Grilled Crabs, Why not?

Swine Spectator · 07-16-2013, 09:54 PM

I've had this thought in my head that I wanted to try to grill crabs. I've never seen it done, but why not?

We normally get crabs by the hamper for parties, but that is not the time to experiment. So I'm at the grocery store and they had live crabs for sale, by the each. They were a bit small, but I went ahead and bought 6:

I cleaned them and removed the "dead man's fingers". Then I stuck a rectangle of chilled butter in the cavity. I seasoned them with BBQ rub and topped with a little chopped cilantro:

On to the waiting grill:

I let them go until the butter was melted and bubbly:

Here's the money shot:

Notes: These were farking DELICIOUS!

They were also very messy. Next time, I'll look for bigger crabs and I may put them in a pan to catch the butter and juices for dipping.

David
The Swine Spectator

VoodoChild · 07-16-2013, 11:14 PM

Looks like fun !

mikeleonard81 · 07-17-2013, 12:17 AM

Looks great! bet it tasted better

cholloway · 07-17-2013, 12:25 AM

Good job! They look great.

rocketmanray · 07-17-2013, 07:41 AM

I"ve seen some Asian friends do this, and after explanation they said it was very common. They were catching crab off the seawall and putting them directly on the hot grill. It looked awesome, but I get stuck in the rut of throwing them in a pot with Old Bay.

Maybe I"ll try the grill now - It never occurred to me to remove the top shell first... doh!

RMR

chingador · 07-17-2013, 07:54 AM

We do them all the time pretty much like that. Very good stuff for sure. Probably my favorite way to eat blue crab.

Fake Farmer · 07-17-2013, 08:05 AM

Never cooked them right on the grill. Just used it to rewarm them
The next day. Steaming 21 minutes covered in old bay is all I know.
And all ive ever needed, really. Can you share temp and time? Getting curious
now.

Swine Spectator · 07-17-2013, 08:17 AM

I had a medium fire (one chimney full of KBB) and cooked them until the butter started bubbling (~15-20 minutes).

smokemaster1 · 07-17-2013, 08:40 AM

That looks soooo good.
I hate you!

I can't get blue crabs in Germany.

chingador · 07-17-2013, 08:43 AM

It really doesn't take long. We normally break the claws off and boil them however.

Deep fried is a very good way to go too. An old school seafood restaurant from Sabine Pass, TX, Sartins used to be famous for their BBQ crabs, which were actually deep fried with a special seasoning. They were awesome!! Fiesta Seasoning makes a BBQ crab seasoning that is similar to what Sartins used to use. Very good stuff

http://www.bluecrab.info/bbqcrabs.html

Thermal Mass · 07-17-2013, 09:01 AM

Very, Very, jealous plus by the hamper full!!

Looks incredible!

When you speak of "blue" are they molting (soft shell)?
We see soft shells at our local specialty market around May for a week or so, last time they were actually still alive. Otherwise finding anything other than lobster not much live seafood around here...

"Dead man's fingers = gills??

How do I get a hamper full??

oifmarine2003 · 07-17-2013, 09:42 AM

Looks great. The survival shows always cook them on a stick like a hot dog on a campfire and they look pretty decent. Your way looks awesome!

Captain Dave · 07-17-2013, 10:52 AM

21 minutes is too long

eddieh70301 · 07-17-2013, 10:57 AM

gonna have to give this a try over the weekend. Planning on a crabbing trip, but depends on the damn rain.

NolanB · 07-17-2013, 12:55 PM

Homey, you know I'm gonna have to do this.....been doing a lot of oysters lately and this will be a good change up. Thanks for sharing.

07-16-2013, 09:54 PM	#1
Swine Spectator is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-04-12 Location: NOVA via NOLA Name/Nickname : David	Grilled Crabs, Why not? I've had this thought in my head that I wanted to try to grill crabs. I've never seen it done, but why not? We normally get crabs by the hamper for parties, but that is not the time to experiment. So I'm at the grocery store and they had live crabs for sale, by the each. They were a bit small, but I went ahead and bought 6: I cleaned them and removed the "dead man's fingers". Then I stuck a rectangle of chilled butter in the cavity. I seasoned them with BBQ rub and topped with a little chopped cilantro: On to the waiting grill: I let them go until the butter was melted and bubbly: Here's the money shot: Notes: These were farking DELICIOUS! They were also very messy. Next time, I'll look for bigger crabs and I may put them in a pan to catch the butter and juices for dipping. David The Swine Spectator __________________ Shirley 24" x 60", 26" OTG, 22" WSM, (Former pits: Klose 20" x 48", New Braunfel's El Dorado) - "There's nothing magical about 225°, except waking up earlier and eating later." - DaveAlvarado - "You talk about burning lots of wood like it’s a bad thing..." - Gimmethecash Certified IMBAS MOINK Baller!

07-16-2013, 11:14 PM	#2
VoodoChild is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 05-22-11 Location: Phoenix,AZ Always Sunny !	Looks like fun ! __________________ [I]1-Jumbo Joe[/I] 1-Jumbo Joe Premium [I]1-Weber 26.75 otg[/I] 1- WEBER RANCH KETTLE

07-17-2013, 12:25 AM	#4
cholloway Babbling Farker Join Date: 05-10-11 Location: East of Atlanta, GA. Name/Nickname : Colin	Good job! They look great. __________________ Colin - "Drinking alcohol can cause memory loss... or worse, memory loss" New Braunfels Hondo Offset New Braunfels Bandera (Refurbished & Improved) Char-Broil 450 (Purchased new in 1981) 1996 Blue Weber SS Performer Weber charcoal Go-Anywhere 2 Weber SJSs & modified stock pot Mini-WSM Weber rotisserie, Rib-O-Lator & Smokenator system Blackstone Tailgater Combo & STOK Island gasser

07-17-2013, 07:54 AM	#6
chingador is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-18-06 Location: Houston, TX	We do them all the time pretty much like that. Very good stuff for sure. Probably my favorite way to eat blue crab. __________________ ______________________________________________ Rec Tec 590 Stampede, Primo Oval XL, Weber 26" Kettle with Gabby Grills Santa Maria attachment. Lonestargrillz 42" pellet grill on order.

07-17-2013, 08:17 AM	#8
Swine Spectator is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-04-12 Location: NOVA via NOLA Name/Nickname : David	I had a medium fire (one chimney full of KBB) and cooked them until the butter started bubbling (~15-20 minutes). __________________ Shirley 24" x 60", 26" OTG, 22" WSM, (Former pits: Klose 20" x 48", New Braunfel's El Dorado) - "There's nothing magical about 225°, except waking up earlier and eating later." - DaveAlvarado - "You talk about burning lots of wood like it’s a bad thing..." - Gimmethecash Certified IMBAS MOINK Baller!

07-17-2013, 12:17 AM	#3
mikeleonard81 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-11-12 Location: kettering. ohio	Looks great! bet it tasted better

07-17-2013, 07:41 AM	#5
rocketmanray Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-02-09 Location: Cocoa Beach, FL	I"ve seen some Asian friends do this, and after explanation they said it was very common. They were catching crab off the seawall and putting them directly on the hot grill. It looked awesome, but I get stuck in the rut of throwing them in a pot with Old Bay. Maybe I"ll try the grill now - It never occurred to me to remove the top shell first... doh! RMR

07-17-2013, 08:05 AM	#7
Fake Farmer On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-17-13 Location: Annapolis, MD	Never cooked them right on the grill. Just used it to rewarm them The next day. Steaming 21 minutes covered in old bay is all I know. And all ive ever needed, really. Can you share temp and time? Getting curious now.

07-17-2013, 08:40 AM	#9
smokemaster1 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 10-11-09 Location: Germany. I'm not German. Just live here.	That looks soooo good. I hate you! I can't get blue crabs in Germany. __________________ KCBS member, CBJ, IMBAS Certified MOINK Baller. WGA, WBS, 3x - UDS & WSM on Wheels, 2x - Performers, Weber Genesis.

07-17-2013, 08:43 AM	#10
chingador is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-18-06 Location: Houston, TX	It really doesn't take long. We normally break the claws off and boil them however. Deep fried is a very good way to go too. An old school seafood restaurant from Sabine Pass, TX, Sartins used to be famous for their BBQ crabs, which were actually deep fried with a special seasoning. They were awesome!! Fiesta Seasoning makes a BBQ crab seasoning that is similar to what Sartins used to use. Very good stuff http://www.bluecrab.info/bbqcrabs.html __________________ ______________________________________________ Rec Tec 590 Stampede, Primo Oval XL, Weber 26" Kettle with Gabby Grills Santa Maria attachment. Lonestargrillz 42" pellet grill on order.

07-17-2013, 09:01 AM	#11
Thermal Mass is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-05-13 Location: Jackson, WI	Very, Very, jealous plus by the hamper full!! Looks incredible! When you speak of "blue" are they molting (soft shell)? We see soft shells at our local specialty market around May for a week or so, last time they were actually still alive. Otherwise finding anything other than lobster not much live seafood around here... "Dead man's fingers = gills?? How do I get a hamper full?? __________________ 42" WFO,[B][/B]-Brick vert smoker, Tuscan wood grill, 22" Weber, ECB-sent to the curb! Superfast [B][COLOR="Magenta"]PINK[B][COLOR="Magenta"] Thermapen[/COLOR][/B][/COLOR][/B] Offically a [URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/group.php?groupid=39"]ZERO[/URL]!! [COLOR=Red]My Build[/COLOR]: [URL]http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153650[/URL] "[COLOR=Navy]When it comes right down to it, you just want to be surrounded by good people and good food."[/COLOR]-Chuck Hughes Last edited by Thermal Mass; 07-17-2013 at 09:04 AM.. Reason: gill "?"

07-17-2013, 09:42 AM	#12
oifmarine2003 Babbling Farker Join Date: 11-26-12 Location: Cedarburg, WI	Looks great. The survival shows always cook them on a stick like a hot dog on a campfire and they look pretty decent. Your way looks awesome! __________________ Chris- Midwest BBQ Outreach

07-17-2013, 10:52 AM	#13
Captain Dave is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 07-29-09 Location: Luling, Texas 78648	21 minutes is too long __________________ Thanks for noticing

07-17-2013, 10:57 AM	#14
eddieh70301 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 03-30-10 Location: Thibodaux, LA	gonna have to give this a try over the weekend. Planning on a crabbing trip, but depends on the damn rain. __________________ Bubba Keg / Stumps Baby / Super Fast Yellow Thermapen / Lodge Cast Iron Grill / Smoke Vault

07-17-2013, 12:55 PM	#15
NolanB Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 12-06-11 Location: New Orleans, LA	Homey, you know I'm gonna have to do this.....been doing a lot of oysters lately and this will be a good change up. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Yoder Cheyenne 22.5" Weber Silver UDS