Smoked Shrimp

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Hello friends and welcome to this extra special edition of the smoking meat newsletter.

I have been wanting to do an article on smoking shrimp for a while and that time is finally here. You will find lots of folks telling you that these should only be grilled or cooked in a very hot stove or grill but I beg to differ.

These are so simple to do and so very good.. the only trick is to not overcook them. Thankfully, shrimp have a tail-tale sign to let us know when they are perfectly done.. they turn bright pink.

I had 6 different people try these when I made them for this session and everyone said they were absolutely delicious and completely newsletter worthy. I did use my very own rub recipe on these and I know that played a huge part but more than that,I have proven that the smoking of shrimp can be a completely successful process and after tasting these, I would serve them to the most honorable of guests at my house!

Oh.. and before I forget, I have also included instructions for smoking your own salt at home in this edition. My wife and I were in the North Market in Columbus, OH this past week and we were privileged to meet a lot of great folks that had shops and booths. One of those shops sold spices and they had apple wood smoked salt that smelled so good that I just couldn't put it down. I decided right then and there to smoke up some of this salt when I got home and to take some pictures of the process for the upcoming newsletter. Just something that I thought you might enjoy doing yourself and it makes wonderful gifts as well!

 

I did it again! .. As is my style, I just had to use my rub recipe on these shrimp and Oh my goodness is all I can say.. you ain't never ate shrimp that tasted this good! Go ahead and take the plunge.. order the recipes today and you'll be VERY glad you did. Order Recipes | Read Testimonies

 

My Previous Newsletter:

Smoked Cornish Hens

I had so many wonderful emails about these.. I don't know how many hundreds of folks tried these after I sent out the newsletter but they were all ecstatic about how good they turned out. I love it when that happens and if you haven't tried them.. then you should do that very soon!

 

How to Smoke Shrimp

What to Purchase

I used the jumbo sized shrimp.. I recommend you do the same but then that's entirely up to you. Here in Oklahoma, about the only thing we have access to is the previously frozen seafood but if you can get the fresh stuff then go for it. The fresher the better. Be sure to purchase raw shrimp, deveined, peeled and tail on for best results.

 

Thawing them Out

If the shrimp are frozen like the ones I used, just put them in a colander and run cold water over them until they are thawed out. This usually only takes about 5 minutes. Drain the water when you are finished and proceed.

 

Marinating the Shrimp

Obviously, my rub recipe is the absolute best option in my opinion. The flavor is beyond amazing and perfectly compliments the flavor of the smoke. Put the shrimp in a large ziploc bag and pour enough olive oil over them to fully coat them on all sides. I had 3 lbs of shrimp and used about 1/4 cup of oil. Once the shrimp are coated with oil, pour on about 1/4 cup of my rub recipe per lb of shrimp. I used about 3/4 cup of the rub recipe on mine.

Feel free to use more or less of the rub recipe depending on how seasoned you want them to be. The rub is not "salty" so you can use more than you would almost all other seasonings.

 

Zip up the bag and shake and roll it to completely coat the shrimp with the oil/rub mixture. Once you are satisfied that they are fully covered, place them in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Note: the rub can easily be adjusted to be just as spicy or mild as you like by reducing or increasing certain key ingredients. I have some notes in the recipe on how to do this and/or I can help via email at your request once you order.

 

Preparing the Shrimp for Smoking

This recipe is so simple you might wonder why I haven't written about it before and that simply because I had never documented the process which is what is required in order for me to tell you how to do it. It is extremely easy and after marinating them, I simply melted a stick (1/4 lb) of butter and poured it into the bottom of a 9 x 13 disposable pan. I then laid the shrimp neatly into rows overlapping them just a little on top of the tails.

 

 

Getting the Smoker Ready

As you may have noticed in my most recent articles, I have been using my propane smoker a lot and that is no coincidence. We have had over a month of 100-114 degree days with no rain and having any kind of open fire is very dangerous due to the dryness of everything.

Propane or electric is my only option right now and I have even had to be extremely careful with that. Fortunately this Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain of mine does a great job and everything has worked out like a charm.

Getting this smoker ready consists merely of turning on the propane, filling the water pan with cold water, lighting the burner for preheating, and filling the chip box with dry wood chips or chunks and setting it aside.

Note: I like to wait until about 5 minutes before adding the meat to place the chips/chunks in the smoker. This allows me to get the meat into the smoker and get some pictures if needed before the smoke starts flowing too heavy.

In the gas smoker, I leave the knob set on HIGH until I put the shrimp into the smoker since I need to get the chips/chunks going quickly. Once I place the shrimp in, I watch for smoke then turn it down to a more medium setting to maintain my goal temperature.

 

Smoking the Shrimp

Place the pan(s) of shrimp into the smoker and DON'T go anywhere for long. These things will be done faster n' you can imagine as is the way with these little, great tasting buggers.

I was unable to maintain less than 235 degrees in this smoker due to the 113 degree Oklahoma heat even with cold water in the water pan. The smoker was not in the shade and that's just the best that could be done under the circumstances. For this reason, I used pecan knowing that it would be able to impart some good flavor in a relatively short amount of time.

15-20 minutes and the shrimp were starting to turn a bright pink.. a sure sign that they are perfectly done. You can successfully smoke them at a lower temperature to add some extra smoking time just don't take your eyes off of them for long. Some folks cook them as low as 180 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour to get the extra smoke flavor.

Using a stronger smoking wood such as mesquite, hickory or pecan will ensure that you are able to get a nice smoke flavor in the small amount of time that they are in the smoker.

We usually say "if you're looking you ain't cooking" but that does not apply to shrimp. Use a good flashlight (or torch if you're in the UK) and after about 8-10 minutes start checking them every 3 minutes, crack the lid or door just a wee bit and shine the light onto the pan to check for that bright pink color. Once you have bright pink, get them out of the heat so they don't overcook and get rubbery on you.

 

 

Serve the Shrimp

Many times at my house, the food from the smoker never makes it to the table. I bring it in and set it on the cabinet and it's a contest to see who can grab the most.. the fastest. Such was the case with these shrimp.

These were great right out of the smoker, they would also be great on skewers, laid on top of a bed of noodles or even served cold on a salad.

My wife ate some cold the next day and said they were some of the best cold shrimp she had ever eaten with a very nice hint of smokiness.. no cocktail sauce needed due to my tasty rub being on them.

Here's some reheated with a side of steamed broccoli for your viewing pleasure:

 

 

 

Order My Recipes

Folks.. I never stop amazing myself at how good my rib rub recipe and sauce recipe is on various kinds of meat.

Whether it is ribs, brisket, pork shoulder or even something simple like chicken or chops, every time I use my rub and sauce I am blown away by the flavor all over AGAIN!

I always think to myself, "I sure hope everyone can try this.. it is too good to go through life never having experienced this!"

I am not being dramatic.. just try it and you will join the ranks of those who know if I'm lying then I'm dying! This stuff is Fan-flavor-tastic and you need it in a bad-bad way;-)

Here is a few recent testimonies from other folks who decided to go for it and are glad that they did. Be sure to send my your testimony once you try it and realize that you have just tasted of HEAVEN.
 
 
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Jeff, your Rib Rub is to die for, I have used it on all meats including Venison and I have to say you have created a master piece, Thank you for letting us common folk in to your smokin life ~ Kevin

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I would like to Thank You for the Rib Rub Recipe, I made this for my family and the results were unanimous, everyone said that the ribs were the BEST they ever tasted, and the meat was very tender and moist. I haven't tried the BBQ sauce recipe yet, but I will in the near future. ~ Jerome
 
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I purchased the rub and sauce and I have to say that I love it and so has everyone that has tried it, just like you and others said they would. ~ Matt
 
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Jeff I have to tell you that your rub and sauce recipes are the best. I had never smoked a rib or anything until last weekend and by fallowing your directions on your site I was the RIB KING for a day. Thanks a bunch pal, ~ Harold
 
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Let me say that I've been using your Rib Rub for a couple years now. I use it on ribs (obviously), but I also use it on steak, ham, chicken, and everything else I smoke. My family and I absolutely LOVE it! It rocks! ~ Trapper

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Jeff, I did a smoked pork roast yesterday and used your recipe both for the pork and for your Smoky Barbecue Sauce. Everyone loved it. My wife said the sauce was the best she had ever tasted and I have to agree. Fantastic. ~ Barry

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You deserve the very best and is is completely within your grasp! Only $18.95 and worth every penny. Not only do you get the best rub recipe and sauce recipe available, you are supporting this website and helping to make sure the bills get paid so we can keep on doing what we do to teach thousands and thousands of people across the world the art of smoking meat.

Order Recipes | Read Testimonies

Note: My system is automated which means you should get a download email within mere MINUTES of ordering.. check your spam/junk folder first then, if you can't find them, contact me to get the recipes sent to you as an attachment.

 

 

How to Smoke Salt and Other Spices

This is so easy and it makes great gifts as well.. I definitely recommend that you try it at least once. You'll be hooked for life!

I like to use large flat cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. This makes it easier to pour the salt into jars or bottles later. Pour a thin layer of kosher salt or course sea salt onto the pan.

 

Use any flavor of wood you like, I wanted something on the mild side so I used apple wood chips.

 

Run the smoker at normal smoking temperatures.. I keep it about 225 degrees. You can leave it in the smoker for as long as you like but be sure to stir the salt/spices around every 20 minutes or so to make sure you get even smoke penetration. The longer it stays in there, the stronger flavored it will end up being.

I went about 1 hour with the apple and I could tell that the salt turned from stark white to a light brown color.

 

Pick up the foil and pour the cooled salt into fancy bottles, salt shakers or any other container that you think is suitable for such a fine product.

You may not smell or taste the smoke on the salt very strong the first day. Let it sit overnight in an airtight bottle and you will smell it the next day.

You can also smoke other spices and ingredients such as paprika and you'll just have to play around with different flavors of wood and different smoking times to see what tastes best to you.

Enjoy!

 

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In Closing

Thank you for being a part of the smoking meat family which includes the newsletter, the forum, the smoking-meat.com website and many other resources that we try to provide to help you and countless others learn this great art.

A HUGE thank you to all of you who support the site by purchasing the recipes and other products that we sell.

Until next time.. keep smoking and God Bless.

Jeff Phillips