NY Strip Surf and Turf Recipe

Restaurant Iris in Memphis serves one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Chef Kelly English takes a New York Strip, grills it to perfection and stuffs it with fresh deep fried gulf oysters and a little blue cheese. To finish off this masterpiece he tops it with a rich Hollandaise sauce and it truly is a steak to remember.

I wanted to do my best to recreate this Southern Surf and Turf preparation. I start with a couple Prime NY Strip Steaks from Matador Prime Steak.

These steaks are well marbled and full of beef flavor. They only need a touch of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper because I want the flavor of the beef to shine through.

To cook the steaks prepare a charcoal grill for direct searing; I’m using my PK 360 set up with a set of GrillGrates for restaurant quality grill marks. (you can use any grill for this cooking method)

While the charcoal is getting hot go ahead and make the hollandaise sauce…

Blue Cheese Hollandaise Sauce

3 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Stick Unsalted Butter melted
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
pinch of salt
¼ cup Crumbled Blue Cheese (reserve until right before you serve)

You’ll need a double boiler or a simple metal mixing bowl over a small pot of water. Set the heat for medium on your stove; the heat needs to stay pretty low because we’re not trying to cook the eggs.

In the top pot of the double boiler add 3 large egg yolks and 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Whisk to combine until the mixture is light in color and frothy. Place the pot over the double boiler and slowly whisk in 1 stick of melted butter. Continue to whisk and make sure not to cook the eggs. The sauce will start to thicken after a few minutes; remove it from the heat and stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt for flavor. Just keep the sauce warm until ready to finish.

Once the grill is good and hot, sear the steaks on each side for about 3 minutes each side. (twist the steaks after 1 ½ minutes on the grill to create grill marks.)

You can cook the strips to your desired doneness; for me it’s rare and 3 minutes each side is about all they need. Rest the steaks on a platter loosely tented with aluminum foil.

For the surf portion of this recipe I’m using deep fried oysters. Prepare an egg wash by mixing 3 Large Eggs with ½ cup of milk, and 2 Tablespoons of Killer Hogs Hot Sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and place 8-10 raw gulf oysters in the mixture. Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to fry.

While the steaks rest, fry the oysters. Heat peanut oil to 375⁰ in an iron pot. Drain the egg wash from the oysters one at a time and dredge them in your favorite fish fry breeding. (I use Louisiana Fish Fry Mix).

Fry the oysters in the oil for about 1 minute or until golden brown. A perfect fried oyster should be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside; don’t overcook them.

To finish off this dish, add the crumbled blue cheese in the warm Hollandaise sauce. Place the steaks on a serving dish and top with the fried oysters. Drizzle the Blue Cheese Hollandaise over the top and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Chef English cuts a slit into the steak and stuffs the oysters inside but I like them on top. I wanted all the juice to stay inside the steak but however you serve it this dish is a winner.

The steak and oysters pair excellent together and the creamy sauce ties it all together. This is one Surf and Turf that you’ll want to try!