One of the best ways to add flavor to any meal is to cook it over a wood fire or even charcoal. You can add the woody flavor to a traditional surf ‘n turf for a great meal for your family and friends, and enjoy doing it at the same time — even for those who don’t care for cooking. This meal could be prepared in your fifth wheel or toy hauler, but it’s best cooked outside.
Prepare the Cooking Area
If you are using charcoal, line the bottom of the grill with at least 5 inches of charcoal. If you are using a wood fire, get a blazing hot fire going with dry wood that burns fast. Let the wood burn out until it is mostly coals. There should be a little flame left. Add small sticks of green wood — about the thickness of a small wrist. Leave the cooking grill off for now, if you are using a shallow grill. If you are using a fireplace, you can put the grill over the fire.
Prepare the Food
Soak an ear of sweet corn for each person in water for 5 minutes, with the husks on. Stab baking potatoes with a fork to give the skins room to breathe. Wrap them in foil and lay them in the coals. Put the sweet corn on the grill — leave the husks on, but cut the silk at the top off. Turn the corn and potatoes after one-half hour.
Season the steaks with salt, pepper, powdered onion, powdered garlic and blackening spice. Rub the spices into the steak on both sides. Put the steaks on the grill once the potatoes and corn have cooked for 30 to 45 minutes. The timing depends on how you like your steak — rare or well done.
Prepare the lobster tails by wrapping them in foil. Add a dab of butter and one-half teaspoon crushed garlic to each foil pack. Close the foil over the top of the tail and fold it to make a small pocket around the tail.
Depending on the size of the lobster tails, they will take 10 to 20 minutes to cook. Put them on the grill with the steaks.
Get Ready to Enjoy!
Peel the husks off the corn. Slather the ears with butter and salt. Remove the steaks and lobster. You can leave the lobster right in the foil — just open the foil packs — so that you can dip the meat into the hot butter and garlic.
Remove the potatoes. Take them out of the foil and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop the potato out of the skin. Add toppings to the potato and the potato skins. You can use butter, sour cream, fresh chives, bacon bits, cheese or any other favorite toppings you have.
Cook the surf ‘n turf meal inside or outside your new toy hauler — but it’s better when you cook it outside, over an open flame or charcoal.
