On a recent date with my wife, I ordered a shrimp and parmesan sirloin dish at Applebee’s. I enjoyed the food, but afterward got to thinking about how good it would be to cook the same dish at home on my Big Green Egg. I had high expectations for the homemade version of this dish, and it far exceeded every one of them. I can’t think of a finer meal to feed your loved ones or guests, and it’s a meal I will certainly be making again.
Applebee’s tops a sirloin steak with pan-fried shrimp and parmesan sauce. Here I’m using ribeye steak, which in my opinion is much better. I was able to snag some Prime grade ribeyes on sale at Sam’s Club, but Choice grade would be fine too. I grilled the shrimp on a perforated pan next to the steaks. The homemade parmesan sauce was a real clincher on this dish.
The size of shrimp I used was 41–60 per pound. You can use as many shrimp and whatever size you please. There should be plenty of sauce in one batch for two steaks. If you’re cooking for more than two people, don’t be afraid to make extra cream sauce. It’s excellent on a lot of other foods too.
Meal for Two
- 2 ribeye steaks (1 inch thick)
- 1 (12-ounce) bag of shrimp, deveined
- Parmesan sauce (see below)
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To get started, gather your ingredients and fire your grill so it can heat up while you’re preparing the sauce and meat. This is going to be an epic meal, but it requires some careful planning for everything to come together.
For this cook, I used the Big Green Egg and fired it with Rockwood Lump Charcoal. I lit the charcoal with a fire starter square, then fanned the coals with the BBQ Dragon for 8 minutes to get the fire hot. By then the fire was quite hot, so I removed the Dragon, shut the dome, and adjusted the vents to halfway open to start dialing in the temperature.
Note: Use the screen vent in the bottom to keep embers from dropping out the bottom of the grill.
As the grill is heating up, peel the shrimp, toss them with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter, and season them with Meadow Creek Zesty Seasoning or your favorite seafood seasoning. Give the steaks a good seasoning of salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and Killer Hogs Steak Rub on both sides. As soon as the sauce is made and the grill is hot, we’re ready for action!
To make the sauce, bring the cream to a boil in a small pot or saucepan, then reduce the heat to medium low for about 10 more minutes. While the cream is heating up, prepare the other sauce ingredients. I have a small herb garden with fresh basil, but you can also use dried basil instead if that’s easier for you to get. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and set the heat to low to keep the sauce warm until the meat is grilled.
By now the Egg should be getting up to temperature. Try to stabilize it at 650 degrees F by adjusting the top and bottom vents. Slide the vents open further to raise the temperature and ease them shut to lower the temperature.
Put the steaks on the grate directly over the hottest coals. Grill them for 4 minutes on each side, then check the internal temperature with an instant-read probe thermometer to see exactly when they reach medium rare (130–135 degrees F). The timing will vary slightly based on the weather, the size of the steak, and exactly where they are placed, but 4 minutes per side should make a good medium rare steak.
If you are concerned about grill marks, after the first 2 minutes on each side, rotate them 45 degrees and slide them to a new position on the grate.
Put the shrimp in a perforated grill pan to keep them from falling through the grate and set the pan on the side of the grill where the heat is less intense. They will cook very quickly, in as little as several minutes.
Make sure you have something handy to put the shrimp and steak into the moment they are done. The fire will be scorching hot and the meat will cook quickly. A long-handled spatula works for handling the shrimp and long-handled tongs for the steaks.
Transfer each steak to a serving plate, then top each steak with a dozen or more shrimp and a layer of sauce. Or sauce the steak and then add the shrimp if you prefer a presentation with the shrimp on top.
Serve immediately.
This dish is pure excellence and goes well with grilled or steamed vegetables, potatoes, or whatever you like with your steaks.
I hope you have the chance to share this dish with someone special in your life and enjoy it as much as I did.
About the author: Lavern Gingerich is a writer and the digital marketing manager for Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply.
