Steamed Buns with Grilled Shrimp and Sriracha Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• For the shrimp:
• 24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 small hot red chili, such as Thai bird, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the sriracha mayonnaise:
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, plus more to taste
• 5 tablespoons store-bought or homemade mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lime
• To Assemble:
• 12 Chinese folded steamed buns, steamed in a steamer or in the microwave until tender
• 1 recipe Quick-Pickled Cucumbers With Rice Vinegar
• 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the baking soda, salt, and sugar until everything is evenly coated. Thread the shrimp onto pairs of skewers, lining them up head-to-tail and nudging them close together. Use 6 shrimp for each pair of skewers. Rest the skewers across a baking dish so the shrimp hang above the bottom, then slide the dish into the refrigerator for 1 hour. While they rest, stir half the garlic with half the oil in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix the remaining garlic and oil with the chili and scallions. Keep both bowls nearby.
2. For the sriracha mayonnaise, stir the sriracha, mayonnaise, and lime juice together in a small bowl. Add more sriracha if you want more heat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it.
3. When you’re ready to grill, brush the shrimp on both sides with the small bowl of garlic oil. For a charcoal grill, start 1 full chimney of charcoal. Once all the charcoal is lit and coated with gray ash, pour it out and bank the coals on 1 side of the charcoal grate. Put the cooking grate in place, cover the grill, and let it heat for 5 minutes. If you’re using a gas grill, turn half the burners to the highest heat setting, cover the grill, and preheat it for 10 minutes. Clean the grilling grate, then oil it.
4. Place the shrimp over the hot side of the grill. Cook, turning them from time to time, until they are cooked through and nicely charred, 4 to 5 minutes total. Move the shrimp to a cutting board.
5. Gently pull the skewers out of the shrimp, then transfer the shrimp to the large bowl with the garlic, oil, chili, and scallions. Toss until coated. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed, and use them right away.
6. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 teaspoons (7ml) sriracha mayonnaise over the bottom of each bun. Add pickles and shredded cabbage. Tuck 2 shrimp into each bun, close them, and serve immediately.