A once in a lifetime opportunity came our way last Sunday. Our neighbours Jenny and Alex peeked over the fence and asked if we’d ever had Shanghai Hairy Crab? Thinking this was some kind of joke referencing unhygienic pubic activity I said no and thought nothing of it. Jenny then asked if I knew how to cook crab. At that, I said yes, absolutely. From there, we received a very impromptu invitation for dinner, the only catch, I had to cook it.
Now I have a wonderful recipe I use for crab but then I sat down and did some research. Hairy crab, as it turns out, is one of the biggest seasonal delicacies in the Chinese culture. Individual crabs can sell for upward os $65 in a restaurant. Jenny and Alex had 8 air freight flown directly from China. I wasn’t about to disrespect the traditional way of preparing this delicacy by using the Big Green Egg (as much as I’d have loved to…)
I found a wonderful website that not only describes how to prepare the crab but also gives you the background to why this is such a treat in the Chinese culture. Click here to view the site and the preparation instructions.
Well, if the crab wasn’t enough, Jenny then peeked over the fence again with three gorgeous Wagyu beef steaks from Margaret River, WA (That’s Western Australia), some pork collar and pork cheek for good measure.
From there I fired up the Egg with anticipation. While it was coming up to 225F I seasoned the beef with nothing more than kosher salt and a bit of black pepper. With the pork, I seasoned it with some left over rub and then set the meat back into the fridge.
Once ready, I reverse seared the steaks, taking my time knowing that this might very well be the best steaks we’ve ever had on the BGE. (I was right!) At a perfect 135F internal temperature, the beef was done followed by the pork collar and cheeks. The pork cooked super fast once I had the grill at full tilt.
The result? The MOST expensive free meal we’ve ever had! Quote of the night from Alex the neighbour was “We’ve been pan frying this steak for 6 years and this, this is how it’s supposed to taste!!!!”
The crab, the beef, the pork, the wine and the company made for a wonderful impromptu meal on a quiet Sunday night!
Overall Heather Rating: 10/10
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