What's a meat-laden barbecue joint to do when Lent comes around and every restaurant on the planet is serving up fish fry?
If you're Chef Aaron Patin of Iron Grate BBQ Co., 4125 S. Howell Ave., you dig deep and come up with a succulent seafood dish to augment your menu of artfully smoked brisket, pork and ribs.
Last year, it was hickory butter barbecued shrimp, a finger-lickin' Southern-inspired dish featuring a pound of peeled, head-on shrimp tossed in a smoky buttery sauce and served up alongside slices of Texas toast to soak up all the leftover sauce ($18 a pound). The dish was so popular, it’s now a mainstay on the Iron Grate menu.
This year, folks will get a little taste of NOLA thanks to Patin’s latest creation: Louisiana Steamed Crawfish.
The crawfish, which are flown in live from the Gulf, are coated in Patin’s custom-blended Grandpa’s Spice and stir fried in butter with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, Thai chilis and lemon juice. They are $21 per pound and can be ordered as-is or "extra spicy" upon request.
The crawfish will be available beginning Friday, March 9 on a first-come first-served basis (when they're out, they're out). They will be offered every Friday through the Lenten season (pending availability).
Iron Grate BBQ Co. is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
.jpeg)
