Go ahead and read that recipe title again. That’s right: pitmaster Rasheed Philips of Philips Barbeque Co. treated us to this otherworldly surf ‘n turf recipe featuring filet mignon, lobster tails, and shrimp! As if that bounty of beautiful proteins wasn’t enough to qualify for a Master Grillabilities® plate, Rasheed elevated this dish across the board by applying a pair of homemade compound butters before and after grilling everything on the Blaze kamado.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lobster & Steak
- 4 lobster tails
- Coarse salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 4 filet mignon steaks
- Avocado oil (for binder)
- Beef rub (optional for filet mignon)
-
1–1½ lbs, or 20–25, jumbo shrimp
(head off, shell on, deveined) - 2 garlic heads, halved (for aromatics)
- 4 lemon slices (for aromatics)
- ½ stick unsalted butter (for basting)
Ingredients for Lemon Curry Compound Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 2 Tbsp turmeric
-
2 cloves garlic, microplaned or
finely chopped - 2 pinches coarse salt
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 firm lemon (for zesting)
- Fresh juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely minced
Ingredients for Bleu Cheese Compound Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz bleu cheese block or crumbles
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 pinch coarse salt
-
2 cloves garlic, microplaned or
finely chopped - 1 sprig rosemary, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely minced
Items You'll Need
-
Blaze Kamados
or
any other Kamados - Half-moon Heat Deflector Plates
Instructions
Instructions for Surf & Turf
- Set up your kamado for 2-zone cooking, with half-moon heat deflector plates positioned in the front of the grill to keep the high heat away from you. Preheat the kamado to about 350℉–400℉.
- While the kamado preheats, prepare both compound butters. In a mixing bowl, combine and blend all ingredients for the lemon curry compound butter; in a separate mixing bowl, combine and blend all ingredients for the bleu cheese compound butter. Set aside both butters to allow the flavors to meld. (If you’re making the butter ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator but be sure to bring them to room temperature on the day of the cook so they’re easy to spread.)
- Prepare the lobster tails, starting by cutting the shells down the center with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Cut until you reach the flap at the end of the tail, then use a spoon or 2 fingers to lift the tail meat through the crack in the shell. Fluffing the meat above the shell is mostly for presentation.
- Season the exposed lobster tails with a bit of coarse salt and black pepper. Follow that with half of the lemon curry compound butter, which will add tons of flavor along with brightness from the lemon. Once seasoned, set the lobster tails aside.
- Drizzle avocado oil onto the filet mignon steaks, being sure to evenly coat all sides. (Pro tip: avocado oil has a smoke point of 500℉, making it a perfect fit for the temperature range used in this recipe. Oils with lower smoke points would burn, leaving behind a bitterly acrid taste.) Evenly season the steaks with your favorite beef rub or a simple mix of coarse salt and black pepper. Set aside when done.
- Add your shrimp to a mixing boil and coat evenly with avocado oil, black pepper, and the remaining lemon curry butter. Mix well and skewer, with the shell still on to retain moisture and protect the meat from flare-ups. Set aside.
- Once the kamado is up to temp, place your steaks on the indirect side of the grill (the side above the heat deflectors, which should be closest to you). Follow that with the halved garlic heads and lemon slices, which will roast to release their oils and aromatics. Close the lid and let everything cook for 3 minutes.
- Flip the steaks to their second side and let them cook over indirect heat for another 3 minutes. You can remove the garlic and lemon once they’re roasted to your liking, setting aside for now.
- Transfer the steaks to direct heat, then place the lobster tails over the indirect area with the tail end facing direct heat and the meat side up. Squeeze some roasted lemon over the lobster to infuse even more flavor.
- While the steaks sear over direct heat, flip them every minute or so. This will ensure an even cook and color throughout. Baste each side with melted, unsalted butter as you go, and drizzle some over the lobster for good measure. If flare-ups become too hard to handle as you baste the steaks, simply move them to the indirect side to let the flames die down. From there, you can continue basting with no fear of flare-ups.
- Once the lobster tails have reached an internal temperature of 135℉ (the shells will also have turned reddish-orange), remove them from the grill and set aside. The lobster should take about 10–15 minutes to grill, depending on size.
- At this point, you should also check the steaks’ internal temperature with a BBQ thermometer. Target doneness for rare is 125℉ for rare and 135℉ for medium. If the steaks aren’t quite ready, move them to the indirect side so they can finish while the shrimp skewers grill over direct heat.
- Place your shrimp skewers on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cook it for about 2 minutes per side, basting each side with butter.
- Remove the shrimp once they’ve turned opaque and firm. If your steaks weren’t ready earlier, check their internal temperature again and remove when finished. Again, it’s 125℉ for rare and 135℉ for medium.
- Rest the steaks for 2–5 minutes, then coat them with the bleu cheese compound butter. Squeeze lemon over the seafood, optionally serve with leftover lemon curry butter as a dipping sauce, and enjoy!