Surf and turf

Surf and turf, sometimes called reef and beef, is a main course combining seafood and red meat, typically beefsteak. While lobster and filet mignon are a standard combination, variations common to steakhouse menus include prawns, shrimp, squid, or scallops, which may be steamed, grilled, or breaded and fried.

While the term's origins remain unclear, the earliest known citation dates to 1961 in the Los Angeles Times.

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 "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 atop the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.

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.

In Australia, the dish was first served in 1965 at the Lithgow Hotel in Lithgow, New South Wales. It is now common throughout Australia.

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

Surf and turf is often considered as an example of conspicuous consumption and kitsch, as it combines two expensive foods which are not normally considered to be complementary:

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• List of meat dishes
• List of seafood dishes
• List of steak dishes

• Media related to Surf and turf (dishes) at Wikimedia Commons