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Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Grilled Shrimp
This recipe appears in The 10th Anniversary Edition of The Barbecue Bible, which will be released in May, 2008, by Workman Publishing. You can preorder the book now from Amazon.com. This recipe is almost Zen-like in its simplicity, but makes a terrific appetizer for 6 to 8 people or a main course for 4.
1-1/2 pounds headless jumbo shrimp, shells left on but de-veined (see NOTE)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt, preferably sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Juicy lime wedges for serving
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, blot dry with paper towels, and put in a large non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with the lime juice and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and let marinate for 10 minutes while you preheat the grill to high. Meanwhile, put a wedge of lime and separate mounds of salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each) on small plates, one for each person. Set aside.
When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the shrimp, in their shells, on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until the meat is firm and pink, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or plates. To eat, squeeze the lime wedge over the salt and pepper and mix with chopsticks; peel the shrimp and dip in the lime/salt/pepper mixture.
NOTE: To de-vein an unpeeled shrimp, make a lengthwise cut along the back of the shell with kitchen shears. Scrape out the exposed vein with the tine of a fork or the tip of a paring knife. Two pounds of head-on shrimp can be substituted for headless.
Pac-Rim Fish Cure
Try this easy but exotic cure the next time you smoke salmon. Makes about 3/4 cup.
1/2 cup granulated palm sugar (see NOTE) or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black or white pepper (I prefer a medium-grind)
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried loose green tea
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingers or a whisk, breaking up any lumps. Transfer to a covered jar and store away from heat and light. The cure will keep for several months.
NOTE: Granulated palm sugar can be found at some Asian markets.
To use:
Generously sprinkle half of the cure evenly on the bottom of a large glass baking dish. Place about 1-1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillets, preferably center-cut, on top of the cure. (Optional: You can soak the salmon in sake, Japanese beer, or Chinese rice wine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour first; drain well and blot dry with paper towels before curing.) Cover the top and sides of the salmon with the remaining cure. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. Rinse the cure off the salmon under cold running water, then blot dry with paper towels. Using the indirect grilling method, smoke the salmon with cherrywood chunks or chips (applewood can be substituted) until cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
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I like Dungeons and Dragons Online. More than I thought I would. My portable hard drive was stolen, so I'm working off a flash thumbdrive now. Jackson needs to get an XFIRE account so that we can voicechat during games.
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Dec. 17th, 2007 @ 02:06 am
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33 Free Online Dating from JustSayHi |
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Nov. 29th, 2007 @ 01:09 am
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In 2007,  bentsea resolves to... Go to the dragon_verses every month. Drink four glasses of lynxsan every day. Overcome my secret fear of bonpantaloons. Give up jumblejambles. Pay for my jivingmonkies on time. Lose ten mihinomens by March. |
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Nov. 28th, 2007 @ 03:40 pm
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| » What my hotsauce said today: |
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"Ahhh... we meet again."
"Scratch & Sniff: Gotcha!"
"I'm taking the day off. See next packet."
Oct. 18th, 2007 @ 05:01 pm
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| » Cost |
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So.. to satisfactorily replace all the stolen hardware... no games included:
$935
And that wouldn't even leave me with ANY games to play.
Is it worth it?
I'm serious.. this isn't a question, I got it a bit at a time over a couple of years... do you think it's worth it to blow that wad on just hardware that I couldn't even play anything on without investing more?
Oct. 18th, 2007 @ 12:59 am
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| » What is the plural of "my penis"? |
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In a move which can only be described as unsurprising, Apple has officially announced plans to lower the price of its iTunes Plus offerings (AKA iTunes sans-DRM) to $.99, instead of the higher-priced premium of $1.29. In other news, PirateBay is still $0.00 per song.
Gov. Schwarzenegger says "hasta la vista" to California data protection law, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed AB 779, a legislative proposal that would have significantly increased standards for data protection.
Also in recent news, Google on Monday unveiled a new system for identifying pirated video on YouTube as it gets uploaded, but the system puts the burden on movie studios and other content owners to provide YouTube copies of the content first.
Least surprising at all, when surveyed, most women found my penis to be "extremely satisfying", and showed an above average "turn over" and "re-application" rate.
Oct. 17th, 2007 @ 08:17 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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Your results:
You are Lex Luthor
| Lex Luthor |
| 74% |
| Poison Ivy |
| 73% |
| Mr. Freeze |
| 71% |
| Dr. Doom |
| 61% |
| Riddler |
| 61% |
| Apocalypse |
| 60% |
| The Joker |
| 59% |
| Magneto |
| 59% |
| Green Goblin |
| 56% |
| Two-Face |
| 52% |
| Catwoman |
| 50% |
| Kingpin |
| 49% |
| Mystique |
| 48% |
| Dark Phoenix |
| 47% |
| Venom |
| 39% |
| Juggernaut |
| 32% |
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A brilliant businessman on a quest for world domination and the self-proclaimed greatest criminal mind of our time!
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Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test
Sep. 16th, 2007 @ 11:39 am
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| » I need to remember... |
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If I ever kill anyone, I have to tell them that it is an evolutionary imperative.
Sep. 9th, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
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| » I feel better already... |
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Sep. 9th, 2007 @ 11:22 am
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| » Happiness... |
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There isn't a single problem in the world that you can't solve by doing a google image search for kittens.
Sep. 9th, 2007 @ 11:19 am
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| » Tips and Tricks for Grilling Fruit from Steven Raichlen |
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* Always begin with a clean, freshly oiled grill grate when grilling fruit (or anything!). You know my mantra…“Keep it hot, keep it clean, keep it lubricated.”
* Select fruit that is ripe, but still firm enough to hold its shape when exposed to the searing heat of the grill. My short list of favorites includes apples, apricots, bananas and plantains, fresh figs, mango, papaya, peaches and nectarines, pears, pineapple, plums and pluots. For exotics, including small African pineapples with tender, edible cores, go to www.melissas.com
* Choose the proper grilling method depending on the texture, size, and shape of the fruit. Pineapple, for example, can be spit-roasted if whole, direct grilled if in slices or chunks, or indirect grilled if halved, hollowed and stuffed. (A great example of the latter is the “Baked Hawaii” on page 306 of Beer Can Chicken.) Smoke-roasting is an option for some fruits. Dense, whole, round fruits, like apples and pears, do well indirect grilled or smoke-roasted whole in the skin (I like them stuffed with butter, brown sugar, and cookie crumbs). You can use grill rings to hold the fruit upright.
* Soft, succulent fruits, like figs, peaches, plums, and pineapple, are better suited to direct grilling over high heat. Cut them in half to maximize the surface area exposed to the smoke and fire.
* Butter, sugar, and alcohol-based mop sauces tend to spark flare-ups, so maintain a safety zone on your grill where you can move the food to keep it from burning.
* If the fruit is small (strawberries, kumquats, figs, cherries), thread it on bamboo skewers or use a grilling grid to prevent pieces from falling into the fire. Or, you can load up my flat skewers or telescoping fork, both of which prevent fruits from spinning.
* For grilled fruit desserts, brush cut fruit with butter, thinned honey, simple syrup, coconut milk (sweetened or unsweetened), fruit liqueur, eau de vie (fruit brandy), fruit juice, maple syrup, molasses, wine, port, and/or corn syrup.
* One super easy, slam-dunk great dessert is to brush slices of your favorite fruit (bananas, peaches, pineapples) with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. To make your life easy, use my Best of Barbecue Dessert Rub
* Sweet stuffings for round fruits, like hollowed apples and pears, might include toasted chopped nuts, coconut, candied citrus peel, cream cheese, whipped cream, or warmed jam, and of course, butter and brown sugar.
* For savory preparations, brush cut fruit with olive oil or melted butter, dust with chili powder or your favorite barbecue rub, stuff with cheese, and/or wrap with bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto. There are many possibilities. Some fruits, like figs, pair well with mustard.
* Berries are too fragile to grill directly, but make wonderful smoke-roasted crisps and cobblers (see recipe below).
Sep. 5th, 2007 @ 03:41 pm
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| » RECIPES |
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Smoke-Roasted Pear-Raspberry Cobbler
Raichlen’s Rule holds that if something tastes good baked, fried, or sautéed, it probably tastes better grilled. Case in point: the cobbler—here indirect grilled in the fragrant smoke of your favorite hardwood. I like to cook this in a cast iron skillet—you don’t need to worry about the smoke discoloring your favorite baking dish.
Method: Indirect grilling
Serves: 8
3-1/2 pounds pears, cored and diced (for about 6 cups)
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (separate uses)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Vegetable shortening or cooking spray for greasing the skillet
For the topping:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold salted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts (optional)
You’ll also need:
One 10-inch cast-iron skillet
1 cup wood chips or chunks (preferably apple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vanilla ice cream for serving
1) Rinse the pears and blot them dry with paper towels. Cut each in half, remove and discard the core, and cut the fruit into 1-inch chunks. Pick through the raspberries, removing any stems, leaves, or bruised or shriveled berries. Rinse and drain.
2) Place the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the cornstarch into mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in the pears, raspberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar or lemon juice as necessary. Coat the skillet lightly with vegetable shortening or cooking spray. Spoon the filling into the skillet.
3) Place the butter, flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar, and the remaining half cup of granulated sugar as well as 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into a food processor work bowl fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. The butter should form pea-sized pieces. If you don’t have a food processor, use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or use a pastry cutter or two knives—it’s like mixing pie crust. Stir in the almonds if using. Spoon the topping evenly over the pear-raspberry filling.
4) Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals.
5) When ready to cook, place the skillet on the grill grate (not over direct heat), and cover the grill. Cook the cobbler until the filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned, 40 to 60 minutes. Let the cobbler cool for a few minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.
Smoke-Roasted Apples with Sausage and Sage
Method: Indirect grilling
Serves: 6
3 tablespoons butter (separate uses)
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
6 ounces uncooked pork sausage, removed from the casing
3 fresh sage leaves, minced, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
6 large baking apples, cored (but leave the bottom intact, so you make a sort of hollow cavity)
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup wood chips (preferably apple or maple), soaked 1 hour in apple cider or water to cover, then drained
6 small grill rings from Best of Barbecue, or 2-inch rings fashioned from crumpled aluminum foil
1) Melt 1-1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and sage, increase the heat to medium high, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the pork is lightly browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat and reserve the fat. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper.
2) Position the apples on the grill rings. Divide the stuffing evenly among the apples, pressing it in firmly. Pour a little of the maple syrup over the stuffing in each apple. Cut remaining butter into 6 pieces and place one on top of each apple. Brush the sides of the apples with the reserved sausage fat. The apples can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage; cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3) Set up the grill for indirect grilling. Place a drip pan in the center. Arrange the apples in the center of the grill over the drip pan on grill rings, if using. Toss half the wood chips on each mound of coals and cover the grill. Adjust the vent holes to obtain a temperature of about 350 degrees F.
4) Smoke-roast the apples until tender (the sides will be squeezably soft) and the filling is browned and bubbling. Depending on your grill and the outside temperature, this will take 40 to 60 minutes. Transfer to plates or a platter. (Grill rings will be hot.) Optional: Garnish each apple with a leaf of fresh sage before serving.
Jake’s White Sangria
I promised in a blog that I’d share with readers of Up in Smoke the cocktail my stepson, Jake, created for our Fourth of July celebration. This one contains fresh, not grilled or smoked fruit—but that would certainly make an interesting sangria.
Serves 4 to 6
2 bottles semi-dry white wine
1/4 cup Cointreau, Triple Sec, or other clear orange liquor
2 lemons
4 cloves
2 oranges
1 bunch green seedless grapes (about 8 ounces), stemmed, each grape cut in half lengthwise
8 ounces cherries, washed and stemmed
1 apple, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 cinnamon sticks
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar or honey (or to taste)
1) Place the wine and Cointreau in a large pitcher. Remove 4 strips lemon zest (the oil rich outer rind) with a vegetable peeler. Insert a clove in each and add to the wine. (This keeps someone from choking on a loose clove.) Cut the remaining rind off the lemon and discard. Thinly slice the peeled lemon, removing and discarding the seeds. Add the lemon slices to the wine mixture. Juice the other lemon and add it to the wine mixture.
2) Cut one orange crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, rind and all. Cut each slice in quarters, removing and discarding the seeds. Add them to the wine mixture. Juice the other orange and add it to the wine mixture. Add the grapes, cherries, apple, and cinnamon sticks and stir to mix. Add 2 tablespoons sugar or honey and stir to mix—you can always add more. Place the sangria in the refrigerator and let the flavors blend for 2 to 4 hours.
3) Just before serving, check the sangria for sweetness, adding sugar or honey to taste. Serve in wine glasses and be sure to provide spoons for eating the fruit.
Sep. 5th, 2007 @ 03:36 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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Do I write here for you or for me?
Aug. 19th, 2007 @ 10:45 am
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| » Mike.... |
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This link is for you.
Jun. 1st, 2007 @ 02:58 am
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| » It's Been a While.. |
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I've been updating my Tumblr journal instead of this one for a while. Mostly because Mike and Russell started using it, but neither of them have been posting anything at all there, so all it's done is divided my time between this journal and that one, and a lot more friends update their pages here than there(this means you, Sean). Maybe it's just not in the nature of the majority of my friends to post in their journals. Anyway, I'm back. My Tumblr automatically uses RSS to add entries from this journal to it, so until Mike and Russell start posting, I wont be missing much by sticking with livejournal.
It may have been a nicer, easier, faster way to post about my day, etc, but... you can't replace people. I'd only go if any of my friends went who posted a lot.
May. 24th, 2007 @ 02:45 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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John: (in fear and awe) What are you?
Latrommi: (a deep sadness permeating every action) That question is, perhaps, far bigger than you comprehend, most of the answers that you expect from me, would be meaningless in the context of your preparedness to comprehend them. This is compounded by other issues of definition, the best possible answer is simply that I am alone.
John: That doesn't help... it doesn't help at all...
Latrommi: I know. I wish I could answer you better.
John: What are you doing here?
Latrommi: I came to stop you.
John: You can't do that. I wont let you.
Latrommi: You should let me.
John: Why can't I move?
Latrommi: Because we are between breaths, a pause so that we may reflect. Consider that you are about to steal the life of a woman who has done no wrong. (pauses as John's outburst of protest is stifled through some unknown means) No... no, you're right, in the near future all of a great tragedy hinges on her actions and choices. A thousand will die, but that is not at this moment. You seek to oppressively punish and undo your present. Are you blind to the path that leads down? The path of punishment before the crime? Worse, to steal an integral part of your near past, to change your present. Pain and death, tragedy and destruction are as much a part of what makes all life rich and unique and you would stifle that because of your personal attachment. To push back farther and farther seeking to undo all the great tragedies of time, you would eventually undo all that you are, all that your people are, everything that any of you have ever sought to accomplish. Certainly learn from it, and strive to prevent it in the future but pause and reflect and allow the past to remain unchanged! You will be lost forever, and so will your people, as have all races which have unlocked and explored time beyond space. I will allow you to speak rationally.
John: (frustrated, exasperated, finally able to speak, but weak) Why are you alone?
Latrommi: Once I was a part of a council, the rest proved to weak, too attached, they each, one by one, failed to allow the things which they were attached to slip away into oblivion, grasping at the straws of protecting their way of life rather than allowing for the world to change around them.
John: But what happened to them?
Latrommi: What always happens when you cannot accept tragedy as a part of existence..
May. 24th, 2007 @ 01:41 pm
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