Steak & lobster - a wonderful surf and turf dish
A perfectly grilled steak and a juicy piece of lobster symbolize the finest of land and sea. Serve them together on one plate and you have a heavenly surf and turf dish.
What is surf ‘n’ turf?
Surf and turf mean fish and meat. Surf refers to the ocean or sea. Turf indicates grass or pastures where cows graze. The term became very popular in the 1960s on the U.S. West Coast. The well-to-do middle class then combined the best of land and sea: a perfectly grilled tenderloin topped with a succulent lobster tail. But the possibilities don't stop here.
What are other surf and turf dishes?
The sea has much to offer, and it would be a shame to limit yourself to lobster. Consider shrimp, squid, crab and scallops. They all taste great with a grilled piece of meat. Replace meat with poultry and make a skewer of turkey and shrimp. In the mood for fish? Then wrap a slice of bacon around a piece of monkfish or scallops. What's a surf and turf dish everyone knows? Paella with chicken. Even when you have steak tartare toast with an anchovy on it, you are unknowingly eating a surf and turf dish.
What do you need to keep in mind?
Making a successful surf and turf dish is not always obvious. You need to consider the following elements:
- Make sure the flavors of the sea and the land are balanced. One should not overpower the other. Be especially careful with smoked products.
- If you want a tasty dish, make sure the meat and fish are ready at the same time. This is easier to manage if you cook them both separately. With skewers, this is less obvious. So don’t cut the pieces of meat too large.
- Balance the flavors of fish and meat with a marinade, herb butter or sauce. Use fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, tarragon or chives that go well with both fish and meat. Lemon, garlic and chili pepper are also a good choice.
Recipe: steak and lobster
For this treat I use beef tenderloin, but you can prepare the dish just as well with a sirloin steak. Before you start cooking, get the barbecue going. Preheat the oven to 200°C. You will need it to grill the lobster tails. You need raw lobster tails for this dish. I always first put the lobsters in boiling water for only 1 minute or in the freezer for half an hour to daze them.
Ingredients for 2 persons
- 2 pieces beef tenderloin, 150 g each
- 2 lobster tails from lobsters weighing no more than 450 g each
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 1 sprig tarragon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 knobs of butter
- ½ lemon, cut in half
- Pepper
- Salt
-
Preparation
Step 1: make the herb butter
Remove the unsalted butter from the refrigerator and let it soften at room temperature. Then chop the garlic, parsley and tarragon leaves very finely. Mix this with the butter. Then add the cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Next, scoop the herb butter onto a piece of cling film and make it into a roll. Put the butter back in the refrigerator.
Step 2: prepare the lobster tails
Cut the shell of the tails with scissors up to the fin. Gently pull the scale open without breaking it. Remove the black vein from the tail and partially separate the meat from the shell. This makes it easy to remove the lobster meat after roasting. Season the lobster meat with salt and pepper. Take an oven dish and place the tails in it with the opening facing up. Place a knob of butter on each piece.
Step 3: prepare the meat
Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Rub the tenderloin pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: grill the meat
Heat the barbecue or a grill pan, preferably cast iron. Place the tenderloin on the grill and grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the meat over and continue cooking for 2 minutes. The meat will be medium rare. Remove the tenderloin from the grill, cover and let the meat rest for a few minutes.
Step 5: grill the lobster
While the meat rests, place the oven dish with the lobster tails high in the oven. Let them grill for 5 minutes. The lobster meat should no longer be translucent. You can also grill the lobster tails on the barbecue. Just be careful the tails don’t catch fire as the butter drips on the coals.
Step 6: serve
Take two large plates and serve a piece of tenderloin and a lobster tail on each plate. Slice the roll of herb butter and present the slices separately with the dish. Place a piece of lemon on the side as well.
You can serve steamed or grilled seasonal vegetables with this dish. Green asparagus, beans and broccoli are a good combo. Also consider steamed potatoes, spicy fries or a simple green salad.
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