Simple Summer Surf and Turf for a Special Night

A surf and turf dinner featuring steak and seafood might seem more suited to a special occasion dinner in a restaurant. The summer grilling season is the perfect time to make a special dinner for two at home! Grilled sirloin steak with sea scallop and vegetable kabobs involve very little prep time and can be cooked in less than 15 minutes on the grill.

We select smaller steaks for a surf and turf meal, preferring eight ounces or less. Choose a thicker steak to help keep it juicy and tender on the grill. The marinade is perfect for both the beef and scallops with just enough acid to tenderize the beef without overwhelming it.

Home-Grilled Surf and Turf for Two

Marinade:
1 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (if desired)

2 sirloin steaks
3 sea scallops
1/2 large sweet onion, peeled
1/2 small zucchini or yellow summer squash
1/2 large sweet bell pepper, any color

If you are using wooden skewers, place two in a pan of cold water to soak while marinating the steak and scallops.

In a medium bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce, lime juice, canola oil, granulated garlic and chili sauce (if desired.) Cut the scallops in half and place in a one-quart zip bag. Add half of the marinade and turn to coat the scallops. Place the steaks in another one-quart zip bag and add the rest of the marinade, turning to coat. Put the scallops and steaks in the refrigerator for one hour. Watch the time carefully because too much time in the marinade could make the scallops tough.

Clean and cut the vegetables. Cut the onion half into four wedges. The squash should be cut into six equal pieces and the bell pepper should be cut into one-inch pieces.

Heat the grill to medium, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and marinade and prepare the kabobs. Pour the marinade from the scallops into a small saucepan and bring to a quick boil, then simmer for five minutes. While the marinade is simmering, thread the kabobs, alternating the scallops with the vegetables.

Give the steaks about a five-minute head start on the kabobs. While grilling the scallop kabobs, brush with the heated marinade to give just a thin coating.

Serve your surf and turf with a simple garden salad and a piece of crusty bread.

Tips:
*There is no longer a hard and fast rule of "red wine with beef, white wine for seafood." Always choose a wine you will enjoy. If you are a craft beer drinker, a Belgian Saison or a wit bier will go nicely with a surf and turf.
*To save even more time, some produce departments carry pre-cut vegetables suitable for kabobs. All you need to do is wash the veggies well and insert the skewers.
*Some people claim that poking holes in a tougher steak before marinating it will help tenderize it more quickly. In reality, those holes will give easy passage for the steaks natural juices to escape once they are on the heat, leaving a much tougher steak for your plate.
*If you are a fan of mushrooms in your kabobs, feel free to add them. I don't recommend cherry tomatoes for seafood kabobs as the acid may overwhelm the scallops.

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