Surf and turf or surf 'n' turf is a main course combining seafood and

red meat In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw and a dark color after it is cooked, in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before and after cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified as ...

. A typical seafood component would be lobster (either lobster tail or a whole lobster), prawns, shrimp, squid or

scallops Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of Marine (ocean), marine bivalve mollusc, mollusks in the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Family (biology), family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also s ...

, any of which could be

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking hav ...

grilled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...

or breaded and fried. The meat is typically beef steak, although others may be used. One standard combination is lobster tail and

filet mignon Filet mignon (; ; ) is a cut of meat taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin, or psoas major of a cow. In French, it mostly refers to cuts of pork tenderloin. The tenderloin runs along both sides of the spine, and is usually butchered as ...

. Surf and turf is typically served in

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...

s in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Surf and turf is sometimes referred to as Reef and beef or Reef 'n' Beef in Australia.

Etymology

It is unclear where the term originated. The earliest known citation is from 1961, in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

''.

History

In late 19th-century America, combining large portions of lobster and steak was popular at "show restaurants known as lobster palaces," favored by

nouveau riche ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...

"arrivistes." This became unfashionable by the 1920s and only regained popularity in the early 1960s. Surf 'n' turf was featured in 1962 at the Eye of the Needle, a

revolving restaurant A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is usually a tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on ...

atop the

Space Needle The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center ...

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

. Surf and turf is often considered to symbolize the middle-class " Continental cuisine" of the 1960s and 1970s, with (frozen) lobster and steak as replacements for the middle class.

Variations

A variation is the surf and turf burger, which is prepared with ground beef and various types of seafood, such as lobster, shrimp, or crab.

Reputation

Surf and turf is often considered as an example of conspicuous consumption and

kitsch Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation wi ...

, as it combines two expensive foods which are not normally considered to be complementary:

References

External links