Benito vs. Jaws: Grilled Shark

I've been craving seafood recently. Maybe it's the heat in Memphis and the desire for lighter fare, maybe my body is telling me I need Omega-3 with a side of mercury, who knows. I grabbed a pair of shark steaks and marinated them for two hours in lemon juice, olive oil, and a touch of molasses. Then I seared and grilled them for about half an hour, after which they were still a bit rare in the center. The big green zebra tomato slices were great, and I had another craving for cornbread, so I made a batch of cornbread muffins. Add in some green beans and heavily reduced mushrooms, and we've got a decent meal. The shark turned out OK, but was a bit tough.

I've succumbed to popular fashion and picked up a set of square plates. This time next year I'll be bragging about two-foot long white porcelain platters on which I have a few ounces of meat and a tiny drizzle of sauce, perhaps with a foam perched nearby. Joking aside, I purchased these mainly because they'll do excellent double duty as serving dishes for family-style dining.

For the wine, I uncorked a bottle of the 2005 Finca El Peral Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina. I got this at Wolfchase Wine and Spirits, where John the manager always has a fun Malbec on hand and lets me know when a new one has arrived. This one retailed for under $9 and has aromas of plum, spice, and leather. In the mouth it's smooth with a bit of a tart finish and a pleasant lingering plum flavor. Curious note: it comes wrapped in the white tissue paper you see on some finer wines, but neither the paper nor the bottle have a bar code. I enjoyed sipping another glass of the wine after the meal along with some nice bitter dark chocolate, a great combination I picked up from Fredric.