Darlynda Canales |  Guadalupe Valley EC

Perfect for a casual dinner, this messy favorite is meant for dipping bread and using your fingers. “My daughter Marlyss had just seen the movie Forrest Gump and asked me how Bubba would be able to make barbecued shrimp,” Canales says. “Now we had made shrimp numerous ways, but never had I tried to make Shrimp BBQ. But I love a good challenge! This recipe is the one we came up with that we liked the best.”

Sauce
1 jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon cumin

Shrimp
8 small frozen cobs of corn
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
2 pounds uncooked medium shell-on shrimp, deveined

1. Sauce: Roast the jalapeño over an open flame 2 minutes, then set aside.

2. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add brown sugar. Bring butter-sugar mixture to a low boil.

3. Meanwhile, in a blender, place the roasted jalapeño (destemmed), tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion and cumin. Blend ingredients until smooth. Add this to the butter- sugar mixture in the saucepan. Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Shrimp: Cook corn according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add onion, stir to coat, and return to oven until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove dish from oven and carefully add beer, sauce, shrimp and corn. Stir together until all the shrimp and corn cobs are coated with the sauce.

6. Return dish to oven and bake until shrimp are pink, 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Serve with toasted baguettes and coleslaw.

Serves 8.

Cook’s Tip

To catch any spills, set the 13-by-9-inch dish on a larger rimmed baking sheet before adding all the liquids, then put both pans in the oven together.