Fiesta barbecue rancho-style - includes recipes - California hacienda cookery - Cover Story

Sunset, July, 1999 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Per serving: 157 cal., 24% (38 cal.) from fat; 27 g protein; 4.2 g fat (1.4 g sat.); 0.8 g carbo (0 g fiber); 55 mg sodium; 72 mg chol.

Garlic Butterflied Shrimp

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Up to 1 day ahead, butterfly shrimp, cover, and chill.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

2 1/2 to 3 pounds shrimp (12 to 15 per lb.)

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine

3 to 4 tablespoons minced

Salt and pepper Lime wedges

1. Peel shrimp, then cut each down the back, from neck to tail, almost all the way through. Pull out and discard veins. Rinse shrimp and lay open, cut sides down, pressing gently to flatten. For easier handling and to hold shrimp flat, run thin metal skewers, in parallel pairs, crosswise through shellfish, filling skewers.

2. In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan over low heat, stir butter and garlic occasionally until butter melts, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix or brush shrimp with 2/3 cup of the butter mixture.

3. Lay shrimp, spread open, on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or over high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds). Close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are opaque but still moist-looking in thickest part (cut to test), 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter as cooked. 4. Warm remaining garlic butter and spoon over shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lime onto shrimp to taste.

Per serving: 265 cal., 68% (180 cal.) from fat; 19 g protein; 20 g fat (12 g sat.); 1.8 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 324 mg sodium; 190 mg chol.

salsas

Salsa Cruda

PREP TIME: About 25 minutes

NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

MAKES: About 4 cups

3 fresh Anaheim.chilies (9 oz. total)

3 firm-ripe tomatoes (1 1/2 lb. total)

2 green onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh serrano chilies (optional)

Salt and pepper

1. Rinse, stem, seed, and chop Anaheim chilies. Rinse, core, and chop tomatoes.

2. In a bowl, mix Anaheim chilies, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and serrano chilies with salt and pepper to taste.

Per tablespoon: 3.5 cal., 0% (0 cal.) from fat; 0.1 g protein; 0 g fat; 0.8 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 1.2 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Salsa Chilpequin

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 10 minutes

NOTES: If making up to 3 days head, cover and chill. If the tiny fiery chilpequin and chiltepin are unavailable, use 1/2 cup of another dried hot chili such as chiles de arbol; discard stems and seeds before toasting.

MAKES: About 1/2 cup

1/2 cup (about 1 oz.) dried chilpequin or dried chiltepin

2 teaspoons salad oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled, pressed or minced

Salt

1. In an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir chilies in oil until chilies smell toasted, about 3 minutes; take care not to scorch. Pour from pan into a blender.

2. Add garlic and 1/2 cup water. Whirl until a smooth puree. If desired, thin with 1 or more tablespoons water. Add salt to taste.

Per tablespoon: 22 cal., 68% (15 cal.) from fat; 0.5 g protein; 1.7 g fat (0.3 g sat.); 2.2 g carbo (1 g fiber); 1.2 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.