Grilled Shrimp With Tamarind Recado Food

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH TAMARIND SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking.
• Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a colander.
• Make sauce:
• Place tamarind in a bowl with water and rub with your fingers to dissolve pulp. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.
• Heat oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cilantro paste and garlic, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in hot sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer until thickened to consistency of light syrup, about 3 minutes.
• Grill shrimp:
• Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to second-to-last tail section. Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.
• Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
• Spoon tamarind sauce over shrimp (still in shells) in a serving dish.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH TAMARIND RECADO

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• In a bowl toss shrimp with recado and marinate until grill is ready, about 30 minutes. Grill shrimp on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, turning them occasionally, until crusty, opaque, and charred, about 4 minutes.
• Serve shrimp with salsa.

GRILLED PORK RIBS WITH TAMARIND RECADO

Steps:

• Rub ribs with chipotle rub and put in large sealable plastic bags or a shallow baking dish large enough to hold ribs in one layer. (Marinate ribs, covered and chilled, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.)
• Add recado to ribs, turning them to coat well. (Marinate ribs, covered and chilled, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.)
• Prepare grill.
• Remove ribs from marinade, letting excess marinade drip off, and reserve excess marinade. Grill ribs, bone sides down, on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, covered, until marinade sets and dries slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn ribs and baste with some reserved marinade. Grill ribs, covered 10 minutes more. Grill ribs, uncovered, basting frequently with some reserved marinade, until crusty and browned on both sides, 10 to 20 minutes more. (Do not baste ribs with marinade during last 5 minutes of cooking.) Discard any unused marinade.
• Cut meat into individual ribs and serve with salsa.
• To make chipotle rub:
• In a small heavy skillet dry-roast oregano over moderate heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes, and transfer to a small bowl. Cool oregano completely and in an electric coffee/spice grinder grind fine.
• In a heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and, using tongs, fry chiles, 1 to 2 at a time, turning them, until puffed and just beginning to brown, about 10 seconds. (Do not let chiles burn or rub will be bitter.) Transfer chiles as fried to paper towels to drain and cool until crisp.
• Wearing rubber gloves, break chiles into pieces and in coffee/spice grinder grind fine in batches. In a food processor grind oregano and chiles with garlic and salt until mixture is a shaggy, saltlike consistency. If mixture seems moist, on a large baking sheet spread it into a thin, even layer and dry in middle of an oven set at lowest temperature until no longer moist, about 1 hour. Wearing rubber gloves, break up any lumps with your fingers. (Chipotle rub keeps in an airtight container, chilled, 6 months. Regrind rub before using.) Makes about 3 1/4 cups.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH SPICY TAMARIND DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat grill on high. Thread 3 shrimp on each skewer; season with salt and pepper. Dipping sauce: Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.