Oak Grilled Dungeness Crab and Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤橡木北美大肉蟹肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng6 Muk6 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

Dungeness Crab, a local delicacy, is in season right now (but unfortunately in short supply). Surf and turf is an American meal that refers to a dish of seafood (surf; crab in this case) and beef steak (turf). Meat from a whole cooked crab is placed into the body shell and grilled together with a beef rib eye steak. This recipe easily serves two people and is a luxurious dish usually served for a special occasion.

Like the Mesquite Grilled Boneless Beef Chuck Steak (燒烤豆科灌木牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) and Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipes, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

So my adaptation is to reverse the previous order of cooking the meat to first pre-heat the meat on the cool side of the grill to smoke it before moving to the hot side to char. This produces similar results to America’s Test Kitchen’s original method even though the fire is reduced in heat when the meat is charred after pre-heating, and you don’t need to use your oven. The new method does take longer to cook the meat, but it’s worth the extra time to get the desired results. The cooking time varies with the thickness of the meat, temperature of the fire, and your previous experience with the barbeque grill, so you’ll have to experiment a little to get the desired results. I think if you try cooking steaks using my adapted method, you’ll also change the way you grill meat.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Whole cooked Dungeness crab (北美大肉蟹, bak1 mei5 daai6 juk6 haai5), meat removed and placed into body shell
1½ lb.	750 g.	Beef rib eye steak (肉眼牛排, juk6 ngaan5 ngau4 paai4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
2-4	2-4	Garlic clove (蒜, syun3), sliced thinly
		Salt or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, to taste
		Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak1 ziu1) to taste

Equipment

		Small knife
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Cooked Dungeness crab meat in body shell

1. Remove the meat from a whole cooked Dungeness crab and place the meat into the body shell. Also try to save and place any liquid from the crab into the body shell. This step can be done the night before cooking. Be sure to store the crab body shell with the meat in a covered container or sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Take the crab body shell out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Make small cuts into the top fat layer of the beef rib eye steak and insert the garlic slices into the cuts. The garlic will flavor the steak when grilled.
3. Coat the exterior surfaces of the beef rib eye steak with sesame oil. Your hand is the best tool for doing this step.
4. Coat the surfaces with salt or Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, and ground black pepper. The amount to use is a personal preference. Allow to marinate for at least one hour of overnight in the refrigerator. Take the beef steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
5. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the oak wood for smoking (pecan, mesquite, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
6. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the beef, and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for pre-heating and smoking the beef. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the beef from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
7. Place the beef and crab body shell on the cool side of the covered grill for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the beef over, and cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.
8. Uncover the grill and move the beef and crab body shell to the hot side of the grill. Grill the beef uncovered for 2-4 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 2-4 minutes. Turn the beef over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
9. Remove the beef and crab body shell from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the beef. The thickness of the beef, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the beef.