Of all the ways to prepare shrimp, the grill delivers the best flavor, and an easily assembled gingery barbecue sauce makes them that much better.
Grilled Shrimp With Honey-Ginger Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
Honey-Ginger Barbecue Sauce
Barbecue Shrimp
Barbecued Shrimp
- 4 pounds jumbo (21-25 per pound) or extra-large (26-30 per pound) shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail and adjoining shell segment intact, and deveined (See Cooks’ Notes)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Special equipment: 18 to 24 (12-inch) wooden skewers (depending on size of shrimp used), soaked in water for 30 minutes
Preparation
For the Shrimp: If necessary, pat shrimp dry, then thread about 6 shrimp (through top and tail, leaving shrimp curled), onto each skewer, without leaving space between shrimp. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high for gas); (see Grilling Procedure at bottom). Meanwhile, brush shrimp with vegetable oil and sprinkle evenly with salt.
Lightly oil grill rack. Grill shrimp, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, 2 minutes. Brush shrimp with some sauce from the saucepan, then turn. Brush shrimp with additional sauce then grill until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.
Honey-Ginger Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup mild honey
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and briskly simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. (Stir frequently toward end of cooking to prevent sticking.)
Cooks’ notes:
•In terms of shrimp size- go by the count per pound versus the descriptive terms such as jumbo and extra-large. If the count is not displayed, ask.
•Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Reheat before proceeding.
•Shrimp can be threaded onto skewers and refrigerated on a tray, loosely covered with plastic wrap, 2 hours before grilling.
•Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Reheat before proceeding.
•If making the shrimp and the corn, double the recipe for the sauce and cook it until it is reduced to 2 1/2 cups.
Grilling Procedure
Charcoal Grilling Instructions:
Open vents on bottom of grill. Light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood).
For Direct-Heat Grilling:
When coals are lit, dump them out across bottom rack, leaving a space free of coals on one side of grill equal to the size of the food to be grilled where food can be moved in case of any flare-ups
For Indirect-Heat Cooking:
When coals are lit, dump them out along two opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving a space free of charcoal in middle of rack equal to the size of the food to be grilled.
For Direct-or Indirect Heat:
When charcoal turns grayish white (start checking coals after 15 minutes), the grill will be at its hottest and will then begin to cool off. How long you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly over the coals determines the heat of your grill, as follows:
Hot: 1 to 2 seconds
Medium Hot: 3 to 4 seconds
Low: 5 to 6 seconds
Gas Grill Instructions:
Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then adjust heat according to recipe. For indirect-heat cooking, just before grilling, turn off 1 burner (middle burner if there are 3).