many more recipes if you are interested, just give me a call.  With all asian dishes, it is recommended that only the best sauces and other ingredients be used.   I have recommended specific manufacturers for most of the sauces found below.

Ingredients

• 24 chicken wings
• 1 cup hoisin sauce - Koon Chun
• 1/2 cup plum sauce - Koon Chun
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce - Sa Cheng, Hop Sing Lung, or Lee Kum Kee Premium
• 1/4 cup wine vinegar
• 2 TB Chinese Rice wine - Pagoda's Shaoxing or Heing Hua Tiao Chiew
• 2 TB toasted Sesame oil
• 1 TBAsian Chili Sauce - Rooster brand
• 1 TB grated orange zest
• 1 teas. five-spice powder - Penzey's (Santa Rosa or online)
• 6 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 green onion, ends trimmed, minced

Procedure

• In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients 
• Add wings and mix, marinate wings for 4 to 24 hours.  The longer the better.
• On a gas grill, set temperature at 350 degrees.  If using charcoal, created fire and let burn until coals are grey.  
• Regulate heat as best as possible to maintain a low or 350 degree heat source
• Cook for abour 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.  Watch not to burn wings. 
• Remove from heat and serve

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

So, here is a new recipe for a really great vegetable dish.  I put this together for Easter dinner and everyone seemed to like it.  So, give it a try yourself.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of Brussel Sprouts
• Olive oil
• Salt and Petter
• 1 diced large or 2 small Shallots
• 4 Tablespoons of Capers drained
• 6 strips of cooked, chopped bacon

Procedure

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
• Cook bacon and set aside to drain and cool.  Once cool, chop into 1/4 inch pieces
• Trim ends off of brussel sprouts - cut brussel sprouts in half along the length of the sprouts (not crossiwise)
• Spread brussel sprouts out on a cooking sheet
• Drizzle with oil olive
• Salt and Pepper
• Dice shallots finely and sprinkle over brussel sprouts
• Sprinkle bacon bits on brussel sprouts
• Bake for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned
• Serve immediately or cover with foil or keep in warming oven

Michael Symon's Coleslaw

I've come to really appreciate the genius of Michael Symon.  His approach to food is simple and elegant at the same time.  The following recipe came from his "Burger and Fries" show.  I really love Coleslaw with a passion.  This is one of the best receipes you will find.  Use it for anything requiring a side or main course topping.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin

Procedures

• Mix together the vinegar, mayonnaise, mustards, sugar, Worcestershire, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, cabbage and onions. Set aside or refrigerate to let the flavors meld, preferably for 1 hour.

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

Well, Giada has another winner.   I have not tried this recipe, but it looks great, and I will very soon.  While we all like chicken wings, this is a departure and should please everyone.  This recipe serves 4-6, so I say double to have enough.  Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 5 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 5 Garlic Cloves, halved
• 10-12 Chicken Drumsticks
• 2 TB Toasted Sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh flast-leaf parsley

Procedure

• Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.
• Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.
• Cook's note: I like the rosemary and garlic flavors in the background. Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along. Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.