Valentine’s Surf And Turf

This year, why not surprise your significant other with a Valentine’s Day Surf And Turf dinner at home? With some easy preparation and your gas grill, you can whip up this elegant and delicious meal in less than an hour.

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Complete your elegant meal by starting with Cosmopolitan Martinis and a few Southern Cheese Squares. Then moving along with a small cup of Luxurious Crab Bisque and a Fried Goat Cheese And Roasted Root Vegetable Salad. Finally, finish off your romantic meal with Mini Cherry Cheesecakes and a shot of Espresso Irish Cream liqueur.

Valentine’s Day At Home

I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in Central Florida, any holiday that falls between New Year’s Day and Easter coincides with the insurgence of ‘snow birds’ and just people wanting to escape the cold and snow for a long weekend. So, you can imagine how busy and crowded our little beach community can get for Valentine’s Day.  

A loud, crowded restaurant isn’t relaxing and certainly isn’t romantic. But a leisurely meal at home, that doesn’t take a lot of time and effort to make yet feels as though it did, is the perfect alternative.

This meal makes it even easier because everything is cooked on your gas grill! The steak and lobster tail is beautifully charred on the outside and moist and tender inside then slathered with garlicky, herbed butter and paired beside grilled asparagus spears. Delicious.

How To Buy Fresh Lobster Tails

1. Choose cold-water (Maine) lobster tails rather than warm lobster tails. Cold-water lobster is sweeter and the flesh is firm and white. Warm water lobster tends to have a mushy texture and a much different flavor.  You can tell the difference by looking at the shells. Warm water lobsters have black spots on their shells or yellow spots with a yellow band across the tail. Cold-water lobster tails do not have any markings. Cold-water lobster tails have a brownish shell and very pale gray meat. They will also be more expensive than warm water lobster.
2. Avoid any tails that have any sign of yellowing or dull, discolored meat. There should be no gray areas at all. These are all signs that the meat isn’t as fresh as it should be.
3. There should be no pungent or strong fishy smell.
4. Check with your fish provider to see if the tails have been soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate. If so, avoid buying them.
5. Look for tails that are from 5 ounces up to 12 ounces. These smaller tails still provide a nice amount of meat with a great texture. If they are too small or too large, the meat could be rubbery or flavorless after cooking.

How To Butterfly A Lobster Tail

Learning how to butterfly a lobster tail sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be and will give you restaurant-quality results. 

1. Pat the lobster tail dry. Use very sharp kitchen shears to cut down the center of the lobster shell, all the way down the tail, but not through the tail.
2. Use your thumbs and fingers to spread open the shell, splitting it open so that it separates away from the meat on the sides.
3. If there is a dark line down the center of the tail, use the tip of a knife to pull it out. This is the intestinal tract and although safe to eat, is unappetizing.
4. Gently pull the lobster meat upward in one piece, separating it away from the bottom shell. Take care to leave the end of the meat attached to the fin. Push together the empty shell underneath the meat and place the meat on top of the shell, tucking it in the side just a bit to cradle the meat.

Let’s Talk About Compounding Butter

Compound butter is a great way to finish a steak, seafood, chicken, or vegetable and add great flavor. It can be made with anything from garlic, fresh herbs, and smoked salts to syrups, fruit spreads, and sugar.

Because the main component is butter, using quality, high-fat butter is crucial to the end product. I like using European butter for the best taste. 

Tips For Grilling A Perfect Filet Steak

• Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before grilling. This will ensure the steaks cook evenly.
• When searing the outside of the steaks, lay them on the hot grates and don’t move them for 2-3 minutes. This will get a crisp exterior that will keep the meat’s juices locked inside.
• Let the steaks rest when they come off the grill to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the cooked steak.
• Add compound butter to the meat while it rests for the best flavor.

DONENESS	TEMPERATURE RANGE	COOK TIME
Rare	120 – 125 F	4 minutes per side
Medium Rare	125 – 130 F	5 minutes per side
Medium	135 – 140 F	7 minutes per side
Medium Well	145 – 150 F	8 minutes per side
Well Done	160 or above	10 minutes per side

How To Pair Wine With Surf And Turf

Choosing a wine that goes well with both beef and seafood can be challenging, but with a few tips, a great bottle for your Valentine’s Day Surf And Turf can be had.

Let’s start with reds. It’s pretty difficult to find a red wine that doesn’t pair well with red meat, but it can overpower the seafood. Looking for light-bodied, low-tannin reds that are distinctive but not overpowering is a good place to start.  

Pinot Noirs – An unoaked pinot noir is a balanced red wine that isn’t too sweet, sour, or bitter and has fruity notes of cherry, strawberry, or raspberry that would go well with a buttery lobster tail.

Lambrusco – This sparkling red wine can vary from crisp to robust and tangy or even floral. Its subtle sweetness goes well with the sweetness of the lobster and still has enough acidity to cut through the fattiness of the beef and compound butter.

If you’re more of a white wine fan, look for strong whites or even a good Champagne.

Chardonnay – an oaked chardonnay, with its creamy mouthfeel and notes of butter and vanilla, will make the lobster taste richer. Its acidity will cut through the fat in the steak.

Sauvignon Blanc is full-bodied like a red and is acidic enough to stand up to robust flavors. The dryness and bright flavors will bring out the subtle, delicate flavors of seafood.

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