IN THE KITCHEN: Chef Clyde takes us south of the border for Lobster

CampLangosta al Estilo Puerto Nuevo

Story & Photos by Clyde Van Arsdall IV

Crab Claws and drawn butter

Clams steamed in cerveza

When it comes to lobsters, I love my “Maine” squeeze, but long distance relationships are hard. Lucky for me, warm water crustaceans can be found just south of the border. A few kilometers down the coast road from the famous surf spot K38 lies the sleepy seaside village of Puerto Nuevo. This grouping of restaurants, known to surfers as Lobster Camp, has been serving rock lobsters since before Michael Hyson and Robert August started their Endless Summer.

Rock lobster, also known as spiny lobster, di ers from the cold water variety most people associate with New England. Covered in sharp spines, rock lobsters lack the big, meaty claws of their East Coast counterparts. The warm water of the Pacific causes the meat to be a bit more dry and less flavorful. Not to worry, though — the cooks at Lobster Camp have developed a method for cooking these lobsters that adds moisture and provides a rich depth of flavor.

The preparation of the lobster for Langosta al Estilo Puerto Nuevo consists of three simple steps. The first: par-boil the lobster in water, seasoned with cerveza and menudo spice. Second: cut the lobsters in half lengthwise. The final step: fry the halves in pork lard, yes pork lard, until the meat appears slightly golden in color.

The fried lobster tails are served along with handmade flour tortillas, silky refried beans, flu y red rice, drawn butter, fresh limes and spicy hot sauce. To eat, you simply pile these ingredients onto a warm tortilla, drizzle butter over the top with a spoonful of hot sauce and roll this hot mess into a burrito. Taking your first bite and washing it down with an ice cold Mexican beer is truly a transcendental moment.

A lot has been said about the destination, but life is often about the journey. The experience of traveling to Lobster Camp is magical. Crossing the border is always exciting because it lets you know the adventure is about to begin. As soon as you hit the coast road, you are met with sweeping seaside views that stay with you for the rest of the trip. Once you drive into the village of Puerto Nuevo, salty ocean breezes carrying aromas of frying lobsters will immediately

The various sizes of langusta for sale are presented table side, which is standard practice and most restaurants.

greet you. I have fond memories dating back over 30 years of wandering the streets trying to decide which restaurant would be best for the occasion. As we walked, the sounds of mariachis could be heard over the street vendors hawking ceviche, oysters and other briny delights along the way. Kids and dogs roamed the dirt streets with carefree abandon. Ponchos, blankets and huarache sandals were for sale in abundance on every corner. If you timed your trip right, you could have a few margaritas and catch the sunset on the terraced decks of Calafia on your way back up the coast. The look and feel of Puerto Nuevo has changed over the years and it has doubled in size. While change is inevitable, the good news is the lobsters are still as good as they ever were.

Lobster Camp should be on your culinary short list, but if you can't make it down, don't worry —

you can experience Puerto Nuevo style lobsters at home. Shopping locally for the ingredients to make this meal can be a lot of fun and cooking the lobsters is easier than you might think.

San Diego is host to an abundance of great Mexican food so you won't have to make everything from scratch. Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan has been serving some of the best Mexican food in San Diego since 1939. Their thick handcrafted flour tortillas, along with their flu y red rice and silky refried beans work perfectly for this meal. Manteca (pork lard), menudo spice and any other groceries needed can be found at Northgate Market also in the Barrio.

No Lobster Camp meal would be complete without chips and salsa. The restaurants in Puerto Nuevo serve chips that are thicker and crunchier than most and the salsa is smooth, spicy and red. The closest local versions of these can be found at El Indo, family owned and operated since 1940.

Catalina o shore, and Point Loma Seafood both sell rock lobsters when in season. Point Loma Seafoods has been a personal favorite of mine for years but it has its challenges. Limited parking and their cult following often make a trip di cult if you just want to pick something up quickly. I go early to beat the lines and stay for lunch, a winning combination. Catalina O shore Products is a hidden gem with no restaurant, and their location in an industrial area o of Morena Boulevard provides plenty of parking. Call both for availability before heading out. Spiny lobster season runs from October to March.

All this for a lobster burrito, who would have guessed? There is some work involved in getting down to Lobster Camp and making this dish at home, while not hard, will take some footwork. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “nothing worth having was ever achieved without e ort.” While he most certainly wasn't talking about a burrito, the sentiment still applies. Cooking for or eating with friends and family is always worth the e ort. I hope you will give it a go.

Surf shop sign at K38 lets you know when to pull o the road. Street vendors fill every space not selling seafood. Right photo: Mariachi bands provide the soundtrack for the Lobster Camp experience.

• Clyde Van Arsdall IV is a third generation Coronado local, chef and storyteller. For more stories and follow-ups to his articles go to www.oliveavenuesupperclub.com.

Lobsters fried in pork lard, frijoles refritos and arroz rojo, are the main components of a classic lobster burrito.

Langosta al Estilo Puerto Nuevo

(Lobster in the style of New Port)

By Clyde Van Arsdall

Ingredients: • Langosta (one per person) • 40 oz of pork lard (Manteca) enough to cover lobsters while frying • Arroz Rojo (red rice) 1 cup per person • Frijoles refritos (refried beans) 1 cup per person • Clarified Butter ¼ cup per person • Flour tortillas, fresh (Las Cuatro Milpas) 3 per person • Mexican Limes (small) 3 per person, food and beers • Salsa, Roasted (El Nopalito Roasted Salsa o r Tacupeto, Molka Fire Roasted) • Chips, thick (El Indio, Stone Ground) • Seasoning Menudo (tampico) 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add menudo seasoning and two mexican beers. Place lobsters in the pot and par-boil lobsters for approximately two minutes. 2. Cut lobsters in half the long way. Up by the head of the lobster there may be some greenish stu called tomalley which can be cleaned out. Along the tail meat occasionally there may be some orange colored roe (eggs); clean that o as well. 3. Drain on towel cut side down, pat dry. 4. Bring lard to 350 degrees on the stove top and fry lobster halves until just golden.

Serve with warm tortillas, rice, refried beans, clarified butter, limes, salsa and your favorite Mexican beer and chips.

To eat, make burritos with the above ingredients of your choice. Try not to outshine the lobster, but it's your burrito, so do you. Businesses where you can buy or eat lobsters: Las Cuatro Milpas (The four corn fields) Since 1939 1857 Logan Ave San Diego, CA 92113 Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Grab lunch — shopping is a hungry business. Chorizo con huevo, tacos, tamales... There are no bad choices. Northgate Market 1950 Main St. San Diego, CA 92113 Monday-Sunday 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Catalina O shore Products 5202 Lovelock St. San Diego, CA 92110 Monday Closed Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m-5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m-3 p.m. Langosta (rock or spiny lobster) Season first Wednesday in October 2021first Wednesday night after March 15th 2022 10/6/2021-3/16/2022 El Indio Mexican Restaurant 3695 India St. San Diego, CA 92103 Every Day 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Shopping: Chips, Salsa, Tortillas

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