Sizzling San Diego - A Broncos Tailgate Theme

This week’s food theme takes us West to the sunny climes of Southern California. The Denver Broncos will face the Chargers and Broncos Country will feed their face. My game plan calls for a mess of Shrimp, a handful of skewers and a Barbeque.

The first thing you want to do to prepare Shrimp is to Brine them before cooking. This makes them plump and moist. Normally the shell will hold in moisture, but we are trying to eliminate complications and distractions from the game. Simplification is in order, so the prep work is done beforehand.

Brining

For every 2 lbs. (21-25 count) of Shrimp, use 3 cups of Kosher salt or 1 ½ cups of table salt. Pour2 cups of boiling water into a large bowl. Add the salt and stir the mixture to dissolve the salt into a brine. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, because we aren’t ready to cook it just yet. Next, add 3 ½ cups of ice water and the Shrimp. Let them marinate for 20-25 minutes. After that, drain the solution and rinse the Shrimp under cold running water. Shell and de-vein the Shrimp if desired.

Skewering

Note: If you use wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water to prevent them from burning up.

Thread each Shrimp onto skewers by passing the skewer through the body near the tail, folding the shrimp over, and passing the shrimp through the body near the head. Threading each shrimp twice prevents them from spinning, which in turn, makes it easy to cook them on both sides. Another method is to use two skewers side by side. That helps stabilize the shrimp as well.

Let’s get Cooking.

Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Paste

Ingredients

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 lbs. brined Shrimp
• Lemon wedges

Mince the garlic with the salt until it forms a smooth paste. Mix the garlic and salt in a small bowl with the cayenne and paprika. Add the lemon juice and the olive oil to form a thin paste. Toss the Shrimp with this mixture until evenly coated. (Note: at this point, the Shrimp may be covered and refrigerated for up to an hour). Thread the Shrimp onto pre-soaked skewers and fire up the grill.

Grill the Shrimp over a medium-hot fire until the shells are bright pink, or about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve hot or at room temperature with Lemon Wedges.
At this point the possibilities are endless. As Bubba Blue said, "there’s a lot of ways to cook Shrimp." Even if you’re not a Shrimpin’ Boat captain. So I thought I’d add a little color and flavor options in case you want some variety in your menu.

Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce

This takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine ketchup, orange juice, soy sauce, orange zest, chili powder and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
Serve warm or cool as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, cooked shrimp, dumplings, egg or spring rolls. Makes about 2 cups.

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a tightly covered container.

Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

This one is a family recipe that is tried and true. I highly recommend it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Soy sauce
• 1 cup Chicken broth
• ¾ cup Sugar
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 Tablespoons fresh pureed ginger
• Cornstarch