This Father’s Day, give your dad a break by giving him a meal to get fired up about. Heat up the grill with some sizzling dishes that he’ll definitely remember. Start with kochujang barbecue ribs with a depth of flavor and subtle sweetness that blend perfectly. Round out this surf-and-turf dinner with grilled garlic-herb shrimp and a sweet and spicy grilled cornbread to pull it all together.
Kochujang Barbecue Ribs
>> 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2 pounds each)
>> Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
>> Sauce:
>> 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
>> 10 cloves garlic, peeled
>> 1 3-inch piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped
>> 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grill
>> 3/4 cup kochujang (Korean hot-pepper paste)
>> 1/2 cup ketchup
>> 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
>> 3 tablespoons plum sauce
>> 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
>> 1 tablespoon shoyu
>> 1/4 cup water
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat ribs dry; season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
Wrap each rack in double layer of foil, crimping edges tightly, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 2-1/2 hours or until meat is soft but is not quite falling off bone. Remove from oven and let sit inside foil until cool enough to handle.
To make sauce: In a food processor, pulse green onions, garlic, and ginger until finely chopped.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium. Add green onion mixture and cook, stirring often, until golden and starting to stick, about 4 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients; stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often to prevent scorching, 5–10 minutes, until thick. Remove from heat.
Heat outdoor grill to medium- high; lightly oil grates. Remove ribs from foil and cut racks in half. Grill, meaty side down, until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Brush with sauce and turn. Brush with more sauce and continue to grill, turning 2 more times, until sauce is lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes; slice into individual ribs. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 900 calories, 61 g total fat, 21 g saturated fat, 215 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,200 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 54 g protein.
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Grilled Garlic-Herb Shrimp
>> 2 pounds large shrimp (21-25 per pound) peeled and deveined
>> Marinade:
>> 2 teaspoons paprika
>> 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
>> 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
>> 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
>> 1/4 cup olive oil
>> 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
>> 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
>> 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Add shrimp and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning once.
Heat outdoor grill to medium- high. Lightly oil grill grate and place about 4 inches from heat source.
Remove shrimp from marinade, drain excess; discard marinade. Grill shrimp, turning once, until opaque in center, 5-6 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 350 calories, 17 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 365 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,600 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 40 g protein.
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Grilled Cornbread With Jalapeno-Honey Butter
>> Nonstick cooking spray
>> 2 cups prepared biscuit mix
>> 5 tablespoons corn meal
>> 3/4 cup sugar
>> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
>> 2 beaten eggs
>> 1 cup milk
>> 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
>> Jalapeno-Honey Butter:
>> 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
>> 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
>> 2 tablespoons honey
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, blend all cornbread ingredients. Do not over mix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool.
Slice cornbread into squares and split each square horizontally. Set aside.
To make jalapeno butter: In a medium bowl, beat ingredients until creamy.
Spread butter on each side of cornbread.
Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Grill cornbread about 3 minutes on each side or until it is crisp and has grill-marks. Serve immediately. Serves 18.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 250 calories, 18 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 11 g sugar, 3 g protein.
More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.